At the start of the week Manchester United had two possible routes in which to earn entry into next season’s Champions League. However, after defeat to Barcelona on Tuesday night, one of those has now been blocked off.
That now means that if United are to return to Europe’s premier club competition next season, they are going to have to earn themselves a top four place in the Premier League, something that as things stand is not in their hands.
All the Red Devils can do now, is make sure they keep winning their league matches and hope that the likes of Tottenham and Arsenal drop points between now and the end of the season. With no margin for error, things are going to now on a knife-edge.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be hoping that his players can bounce back from a rather indifferent performance against Barcelona and he knows that they will have to do so quickly, in order to keep their hopes of a top four finish alive.
Next up for them is a relatively short trip to face Everton and they also have European aspirations of their own, albeit it is qualification for the Europa League rather than the Champions League that they are aiming for.
Inconsistency has been a word that has plagued Everton this season and this would have been no more evident than at Craven Cottage last weekend, while it is this inconsistency that has stopped them from already wrapping up a seventh placed finish.
Just when you think Everton have turned the corner, they then offer up the performance that was witnessed in West London. Going into the game, you would have almost bet your house on the Toffees leaving the capital with all three points.
Especially when you consider that before last weekend’s 2-0 win, Fulham had lost all of their last nine Premier League outings. A defeat, that meant Everton had seen their run of three straight wins come to a shuddering halt.
While not only was it three points dropped at Fulham, it was also the opportunity to leapfrog Leicester that was spurned and if the Merseysiders do fail to earn a place in next season’s Europa League, it could be that particular result that proves to be their ultimate undoing.
Everton will look to make their Goodison Park a fortress once more and they can point to recent wins over both Chelsea and Arsenal as proof of making a house a home, something that Manchester United will no doubt be wary off.
United did fare better in Premier League action last week, as they got the better of West Ham and although they did earn maximum points, manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was gracious enough to say that the Hammers were the better team.
Does that mean that even with Ole at the wheel, United are starting to show signs of wear and tear?
It does look as that is starting to be the case and with that in mind, it could well end up being a case of honours even at Goodison Park on Sunday.