High-flying United face Arsenal test
LONDON: After the miracle of Paris, Manchester United have no time for a hangover when they travel to Arsenal on Sunday if their chances of even qualifying for next season’s Champions League are not to suffer significant damage.
Should United repeat their 3-1 success at the Emirates in the FA Cup six weeks ago, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will rack up a perfect 10 away wins since taking caretaker charge to make a seemingly irrefutable case to be handed the job on a permanent basis.
The highlight was beating free-spending Paris Saint-Germain 3-1 in dramatic circumstances on Wednesday to progress to the quarter-finals of the Champions League on away goals and erase the consequences of Solskjaer’s only defeat in 17 games in charge.
United have made up an 11-point gap to the Premier League top four under the Norwegian, but their Champions League status for next season is still far from assured.
The Red Devils lead Arsenal by just a solitary point and a twopoint advantage over sixthplaced Chelsea could be wiped out by the Blues’ game in hand at home to Brighton.
Momentum is on United’s side, but they face a far tougher run-in than the Gunners with title chasing Manchester City and Chelsea still to visit Old Trafford.
By contrast, the visit of Solskjaer’s men is Arsenal’s last against top six opposition.
LOVREN BACK
LIVERPOOL: Liverpool centre-back Dejan Lovren is back in training from a hamstring injury ahead of their Premier League clash against Burnley at Anfield on Saturday.
“Dejan trained yesterday (Thursday) for the first time, completely normal,” Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said.
“But we have to see. He was out for a while so we have to see his fitness. He’s not injured any more, he is fit but how fit we have to see.”
The Reds are in a tense title race with Manchester City, who lead the standings by a point.
CHELSEA READY FOR TOP-4 FIGHT: SARRI
LONDON: Chelsea will fight until the last minute of every match to secure a top four place in the Premier League, manager Maurizio Sarri has said.
Chelsea are sixth on 56 points, two behind fourth-placed Manchester United and one behind Arsenal, who play each other on Sunday. Sarri’s side have played a game less than their top-four rivals. “We will be fighting for the top four until the last minute of the last match. Every match will be important in our future,” Sarri told reporters ahead of Sunday’s league match against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
“We have two big opportunities, this match (against Wolves), and when we play the match (in hand) against Brighton.”
Chelsea have beaten Tottenham Hotspur and Fulham in the league, as well as Dynamo Kiev in the Europa League, since their shootout defeat to Manchester City in the League Cup final.