Dream Manchester United weekend as key man returns and two rivals drop points

Manchester United will be hoping to build on their FA Cup triumph over Liverpool when they face Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday.

United signed off for the international break in dramatic fashion, beating the Merseysiders 4-3 in extra-time to progress to the FA Cup semi-finals for the second season running. As a reward, they will face Coventry City at Wembley next month.

Before United switch their focus to their tussle with the Sky Blues, they must work their way through a handful of important Premier League fixtures, starting against the Bees. United are currently sixth in the table, nine points shy of fourth-placed Aston Villa and six behind fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur.

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Though a top four finish remains United's ambition, a fifth-placed finish could be enough to secure Champions League qualification ahead of next season. It means the race for a spot in Europe's premier club competition could become very heated as we move into the business end of the campaign.

With that in mind, MEN Sport has picked out four things that United would like to come to fruition ahead of the campaign resuming that would make it the dream weekend.

The most important thing this forthcoming weekend is United getting three points on the board. After what happened on their last visit to Brentford in August 2022, they will be determined to make amends for that horror show and prove they have made significant progress since.

Furthermore, the trip to the Gtech Community Stadium also marks the first of three crunch Premier League matches in the space