Manchester United sit third in the Premier League table after a win on Sunday helped them gain points on their closest rivals
Bruno Fernandes of Manchester United plays during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Manchester United at Anfield in Liverpool, England, on October 19, 2025. (Photo by Steven Halliwell/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Liverpool are among the teams who could deny Manchester United a top-four finish(Image: NurPhoto, NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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Manchester United's prospects for Champions League qualification are as promising as they have been all season. They picked up another three points on Sunday while direct competitors Aston Villa, Liverpool and Chelsea all dropped points.
When Michael Carrick assumed control in January, United languished in seventh place in the league with a three point gap to the top four and. They were 11 points adrift of Villa at the time but have now closed the gap to Unai Emery's side and occupy third place themselves following a haul of 22 points from Carrick's initial nine matches at the helm.
The top four finishers in the Premier League will be guaranteed a place in next season's Champions League and there could potentially be a fifth spot up for grabs. This will hinge on the performance of English clubs in Europe this season, though the majority of the nine teams in the Champions League, Europa League or Conference League round of 16 underwhelmed in their first leg clashes.
United's destiny is very much in their own hands, which is more than can be said for some of their rivals. We've examined how their remaining fixtures stack up against those of Aston Villa, Liverpool and Chelsea to gauge when they might be able to clinch a top-four finish.
Manchester United
United aren't burdened with any remaining European commitments and also suffered early exits from both domestic cup competitions. As a result, their eight remaining league fixtures are their sole focus between now and May.
Matheus Cunha of Manchester United celebrates his goal to make it 2-1 during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Aston Villa at Old Trafford in Manchester, United Kingdom, on March 15, 2026. (Photo by Mark Cosgrove/News Images/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
United are in pole position in the race for the top four(Image: NurPhoto, NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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There's a chance Carrick's side could even secure fourth place even earlier if rival teams drop points along the way. With that in mind, here's what awaits the teams currently occupying fourth, fifth and sixth positions.
Aston Villa
A sequence of eight consecutive victories in November and December propelled Villa into title contention. Even a top two finish looks beyond them now, though, with a return of just three wins from their 12 fixtures since the new year seeing them slip to fourth.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - MARCH 15: John McGinn, Morgan Rogers and Lucas Digne of Aston Villa stand over a free kick during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Aston Villa at Old Trafford on March 15, 2026 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
Aston Villa have been on a poor run of form(Image: Marc Atkins, Getty Images)
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Liverpool
LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 04: Moises Caicedo of Chelsea during the Premier League match between Chelsea and Liverpool at Stamford Bridge on October 04, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images)
Liverpool's May meeting with Chelsea could prove crucial(Image: Visionhaus, Visionhaus/Getty Images)
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Liverpool may also have cup distractions - both domestic and European - during this period. They're aiming to overturn a one-goal deficit against Galatasaray in the Champions League and have Manchester City standing in their way in the FA Cup quarter-finals.
Chelsea
LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 14: <> during the Premier League match between Chelsea and Newcastle United at Stamford Bridge on March 14, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
Chelsea are playing catch-up with eight games left(Image: Mike Hewitt, Getty Images)
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Like Liverpool, Chelsea are still in the running in the FA Cup and Champions League. A home tie against Port Vale in the former offers a favourable draw, which is more than can be said of their Champions League hopes where they need to overturn a three-goal deficit against Paris Saint-Germain to stay alive.
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