We have to recover, says Van Gaal
(All games 5pm SA time unless stated) Tomorrow Crystal Palace v Queens Park Rangers, Selhurst Park, 2.45pm, West Bromwich Albion v Stoke City, The Hawthorns, Sunderland v Aston Villa, Stadium of Light, Leicester City v Hull City, King Power Stadium, Arsenal v West Ham United, Emirates Stadium, Burnley v Manchester City, Turf Moor, 7.30pm. Sunday Chelsea v Southampton Stamford Bridge, 3.3pm, Manchester United v Tottenham Hotspur, Old Trafford, 6pm, Everton v Newcastle United, Goodison Park, 6pm. the second season in a row.
Finishing in the top four and qualifying for Europe’s top tier competition is now considered essential but United’s 10game run-in to the end of the season also includes matches against Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal.
Fourth-placed United, who have 53 points from 28 matches, hold a slender two-point advantage over resurgent Liverpool, while Spurs are a further point back in sixth.
Tottenham have won at Old Trafford in the last two seasons having not previously tasted victory there since 1989 and they are unbeaten against United in their last five
Louis van Gaal sends orders to his players during Manchester United’s 2-1 FA Cup loss to Arsenal. meetings.
The Manchester side can illafford another loss to Mauricio Pochettino’s team but, after defeat by Arsenal exposed their much-discussed flaws, manager Louis van Gaal knows his side must recover quickly with a top-four finish at stake.
“All the players are very dis- appointed and that’s logical,” the Dutchman said after the Arsenal defeat. “We have to see how we recover from that.
“I can’t say the motivation of the team was bad – it’s always good. We showed fantastic fighting spirit again.
“This is a big blow for us but we are sportsmen, so we have to recover.”
Champions Manchester City travel to relegationthreatened Burnley in Saturday’s late kick-off knowing they must not allow leaders Chelsea to extend their fivepoint lead at the top. Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea side host Southampton.
Third-placed Arsenal welcome London rivals West Ham United to the Emirates on Saturday hoping to give themselves a bit of breathing space from the teams battling it out for fourth.
Liverpool are the side to beat on current form, however, as Brendan Rodgers’s team are