During the Champions League knockout rounds, the Premier League also played a make-up match in the 18th round in midweek, with Manchester United taking on Brighton at Old Trafford.
This make-up match is quite important for Manchester United. This kind of scene is not strange for Manchester United fans. Manchester United's games this season seem to be crucial - the Premier League is about the whole situation, the cup is about life and death.
However, ridicule is ridicule, this make-up match is really important. At present, Manchester United has basically declared that the four are empty, the Premier League is hopeless, the League Cup and the FA Cup have been out, and the only thing that is theoretically possible to win the title is the Champions League - but this season's Champions League title really has nothing to do with Manchester United! As Carragher teased, Arsenal are more likely to win the Champions League than Manchester United.
Therefore, the most realistic and necessary task for Manchester United is only to compete for the fourth. This season's Premier League battle for the fourth is extremely fierce, Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea basically locked in the top three, and the top four have only one seat left. In addition to Manchester United, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United and Wolves have been added to the traditional four-team competition, and the five teams compete for fourth, and the point gap between them is too small to be negligible.
In addition, there is a difference in the number of games that cannot be ignored. Due to the postponement of some matches due to the epidemic, after the 25th round, West Ham United had 41 points in 25 games, Manchester United 24 games with 40 points, Arsenal with 22 games with 39 points, Wolves with 37 points against 23 games, Andttenham Hotspur with 22 games with 36 points... Everyone has an advantage, everyone has hope, but no one dares to slacken off, dare not relax, and the only way to secure a Place in the Champions League is to win.
After the end of the Premier League winter break, Manchester United suffered 2 consecutive draws, lost 4 points in a row, just returned to fourth, and the butt was driven down before it was hot, fortunately it did not fall too far.
Ronnick's high-post pressing tactics are not suitable for the current Manchester United team, the experience of never coaching the giants is destroying his reputation in the coaching world, and Cristiano Ronaldo is suffering from the longest goal drought of his career - the Portuguese superstar has won nothing in six Premier League games.
With a win over Brighton, United could once again beat West Ham back to fourth, but it wouldn't be as easy as it could be. In the first half, Brighton's attack could always easily tear apart Manchester United's defense, and if it were not for De Gea's two wonderful saves before the opening and closing, Manchester United would have fallen behind.
In the first half, Brighton blasted eight feet against Manchester United's goal, 3 feet on target, and all the statistics were fully dominant; Manchester United only had 3 shots on goal, 1 foot on target, and there was no hope of winning.
However, football games are just that magical. Shortly after the opening of the second half, after C Ronaldo won the ball at the top of the arc of the penalty area, he faced the Brighton players who rushed from four directions, dodged and moved, and then pulled the rod to burst, a world wave hanging straight to the corner! Manchester United, in this way, relying on Ronaldo's personal performance, took the lead...
Cristiano Ronaldo's goal changed the game, and a few minutes later, Brighton defender Dunk was sent off for a red card for a foul after Being tackled by Erlanga, and United gained a numerical advantage.
Sure enough, the game changed, and at this time it was replaced by Manchester United attacking around brighton's goal. Before the end of the game, United blasted 13 shots on target in the second half, 6 on target, but they were unable to seal the victory. It wasn't until the seconds of injury time that United took advantage of Brighton's heavy pressure and substitute Pogba took advantage of the high pressure of the backfield, and only B Fernandez scored a powerful shot to seal the victory.
Despite the hardships of winning, United are back in the top four, and Cristiano Ronaldo has broken the longest goal drought of his career and seems to be improving together. However, Manchester United's problems are still there - the defense is all on De Gea, can save a few and count a few; although it all depends on luck, can score a few and count a few...
Just like this performance, how big a chance can there be in the fight for the fourth and champions leagues? Anyway, not optimistic.