A season long two-horse Premier League race has been enlivened by a resurgent Manchester United, but will that momentum be enough?
United have picked up 26 of a possible 33 points in their last 11 games, leaving them comfortably in third place.
Bolstered initially by the summer signing of Brazilian midfielder Casemiro, the club has recently enjoyed the benefits of Marcus Rashford in the form of his life.
The striker has now scored in nine of his last 10 games, leading a surge up the table to the point where they are just five points off league leaders Arsenal, who do have a game in hand.
And though his goal scoring record may paper over some cracks, the team’s previously leaky backline and inability to break down well marshalled opposition defences have seen similar improvement under Erik Ten Hag.
It is clear that the icy Dutchman has improved the mentality of the club, holding firm in his management of Cristiano Ronaldo, leaving £73-million Jadon Sancho out of the squad and refusing to heap false praise on his players.
“I was really unhappy with our performance,” he said, after United comfortably put away a struggling Leicester at the weekend, calling his team’s first half showing “rubbish”.
This frank management style has so far proven to be a perfect fit, particularly for a dressing room that has long been dominated by overinflated egos.
And at a club like United, it is never just the on-field performance that a manager needs to deal with.
Ten Hag’s mettle will continue to be tested in the coming months, as the Glazer family – who have been the majority owners of United since 2005 – prepare to sell to one of a number of high profile bidders.
Among them, the Qatari royal family, who seek to increase their influence in Europe after a successful World Cup and 11-year ownership of Paris Saint Germain.
Ten Hag will likely face a media grilling on the gulf nation’s human rights record similar to that which Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe received when the club was bought with money from the Saudi Arabian public investment fund last year.
It is not just difficult press conferences either; new ownership has a top-down impact on a club, even more so when access to nearly unlimited funds comes with a desire for quick silverware returns.
But from what we have seen from Ten Hag so far, he has the stature to weather periods of uncertainty and should have the full support of an upbeat fanbase.
The Premier League remains Arsenal’s to lose, but the North Londoners almost dropped points at Aston Villa on Saturday as second-placed Manchester City were held to a 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest.
At this stage of the league, any stumble could be significant and a team riding high could just surprise those slightly faltering.
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