What Manchester United need to secure Champions League football in top four battle with Liverpool

Manchester United's defeat to Brighton in midweek means Erik ten Hag's side have work to do to secure Champions League football next season.

The Reds and Newcastle remain in pole position but United's buffer to Liverpool in fifth is now only four points, albeit with a game in hand. Brighton are eight behind United with a game in hand while Tottenham and Aston Villa will likely have to win all their remaining four matches to keep their hopes alive.

United host West Ham on Sunday night by which time Jurgen Klopp's side could have cut the gap to a single point if they beat Brentford on Saturday evening. Newcastle United, two points above Ten Hag's side, face Arsenal this weekend in what is a crucial game at the top of the table.

Also read: Ten Hag's reaction summed up Antony's time at United

And while it looks increasingly likely that the Magpies and Ten Hag's men will join Manchester City and Arsenal in the Champions League next season, there is still work for United to do in the closing month of the campaign. MEN Sport has taken a close look at what United need to do to ensure they finish inside the top four this term.

Verdict: With Brighton able to get 73 points, United need 11 points from their remaining five matches to secure Champions League football for next season - assuming the Seagulls go and win every match between now and the end of the campaign. Evidently, that is unlikely to happen, but Ten Hag will still be keen for his players to cement their place in the top four as quickly as possible.

Several of the sides competing for a top-four finish face each other in the remaining few weeks of the campaign, which means teams will drop points and lose ground in the race. United will be hoping to bounce back from