11 February 2024 , 19:53
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Paul Scholes is adamant that Manchester United will finish above Aston Villa and Tottenham after beating the former 2-1 at Villa Park on Sunday afternoon.
Erik ten Hag's side headed into the match eight points behind their rivals, who started and end the weekend just outside the Champions League spots. But United, a place behind them in sixth, have now cut the gap to five points courtesy of a late Scott McTominay goal.
Despite a disastrous start to the campaign, United are now just six points behind fourth-placed Tottenham as we head into the business end of the season. And Scholes, who spent his entire career at Old Trafford, believes United will pip both Villa and Spurs to a top-four finish.
Speaking on Premier League Productions, Scholes insisted: "I believed that [United would qualify for the Champions League] before the game. I always thought we had the chance. Once we got those players back - and I know I keep going on about that - but it was important to get them back, especially with the blend we've got now.
"We've got some really talented young players and I think United will actually finish about Tottenham and Villa; I think they'll catch them both in the end and finish fourth. The next six games are very winnable - obviously one is against Manchester City, but who knows."
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Speaking to Sky Sports after the match, Ten Hag branded the result as "massive" but stressed that nobody would be getting carried away despite beating a top-four rival.
The Dutchman said: "It is a massive win for us. We've got closer and that was the aim for today. That was absolutely our target and we've done it. The way we did it, I liked it.
Join the debate! Do you think Man Utd will finish in the top four? Let us know here.
United cut the gap between them and the top four to six points with victory at Aston Villa (PA)"I especially liked the first 20 minutes when we controlled the game. At 1-1, we had to fight back and we are really happy for today. At 1-1, you always have to see how the game progresses. I think it was really high intensity and you could see how many players were fatigued by the end."
He then referenced the gap that still remains between United and the top four, continuing: "I never think about negative situations. I'm thinking positively. We have to catch up but we are not there yet.
"We are in a good mood and we have to keep this process going, but there is so much space for improvement. There are many games left to play and we will see what happens."
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