While its neighbor is chasing a quadruple, Manchester United now has just one path to ending a four-year trophy drought.
Losing 3-1 at Leicester within the FA Cup quarterfinals on Sunday realistically leaves Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with solely the Europa League to supply his first trophy as United supervisor. United faces Granada within the quarterfinals of the Europa League.
“We didn’t have the spark tonight and it’s understandable,” Solskjaer stated. “They’ve been unbelievable, the last three or four months, playing every three or four days, and it’s just caught up with us — all the games, all the traveling. Thursday night in Milan took a lot out of us, today we didn’t have that extra zip. We just didn’t have enough against a good team.”
But with United second within the Premier League, albeit 14 factors behind Manchester City, securing Champions League qualification may very well be essentially the most vital achievement.
It will likely be profitable, too, and for Leicester, which is barely some extent behind United in third.
But whereas Brendan Rodgers is aware of the worth of steering Leicester again into the Champions League for the primary time since Claudio Ranieri’s aspect received the Premier League in 2016, the standing of a visit to a primary FA Cup semifinal since 1982 can also be notable.
Kelechi Iheanacho’s double and Youri Tielemans’ strike eradicated United, which had leveled by way of Mason Greenwood. Leicester has the simpler path to the ultimate after being drawn to play Southampton.
The different semifinal will pit Man City in opposition to Chelsea, which beat Sheffield United 2-0 in Sunday’s different quarterfinal.
“There are lots of teams ahead of us in terms of budget or whatever else, maybe history,” Leicester supervisor Brendan Rodgers stated. “But the ambition is there to win titles and be competitive.”
The FA Cup semifinals subsequent month happen per week earlier than the League Cup closing between City and Tottenham. That is Jose Mourinho’s solely approach of delivering Tottenham’s first trophy since 2008 after the north London membership’s elimination from the Europa League on Thursday.
But Tottenham helped its possibilities of qualifying for the Champions League by beating Aston Villa 2-0 within the Premier League on Sunday to maneuver inside three factors of fourth-place Chelsea.
Tottenham obtained some help from neighbor Arsenal recovering from 3-0 down to attract 3-3 with West Ham, which missed an opportunity to maneuver degree on factors with Chelsea after conceding Alexandre Lacazette’s equalizer.
TUCHEL 14 UNBEATEN
Thomas Tuchel is now 14 matches unbeaten since changing Frank Lampard as Chelsea supervisor. Not solely has he steered Chelsea into the quarterfinals of the Champions League by seeing off Atletico Madrid however he’s now one match from an FA Cup closing.
Oliver Norwood’s own-goal and Hakim Ziyech’s last-gasp strike sealed Chelsea’s quarterfinal win at Stamford Bridge.
“On the 14th match in a row, I could feel us after the Atletico game a bit tired, there was a big relief in the team, and that is absolutely normal,” Tuchel stated. “The first half was OK, the second half when there was the prospect for Christian Pulisic that we didn’t take, we misplaced management, focus and momentum.
“And there were many, many minutes to suffer. We allowed two big chances and we were lucky to escape with a clean sheet.”
ARSENAL COMEBACK
Mikel Arteta noticed the worst and better of his Arsenal group at West Ham.
Goals from Jesse Lingard, Jarrod Bowen and Tomas Soucek inside 32 minutes had West Ham cruising to victory.
But own-goals from Soucek and Craig Dawson hauled Arsenal, at occasions shambolic within the first half, again into the match and Lacazette’s late header earned the guests some extent.
“We conceded a quality goal, but then we didn’t win enough challenges, we didn’t show urgency, and we conceded another two goals that were unacceptable,” Arteta stated. “That retains me awake. It has occurred too many occasions too typically. At this degree you can’t try this as a result of your opponents are too good.
“But in the second half we played some of the best I have seen us play. We got better and better, and looking at some of the chances we should have scored six or seven.”
TOTTENHAM RISES
Tottenham moved above struggling champion Liverpool into sixth place with the victory at Villa Park.
The opener within the twenty ninth minute got here after Lucas Moura and Harry Kane performed a one-two, leading to Carlos Vinicius being teed up for a tap-in for his first league objective since becoming a member of on mortgage for the season from Benfica in October.
Tottenham doubled its lead halfway by way of the second half when Kane clinically scored from the penalty spot, having been fouled by Matty Cash.
“The last couple of games have not been good enough in all areas,” Kane stated. “We knew we needed to bounce again, particularly earlier than the worldwide break, we didn’t wish to go away with three losses or two losses and a draw, however the boys put in a fantastic shift and we deserved it.
“Our attitude, in the last couple of games that had dropped below our standards, but we are working hard together, all in the same direction.”
