Mourinho Threatened By Liverpool, Arsenal

Agency Report

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho believes Liverpool and Arsenal are United’s major rivals for Champions League spot following his side’s 0-0 draw at local rivals,  Manchester City.

Thursday’s stalemate at the Etihad Stadium left United just a point below the Citizens, who occupy the Premier League’s fourth and final Champions League qualifying berth.

But Mourinho says Liverpool, two points above United in third having played a game more, and Arsenal, four points below them having played a game less, are now their principal rivals.

“I think Man City is going to finish top four,” the United manager said.

“The matches they have to play, I see them doing that. I think it’s between us, Arsenal and Liverpool.”

While United’s run-in features successive trips to Arsenal and second-place Tottenham Hotspur, City’s is more benign, a home game with eighth-place West Bromwich Albion their most arduous test.

United are also besieged by injuries and will now be without midfielder Marouane Fellaini for three games after he was shown an 84th-minute red card for headbutting Sergio Aguero.

Phil Jones, Chris Smalling, Marcos Rojo, Paul Pogba, Juan Mata and Zlatan Ibrahimovic are all sidelined and Timothy Fosu-Mensah picked up an injury after coming on in place of Henrikh Mkhitaryan.