Manchester United
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No matter which way Jose Mourinho spins it, Manchester United have failed to capitalise on results around them to guarantee themselves a Top 4 spot. Liverpool crumbled with a loss to Crystal Palace and a draw with Southampton while Arsenal were there for the taking at the Emirates.
However, their last three games have seen poor results. A draw in a drab Manchester derby, a draw at home against Swansea and finally a loss against Arsenal – a result that brought to an end the unbeaten run that saw them 13 games and drawing 12.
Draws at home to teams such as Hull, Bournemouth and West Brom have not helped either. While Mourinho has pointed out fatigue as a factor, he had brought it upon himself by focusing on winning the League Cup and starting key players in those fixtures instead of resting them.
The Europa League win is now his ticket to the Champions League even though results in the league could still see the Red Devils finish fourth. But they now play Tottenham (away), Southampton (away) and Crystal Palace (home).
Spurs will most likely win the tie looking at their form prior to the West Ham loss (nine consecutive wins) and they have the added incentive of finishing their final game at White Hart Lane with a win (remember, the same thing happened with West Ham last season at the Boleyn Ground).
United could beat Southampton but their final game is three days before a potential Europa League final and Mourinho could rest players again. And it’s against Crystal Palace who beat Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool and they could be trying to avoid relegation. A draw is highly likely if that is the case and United could finish with 69 points.
