When Man Utd can confirm Champions League return as top four race intensifies

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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.

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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.

Bournemouth (a) is their final match before the international break and when they return after that hiatus they'll take on Leeds (h) , Chelsea (a) and Brentford (h) during April. May kicks off with a fixture against Liverpool (h) , followed by Sunderland (a) , Nottingham Forest (h) and Brighton (a) .

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United currently hold a five-point cushion over Liverpool and a six-point advantage over Chelsea. This means winning their next six fixtures would guarantee a top-four finish by the weekend of May 9 , even if either Liverpool or Chelsea - who meet each other that very weekend - win all their remaining games.

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.

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.

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Unai Emery's squad will take on West Ham (h) and Nottingham Forest (a) either side of the international break, in two matches that could influence both ends of the table. Following this, they'll face Sunderland (h) and Fulham (a) , two teams who by then will know if a late European run is within their grasp.

They conclude the season against Tottenham (h) , Burnley (a) , Liverpool (h) and Manchester City (a) . Those final two matches could be pivotal, although it's yet to be seen whether City will still be within touching distance of leaders Arsenal on by then, while Villa might also find themselves playing twice a week in May if they advance in the Europa League.

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Liverpool are set to play Brighton (a) and Fulham (h) in their next two fixtures, followed by a Merseyside Derby against Everton (a) . Their last April match is against Crystal Palace (h) , a team they haven't managed to beat in any of their previous four Anfield encounters in league and cup.

They'll face all of their main rivals for Champions League qualification in May. After Manchester United (a) comes Chelsea (h) and Aston Villa (a) , followed by a season finale against Brentford (h) , with Keith Andrews' team currently sitting seventh in the table.

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.

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Chelsea won their first four league matches under new manager Liam Rosenior but have tasted victory in only one of the subsequent five. They have an opportunity to bounce back from Saturday's loss to Newcastle when they take on Everton (a) before the international break, after which the schedule doesn't lighten up.

April kicks off with a double-header at Stamford Bridge against Manchester City (h) and Manchester United (h) , followed by Brighton (a) . Three of their four May fixtures are against teams currently in the bottom half, with the fixture list presenting clashes with Nottingham Forest (h) , Liverpool (a) , Tottenham (h) and Sunderland (a) .

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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