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Sports, Football

United look to maintain top spot


Bangladeshpost
Published : 26 Jan 2021 09:06 PM

BSS, AFP

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has challenged his Manchester United players to show the relentlessness of champions when they welcome bottom-of-the-table Sheffield United to Old Trafford on Wednesday.

United will be confident of extending a 13-game unbeaten league run in the league that has taken them to the top of the table against the Blades, who have won only once in the top flight this season.

However, Solskjaer’s men could find themselves knocked down to second by the time they kick-off as Manchester City can go top if they beat second-bottom West Brom on Tuesday.

United’s fine form continued by knocking Liverpool out of the FA Cup on Sunday, winning a thrilling tie 3-2.

But Solskjaer is wary of his side slipping back into bad habits as they have done previously after good runs in his tenure.

“Now I want to see the reaction, how we can now mentally go again, against Sheffield United. That’s the challenge now,” said Solskjaer.

“We have beaten Liverpool, and everyone is elated, very happy and they should be, but tomorrow morning I want to see players thinking about Wednesday night.”

United could be without Marcus Rashford, who limped off with a knee injury late on against Liverpool.

But Solskjaer will be able to welcome back Bruno Fernandes to the starting line-up after he came off the bench to score the winner against the English champions at the weekend with a stunning free-kick.

Leicester sit between the Manchester giants and Liverpool as they aim to recreate their title-winning heroics of 2015/16. The Foxes travel to another top-four contender Everton, who were the last team to beat Brendan Rodgers’ men eight games ago.

Despite speculation that Rodgers could be in the frame, Chelsea did not try to poach the Leicester boss as their new manager after sacking Frank Lampard on Monday.

Former Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel is instead expected to be named Lampard’s successor and could even be in place in time for the visit of Wolves on Wednesday.