One of the biggest fixtures in the English football calendar, Liverpool are all set to square off against Manchester United in the Premier League 2022-23 on Sunday, March 5. The match will kick off at Anfield from 10:00 PM Indian Standard Time (IST).

The two of the most decorated teams in English football will be raring to get one over the other when they square off in this clash. The earlier fixture between these two teams in the league this season at Old Trafford ended in a 2-1 win for Manchester United.

The two sides have met 238 times across all competitions with United boasting a superior head-to-head in matches between the teams with 90 wins. Liverpool have emerged on top in 80 matches while 68 encounters between the teams have ended in draws.

LIV vs MUN Dream11 prediction for Premier League 2022-23

While form doesn’t count for much in this fixture, there’s no doubting the fact that United will head into this match with momentum on their side. The Red Devils currently find themselves in third position in the standings with 49 points after 24 games. 

Liverpool, on the other hand, are in sixth spot in the standings 10 points adrift of United  having claimed 39 points after 24 matches. They will have the backing of the home crowd on Sunday and will know that the visitors haven’t enjoyed the best of times at their ground in recent years. 

United’s last win at Anfield came in 2016 in the league. However, they will be confident of getting something from this contest, which means the smart money on this game could be put on a draw between the teams.

LIV vs MUN Dream11 team tips for Premier League 2022-23

Top tip: Best forward - Marcus Rashford

The in-form player in world football at the moment, English forward Marcus Rashford is enjoying his best-ever campaign so far having scored 25 goals and provided nine assists in all competitions. He scored the winner against Liverpool when they met earlier this season and will be confident of being on the scoresheet once again, making him a wise forward pick for your football fantasy team.

Top tip: Best midfielder - Bruno Fernandes

Portuguese playmaker Bruno Fernandes has gone from strength to strength as the season has progressed. He has been at the heart of everything good for United, notching up seven goals and 11 assists along the way. Fernandes�?ability to unlock defences and pick out key passes makes him a no-brainer for the midfield spot in your football fantasy team.

Top tip: Best defender - Luke Shaw

A defensively sound option, Luke Shaw is enjoying a fine season for the Red Devils. He’s robust at the back and will be hoping to earn a clean sheet against Liverpool having been a part of a cohesive backline for United which has produced quite a few shutouts in recent times. A threat in attack as well, Shaw has one goal and four assists from the back this season.

Top tip: Best goalkeeper - Alisson Becker

In goal, Liverpool’s Alisson Becker makes for a prudent option for your fantasy football team. He’s a great shot-stopper and has already pulled off several spectacular saves in the ongoing campaign. Alisson is likely to be under the cosh against United’s attackers, meaning his saves could help you earn a lot of fantasy points.

 

Photo credits: Alamy

If it wasn’t for Anthony Martial’s hamstring injury that ruled him out of Manchester United’s Europa League tie against FC Midtjylland in 2016, Marcus Rashford’s Man United career could have taken a different path altogether.

The fearless 18-year-old who stepped onto the field back then had the exuberance of youth and optimism flowing through every single vein of his body, and a return of two goals on his European debut was the perfect benchmark for what was to follow. 

Destiny, however, has taken a turn for the worse of late, as the boy who was once tipped for greatness has now come to a point where circumstances have forced him to consider his United future.

Marcus Rashford has no right to be annoyed when he’s playing the worst football of his career.
No one should be exempt from being dropped.
And him doing this the day after a 4-1 loss to City is pathetic.

�?Alexei (@MUFC_redarmy99) March 7, 2022

In his six and a half year career in the United first-team, Rashford has experienced as many as four managerial changes and to say his role in the team has changed every time would be an understatement. 

For a player fostered and nurtured by Louis van Gaal quite delicately, a volatile presence of someone like Jose Mourinho was always going to complicate matters, and it didn’t help Rashford’s cause.

One cannot really blame Mourinho to be entirely honest. It’s not that the former Chelsea boss had stopped giving him minutes. In fact, during his first season as United boss, the England international made 53 appearances across all competitions but could only muster 11 goals; four of which came in domestic cup ties.

Hence, Mourinho’s infamous “Why always Lukaku?�?post-match interview rant suddenly gets some credence. When you look at the numbers, it’s even more astounding since his minutes per goal or assist ratio in the 2016-17 season was 204. This basically means he was contributing to a goal every 204 minutes. 

Mourinho’s treatment was a tad bit harsh and so, when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer arrived, Rashford found a new lease of life and an arm around his shoulder - something young players in the modern era respond to better than confrontational management. 

Solskajaer’s arrival, in fact, was a breath of fresh air for Man United fans the world over and Rashford in particular. In fact, it was under the Norwegian that Rashford enjoyed his best goalscoring run of 22 goals in 44 appearances. 

Since the 2020-21 football season though, inconsistency has defined Rashford‘s game. Now, one might argue he has been playing through injuries, but it’s on the player himself as much as it is on the club. 

It’s no secret that Solskjear overused Rashford last season and the fact that he was even called upon despite struggling with injury for 11 months is even more baffling.

Physical shortcomings, especially at such a young age, will leave a lasting impact and with no disrespect to anyone associated with the player, Rashford hasn’t been the same since returning from a shoulder surgery before the start of the ongoing season. 

Add to that, an unstable dressing room to go with his highly questionable decision-making on the pitch and you can see why it’s easy for a still relatively young player to lose his way. 

Marcus Rashford’s Percentage of Total Minutes Played per Season when Healthy:

16/17: 53.2%
17/18: 53.3%
18/19: 56.4% (Mourinho)
18/19: 77.6% (Solskjær)
19/20: 83.7%
20/21: 74.2%
21/22: 49.0% (Solskjær)
�?regaining fitness
21/22: 50.7% (Rangnick) pic.twitter.com/kAZFhSmYeH

�?UtdArena (@UtdArena) March 6, 2022

Now that he’s just a shadow of his former self and with a large section of United fans turning on him, Rashford is seeing the other side of football. Once the toast of Manchester, his past heroics are now being tainted by on-field mediocrity.

Criticism is now the only constant Rashford is facing and a minutes per goal or assist ratio of 181 tells you why he’s being slated to the extent that he is now pondering leaving his boyhood club. 

It’s not to say that the player hasn’t got a run of games in the first team this season. In fact, since Ralf Rangnick’s first game in charge as Man United boss, Rashford has started eight games, but only returned with a solitary assist from those.

To say he’s not had enough opportunities based on the evidence is disingenuous at best. It’s quite evident that Rashford’s confidence is at its all-time low and his body language pretty much portrays it. 

Bad decision-making on the pitch, unnecessary shots at goal and failing to find simple passes has what brought him to his current situation and in truth he’s only got himself to blame. 

So, just demanding more minutes isn’t going to help anyone’s cause, especially when his performances on the pitch doesn’t warrant it. Instead, it’s about time he has a good, long look at the mirror since questions need to be asked about his own form.

When he first burst onto the scene, not many would have expected Rashford to be in these circumstances where he's considering his future at the club. But it wouldn’t be wrong to say that his current predicament has more to do with him than the club or even any manager.

To be honest, this wasn’t supposed to be in the script. Rashford’s Manchester United journey was always tipped for greatness especially after he decided to take the vacant number 10 shirt. What comes next will decide where he goes down in Manchester United’s pantheon of greats and only Rashford can decide how things pan out. 

Will he continue to act like a spoiled child throwing his toys out of the pram as soon as adversities come along or can he rediscover his edge and fire that made him the boy wonder? Only time will tell but judging by his current trajectory, Rashford’s story is turning out to be one of unfulfilled promises.

Featured photo: AFP / Ollie Scarff

Manchester United’s UEFA Europa League campaign continues as they face La Liga side Granada for their quarter-final first leg at the Estadio Nuevo Los Carmenes in Spain on Friday, April 9.

The Red Devils, who were on a 14-game unbeaten streak across all competitions before their FA Cup quarter-final loss to Leicester City, returned to winning ways in their first game after the international break - a 2-1 win over Brighton at home.

The UEFA Europa League is the only silverware that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men can fight for in the 2020-21 season, and they will take on a Granada team that is making most of their first-ever European campaign. Watch Granada vs Manchester United live in India!

The La Liga team, currently ninth on the league table, are on a three-game losing streak across all competitions. However, considering how Granada knocked Napoli out of the UEL with a 3-2 aggregate win, the Nazaríes will be optimistic of causing an upset in their maiden clash against an English club.

Furthermore, Manchester United has a poor away record in Spain - four wins, 11 draws and 16 losses.

The UEL’s quarter-final schedule also includes a heavyweight clash between Ajax and AS Roma, Arsenal hosting Czech giants Slavia Prague - who have suffered just one defeat across all competitions since last November, and Dinamo Zagreb entertaining Villarreal.

Granada team news and injury updates

Granada will be without as many as four first-team players, as midfielder Luis Milla and Colombian forward Luis Suarez are ruled out with muscle injuries while fullbacks Dimitri Foulquier and Carlos Neva are carrying knocks, thus they are doubtful to start against Manchester United.

Amidst this, the Andalusian club will rely on former Tottenham Hotspur striker Roberto Soldado (11 goals across competitions) and Chelsea loanee Kenedy (seven goals and five assists in all competitions) to inspire a major upset over the English visitors.

Manchester United team news and injury updates

Anthony Martial is the biggest notable absentee for Manchester United, as the French forward is recuperating from a knee sprain sustained while on international duty. England forward Marcus Rashford, one of the goalscorers in the 2-1 win over Brighton, was taken off 18 minutes from regulation time as he supposedly sustained a knock. A final call on his availability will be taken in due course.

Meanwhile, Eric Bailly has been ruled out of the UEL quarter-final clash after testing positive for the virus. Juan Mata is on a leave of absence for personal reasons while outcast Phil Jones continues to be sidelined with a knee injury.

Where to watch UEFA Europa League quarter-final live in India?

Granada vs Manchester United UEL quarter-final 1st leg will be telecast live at 12:30 AM IST on Sony TEN 2, Sony TEN 2 HD, Sony Ten 3 SD and HD (Hindi) TV channels in India on Friday, April 9.

Arsenal vs Slavia Prague will be telecast live at 12:30 AM IST on Sony TEN 1 and Sony TEN 1 HD while Ajax vs AS Roma will be telecast live at 12:30 AM IST on Sony SIX and Sony SIX HD.

Live streaming of UEFA Europa League quarter-final 1st leg will be available on the SonyLIV app and website.

SportsAdda will bring you UEFA Europa League live scores.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / MARCO BERTORELLO

The line-up for the UEFA Champions League round of 16 was completed on Wednesday.

Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Borussia Dortmund, Juventus, Liverpool, Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid topped their respective groups to qualify as seeded teams for the next round.

On the other hand, Atalanta, Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Lazio, Leipzig, Borussia Mönchengladbach, Porto and Sevilla have managed to make it to the knockout stages by finishing in the second in their groups, thereby qualifying as unseeded teams for the round of 16.

Meanwhile, Manchester United, Inter Milan and Ajax are some of the big clubs who failed to qualify for the knockout stages of this season’s Champions League.

The elite European football competition’s group stage has witnessed some sensational individual performances in the first six matchdays. Here are five best players from UCL 2020-21 group stage:

Neymar - PSG

The PSG talisman has had an incredible start to the new Champions League campaign after scoring six goals in five games this season. Neymar had bagged a stunning hat-trick on matchday 6 to help PSG thrash Istanbul Basaksehir 5-1 and finish at the top spot in Group H. Interestingly, the 28-year-old Brazilian has joined former teammate Lionel Messi (8) and Cristiano Ronaldo (8) as the only other players to score three Champions League hat-tricks.

Erling Haaland - Borussia Dortmund

The Norwegian wonderkid has already taken the football world by storm, scoring 33 goals and providing six assists in 32 matches for Borussia Dortmund in 2020. Erling Braut Haaland has also been in sensational form in the Champions League this season, scoring six goals in just four games. In November, the 20-year-old had set a new record by becoming the quickest to 15 Champions League goals in the competition's history. He had broken the previous record held by Ruud van Nistelrooy and Roberto Soldado.

Alvaro Morata - Juventus

Juventus�?Alvaro Morata has been UCL’s joint top-scorer this season with six goals in as many games. The Spanish striker has been in fine goalscoring form for the Old Lady, helping them qualify for the round of 16 by finishing at the top spot in Group G. Interestingly, the 28-year-old had three goals disallowed for offside against Barcelona in a UCL group stage game, which Juventus lost 2�? at home.

Marcus Rashford - Manchester United

Even though Manchester United failed to qualify for the knockout stages of the Champions League, Marcus Rashford was one of the standout performers during the group stages. The 23-year-old finished the UCL campaign as joint top-scorer in the competition, with six goals in as many games. The England international had scored the winning goal in a 2�? away win against PSG in the first match of the campaign. In the next UCL encounter, Rashford smashed his first United hat-trick in a 5�? win over RB Leipzig.

Edouard Mendy - Chelsea

Chelsea’s Edouard Mendy has been the best goalkeeper in the Champions League group stages so far. Since the French shot-stopper’s arrival, the Blue’s defense has looked rock-solid in the UCL this season, with four clean sheets so far. Frank Lampard-led Chelsea have shown significant improvements at the back since the 28-year-old has replaced Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Franck Fife

Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes has revealed the reason why he gave up the opportunity of scoring his maiden hat-trick in the Red Devils�?4-1 win over Istanbul Basaksehir in the Champions League.

Fernandes had opened the scoring with a stunning long-range effort in the seventh minute. The 26-year-old then doubled the lead from close range inside 20 minutes before handing the chance to complete his first Manchester United hat-trick to Marcus Rashford after the latter had won a penalty in the 34th minute.

Speaking after the game, Fernandes said: "Of course every player wants a hat-trick, but after the game in the Premier League I told Rashford that he could take the next one.

"I remembered that - and also because he's one of the top scorers in the Champions League, I thought it would be important for him there to take that confidence. 

"It doesn't matter who takes the penalty as long as the team scores."

Interestingly, since the start of the 2019-20 season, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer-led United have been awarded 30 penalties in 75 matches.

Meanwhile, Solskjaer had no problems with Fernandes handing over the penalty to Rashford.

The United manager said: “Bruno is very confident, Marcus is a very good penalty-taker as well; if Bruno feels he wants to give it to Marcus, so be it. Anthony (Martial) had one against RB Leipzig so why not? They can share them around.�?/span>

Istanbul Basaksehir had stunned the three-time champions 2-1 at the Başakşehir Fatih Terim Stadium, in their previous encounter earlier in November. But with this crucial win, Manchester United are top of Group H and only need a point against PSG or Leipzig to qualify for the knockout stage.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Oli Scarff

The UEFA Champions League (UCL) returns this week, which means it’s time to fine-tune your fantasy side ahead of the second half of the group stage fixtures.

The UCL has seen plenty of goals this season, with each game averaging 3.25 goals, but if your fantasy side is struggling to rack up the numbers, we have five suggestions that will fix your team's goalscoring woes in a jiffy.

Player: Erling Braut Haaland

Team: Borussia Dortmund

Match: Borussia Dortmund vs Club Brugge

Europe’s hottest striker, Erling Braut Haaland had a career-night against Hertha Berlin at the weekend, scoring four goals in Dortmund's 5-2 rout of the side from the capital. The Norwegian has already scored 15 goals in just 11 matches for the German giants, including three goals in four in the UCL. He scored a brace in the reverse fixture at the start of the month and few can bet against Haaland adding to his tally on Wednesday. A no-brainer to include this gunman in our side.

Player: Ciro Immobile

Team: Lazio

Match: Lazio vs Zenit Saint Petersburg

The other match in Group F will pit Italian giants Lazio against the group’s whipping boys Zenit Saint Petersburg. The Russian side sits at the bottom of the group with just one point in three matches, and the game away to Lazio in Rome is also likely to end in another defeat for Zenit. With Lazio scheduled to play Zenit and Club Brugge in their next two matches, it could be a wise move to draft in striker Ciro Immobile in your fantasy side. With four goals in six Serie A games and a goal in his only appearance in the UCL, the Italian striker has started the season exactly where he left off last season, where he struck 39 goals. Immobile has been incredible since joining Lazio and the 33-year-old will be keen on adding to his tally in the UCL against two fairly weak opponents that he and his side will face over the next seven days.

Player: Ferran Torres

Team: Manchester City

Match: Olympiakos vs Manchester City

Their league form may have been abysmal so far, but Manchester City have been steamrolling teams in the Champions League. The English side have scored thrice in all three matches with summer signing Ferran Torres finding himself on the scoresheet in all three games. The young Spanish winger is yet to open his account in the Premier League but has been brilliant in the UCL. Torres made headways when he struck the first hat-trick of his professional career for Spain in their 6-0 rout of Germany and with the winger seemingly a regular starter in the UCL for City, expect him to continue his terrific recent form against a pretty mediocre Olympiakos side.

Player: Marcus Rashford

Team: Manchester United

Match: Manchester United vs Istanbul Başakşehir

Such is the inconsistency of Manchester United, that they have so far managed to thrash RB Leipzig and score a win over Paris Saint-Germain but somehow managed to fumble a game against one of the weakest sides in the UCL - Turkey's Istanbul Başakşehir. But, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men have no time to cry over spilt milk and will have to focus on getting the job done at home on Wednesday and the team will be hoping that forward Marcus Rashford can continue his sizzling form in the UCL. Rashford is the competition's joint topscorer with four goals in three games and will be hoping to add to that tally against Istanbul. The Englishman struck a hat-trick in his last outing at Old Trafford in the UCL and a repeat of that dazzling performance could see United take a giant step towards the round-of-16 of the UCL.

Player: Alvaro Morata

Team: Juventus

Match: Juventus vs Ferencvaros

It is quite inexplicable to what magic the Juventus jersey does to Alvaro Morata every time he dons it the UCL. The Spanish striker has a terrific record for the Old Lady in the Champions League and has scored nine goals in his last 14 appearances in the competition for Juventus. The Italian champions will be up against Ferencvaros in the fourth match of their UCL campaign and expect Morata to add to his tally against the Hungarian side on Wednesday.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Alberto Pizzoli

Gameweek 7 of the Premier League action promises to offer another exciting round of matches with Manchester United’s clash against Arsenal being the headline act of the weekend. Last week’s action was a bit low scoring in terms of fantasy points when compared to previous weeks, but the upcoming round of games are likely to be full of exhilarating encounters with plenty of interesting clashes lined up. Here, we assess some of the individuals who can help your fantasy teams score big. 

Player: Ben Chilwell

Team: Chelsea

Match: Burnley vs Chelsea

After an underwhelming start to the campaign, especially on the defensive front, Chelsea seem to be coming into their own. The addition of goalkeeper Edouard Mendy has certainly helped in that regard with his assuring presence at the back making their backline more confident. Ben Chilwell’s acquisition over the summer has been another boost to their defence and the full-back has hit the ground running for the Blues. The English left-back’s playing style seems to be tailormade for Chelsea’s current system and he’s already had a huge impact offensively with a goal and three assists from seven games. He’ll be hoping to continue his fine run of form against Burnley, who have just one point from five league games so far.

Player: Kevin De Bruyne

Team: Manchester City

Match: Sheffield United vs Manchester City

When compared to his own lofty standards, it can be argued that Kevin De Bruyne has not had the best of the starts to the new season from a personal point of view. Lest we forget that he was last season’s Premier League Player of the Season as well as PFA Players' Player of the Year. However, the Belgian international wasn’t at his best for Manchester City’s first few games and the club dropped points as a result. That said, they will be pleased that there were glimpses of his former self in City’s midweek win when De Bruyne set up two goals. He’s scored once and provided three assists this season and will be looking to add to that tally against Sheffield United �?a club against whom he was involved in all three of City’s goals in their two meetings last season, scoring once and supplying two assists.  

Player: Mohamed Salah

Team: Liverpool

Match: Liverpool vs West Ham United

After a strong start to the season, Liverpool’s talisman Mohamed Salah has had quiet outings in recent weeks. The Egyptian international though will be keen to have his scoring boots on again soon and will fancy his chances of getting on the scoresheet against West Ham United on the weekend. Salah has a good record in the league against the Hammers. He’s scored six goals as well as provided two assists against West Ham in six Premier League matches and will be desperate to be on target once again when the London club comes to Anfield. The ongoing campaign has seen him net seven times so far and the fact that he will be up against West Ham’s attacking full-back Aaron Cresswell indicates that he might be among the goals. 

Player: Marcus Rashford 

Team: Manchester United

Match: Manchester United vs Arsenal

Whether it’s off the pitch with his philanthropic efforts or on the pitch with Manchester United, Marcus Rashford is on fire at the moment. The English attacker will head into the clash against Arsenal on Sunday on the back of a fine hat-trick as a substitute against RB Leipzig in the UEFA Champions League in midweek. Rashford didn’t have the best of starts to the season, like most Manchester United players, but he’s picked his game up in recent weeks and will pose a major threat to Arsenal’s defence. His first two Premier League goals came on his league debut for the club against Arsenal. However, Rashford has failed to score against the Gunners since but based on his current form, it’ll take a brave man to bet against him being on the scoresheet against Mikel Arteta’s men. 

Player: Patrick Bamford

Team: Leeds United

Match: Leeds United vs Leicester City

When Leeds United were promoted to the Premier League, doubts surrounding Patrick Bamford’s ability to ply his trade in England’s top-tier was the question on everyone’s lips. However, a lot has changed after Leeds�?first six matches. It’s safe to say that Bamford has now silenced his critics and his hat-trick in the last gamemweek 6 against Aston Villa was the icing on the cake. While he admits that he didn’t give the best account of himself in his previous Premier League stints with Crystal Palace, Norwich City, Burnley and Middlesbrough, Bamford’s netted six goals and set up two more in Leeds�?opening six league games of the campaign. Up against a susceptible Leicester City defence in gameweek 7, Bamford will be confident of extending his scoring run.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Molly Darlington

As the English Premier League enters Gameweek 4, fans have gathered enough knowledge to figure out what to expect going forward. Only Liverpool, Everton and Leicester City have won maximum points from the first three games, and judging by the look of things, it is expected to be a similar story this weekend too. The new week, meanwhile, brings another round of exciting league fixtures and here, we pick out two games that are worth keeping a close eye on.

Manchester United vs Tottenham Hotspur

Manchester United taking on Tottenham Hotspur has always been a close affair, to say the least. The two teams always try to get at each other's neck, and if history is anything to go by, the spectators are on the verge of yet another spectacular contest. The two teams are evenly poised in their last five Premier League encounters, with both winning two apiece and drawing one. Since 2013, however, Tottenham have registered just two victories at Old Trafford, which includes a 3-0 routing in 2018 when Jose Mourinho was in charge of the Red Devils.

Both teams have endured a difficult start to the 2020/21 season, and United especially, who conceded five in just two games already. Tottenham, on the other hand, have shipped four in three, but they have also scored six in the process (five of them came against Southampton).

Watch out for:

Harry Kane: Tottenham striker Harry Kane hasn't enjoyed a great run of form against Manchester United, scoring a solitary goal in his last five outings, but judging by his returns in the 2020/21 season, expect United defenders to have a hard time. The England striker has assisted five times this season; a figure that he previously matched in his last 55 league appearances. Only in 2016-17 (7) had he assisted more in any full season. Expect another important contribution from the England skipper.

Leeds United vs Manchester City

It's the guru against the prodigy on Saturday.

The last time Manchester City crossed swords with Leeds United in the Premier League, the blue half of Manchester were defeated 2-1 following Mark Viduka's late penalty in 2004. A lot has changed since. A LOT! City have won 11 major trophies since. All that, however, will be put to rest when Pep Guardiola will line his team against Marcelo Bielsa, the man he grew up idolising. City, who defeated Wolves 3-1 in the opening weekend, were thrashed by Leicester City 5-2 on Tuesday and judging by how Leeds have been so far, expect it to be another close encounter.

In their three Premier League fixtures so far, Leeds have scored eight goals. And while their attacking unit has been superb, their defence has been breached seven times already, meaning that City are highly tipped to score at least once.

Watch out for:

Patrick Bamford: A goal against Sheffield United last Sunday made Leeds striker Patrick Bamford the first player in Leeds United's history to score in his first three top-flight appearances for the club. The 27-year-old marksman has been an absolute poacher and his form is rightly expected to hit City at one point of time. If Leeds are to take anything positive from the game, Bamford will have to be at his best. 

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Glyn Kirk

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer told Manchester United to enjoy the pressure of fighting for a place in the top four after needing a 19-game unbeaten run just to give themselves a chance of a return to the Champions League next season.

United rarely hit the heights of recent weeks in beating Crystal Palace 2-0 on Thursday as goals from Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial, allied to a helping hand from VAR, kept a top-four finish in their own hands.

Solskjaer's men remain in fifth but moved back level on points with Leicester, who they face on the final day of the season, and to within one point of third-placed Chelsea.

"We need to smile, we have earned this right. No-one thought in January that we would be in with a shout for top four," said Solskjaer.

"These are the games that matter. That is the thing at Manchester United, you have to step up and show your personality."

Solskjaer bemoaned having 48 hours' less preparation time than Chelsea for Sunday's FA Cup semi-final, but that made little difference to the Norwegian's team selection with only two changes from the side that started Monday's 2-2 draw with Southampton.

Fatigue seemed to play a factor in a slow start from the visitors and Solskjaer warned his side they cannot afford a repeat in a big 10 days ahead.

"Of course it's tight scheduling but we can't afford starts like that," he added. "We didn't get the rhythm in our passing but two fantastic goals won it for us."

VAR controversy

Palace have now lost six games on the spin, but Roy Hodgson believed his side did not get what they deserved, particularly with two controversial VAR reviews.

The game turned in the minutes before the break when Wilfried Zaha went down in the penalty area, claiming to have been tripped by Victor Lindelof.

Neither referee Graham Scott nor a review awarded a penalty and moments later United led.

Bruno Fernandes fed Rashford inside the area who sold Patrick van Aanholt a dummy and cut onto his right foot before finding the bottom corner for his 22nd goal of the season.

"Is the VAR broken?" tweeted Palace chairman Steve Parish.

Unfortunately for Parish and Palace, VAR was fully in operation 10 minutes into the second half when Jordan Ayew converted Zaha's low cross but was denied an equaliser by a millimetric offside decision on review.

"If there was ever a game I should be sat here congratulating the team on the performance and result tonight is the night," said Hodgson.

"Having to come to terms with something you don't deserve is very difficult."

At the other end, Rashford did not get enough power on his shot to beat Vicente Guaita and Fernandes smashed against the post.

Rashford is to become the youngest person to receive an honorary doctorate from the University of Manchester for his work campaigning against child poverty and he rounded off another fine week on and off the field with a major role in Martial's second to clinch a vital three points.

The England international burst through three Palace players before feeding Fernandes. The Portuguese's pass through the legs of Luka Milivojevic found Rashford again on the edge of the area and he cushioned a pass into Martial to slide home.

Palace's misfortune was rounded off as Van Aanholt had to be stretchered off after dislocating his shoulder in a collision with Martial, which Hodgson confirmed could see the Dutch international miss the start of next season.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Peter Powell

Marcus Rashford is set to become the youngest person to receive an honorary doctorate from the University of Manchester for his work campaigning against child poverty and his sporting achievements.

The 22-year-old Manchester United and England forward will follow in the footsteps of United greats Alex Ferguson and Bobby Charlton in earning the accolade from the university, which is the highest honour it can bestow.

A message from me to you ♥️ pic.twitter.com/GZzajvUw5l

�?Marcus Rashford (@MarcusRashford) July 14, 2020

Last month he forced a government U-turn after he wrote an open letter to MPs asking for the reversal of a decision not to award free school meal vouchers to vulnerable children outside term time.

The striker said his family relied on free school meals when he was growing up.

During the pandemic, he has also teamed up with poverty and food waste charity FareShare to help raise millions to provide meals for vulnerable people.

Rashford said in a statement: "It's a proud day for myself and my family. When you look at the great names that have been awarded this doctorate in the past, it's humbling.

We are delighted to make @England and @ManUtd footballer, @MarcusRashford, our youngest ever recipient of an honorary degree. pic.twitter.com/6QRtopJwqU

�?The University of Manchester (@OfficialUoM) July 15, 2020

"We still have a long way to go in the fight to combat child poverty in this country, but receiving recognition from your city means we are heading in the right direction and that means a lot."

The university's president and vice-chancellor Nancy Rothwell said: "Marcus is an extraordinary young man with an extraordinary talent and drive that stretches well beyond the football field.

"His work for charity and his high-profile campaign will not only help countless young people across our own city, but across the entire country."

Very humbled, thank you @OfficialUoM ♥️ http://t.co/y16c58oEdB

�?Marcus Rashford (@MarcusRashford) July 15, 2020

The Football Association tweeted offering "huge congratulations" to Rashford, adding it was "deserved recognition for your remarkable efforts".

United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer hailed his player.

"We're so proud of Marcus," Solskjaer said. "I've said it a few times, but he's a great person and great human being. He cares about so much more than himself."

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Matthew Childs