Michael Owen outlines what would be a successful season for Manchester United

Former Manchester United striker Michael Owen believes securing a top-four finish on top of winning the Carabao Cup would represent a hugely successful season for the club.

United, who will be looking to reach the semi-finals of the Europa League when they face Sevilla in the second leg of their quarter-final showdown on Thursday evening, ended their six-year wait for a trophy by beating Newcastle United 2-0 in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley in February. That, of course, saw manager Erik ten Hag win a piece of silverware at the very first attempt.

Although United's league form has been slightly patchy since that Wembley triumph, a run of three successive wins has meant that they are now on course to secure a top-four finish and Champions League qualification for next season. Sunday's 2-0 triumph over Nottingham Forest lifted them up to third in the standings, six points ahead of fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur.

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United, too, are still competing in the Europa League and the FA Cup, and could take giant strides towards winning both competitions this week. They face Brighton in the FA Cup semi-finals at Wembley on Sunday.

But regardless of what happens in those two cup competitions, Owen, who spent three years at Old Trafford, is confident that the club's Carabao Cup success and an expected top-four finish would be a giant step in the right direction, following several seasons of disappointment.

"If they finish in the top four, then I'd say it's massively successful," Owen told AceOdds. "Let's remember where Manchester United have been for the last whatever it's been, 10/15 years. Certainly since Sir Alex Ferguson left.

"Yes, there's been one or two