Winning the Europa League is looking increasingly like Manchester United’s best chance of getting back in the Champions League next season.
It is 20 Premier League games without defeat for United after Zlatan Ibrahimovic, back from suspension, converted a stoppage-time penalty to salvage a 1-1 draw against Everton at Old Trafford on Tuesday.
However, 10 of those games have been draws and United are still struggling to bridge the gap to the top four, where Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool and Manchester City reside.
Photo: AP
“One point or zero points, it’s not a huge difference,” United manager Jose Mourinho said.
United are four points behind fourth-place City with nine games remaining. Making the job even harder is United’s involvement in the Europa League, where they are through to the quarter-finals and face Belgian side RSC Anderlecht in the first leg next week.
It means that this month, United have eight games — one every three or four days — and Mourinho has already suggested he might start prioritizing his key players for the Europa League if his side’s league performances do not start improving.
With five draws from their past six home games in the league, United are clearly stuttering domestically.
Many of United’s recent setbacks have stemmed from their failure to turn possession and clear-cut chances into goals, but this was not one of those occasions.
Ander Herrera and substitute Paul Pogba might have struck the crossbar either side of halftime, but Everton caused problems and defended well after Phil Jagielka gave the visitors the lead in the 22nd minute from a corner.
At times, United’s play was chaotic and untidy, and they resorted to long balls by the end as Marouane Fellaini went up front alongside Ibrahimovic.
The pressure paid off deep in stoppage-time when substitute Luke Shaw’s shot was blocked in Everton’s area by the hand of Ashley Williams, who was given a straight red card. The clock had ticked into the 94th minute when Ibrahimovic slotted home the penalty.
It was hardly a celebratory mood inside Old Trafford after the final whistle.
“The performance was not very good,” Mourinho said. “The spirit in the second half was phenomenal, but with some players really in trouble — some by the physical point of view, some others clearly with the confidence levels low.”
Elsewhere, Leicester City earned a sixth straight win since Craig Shakespeare took over from Claudio Ranieri in charge of the champions, thanks to second-half goals by strikers Islam Slimani and Jamie Vardy, leading them to a 2-0 win over Sunderland.
Burnley might be able to start planning for another season in the Premier League after they moved up to 11th place, eight points above the relegation zone, thanks to George Boyd’s 58th-minute goal in a 1-0 win over Stoke City at Turf Moor.
Watford also appear to be safe after a 2-0 win over West Bromwich Albion.
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