Erik ten Hag could be about to find out how good his Manchester United team really is

If Manchester United’s players thought last week’s Europa League exit at the hands of Sevilla would be a gateway to relaxing on Thursday evenings then they should think again.

This evening’s trip to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium marks their first of three Premier League fixtures to be played on Thursday evenings between now and the end of the season. After facing Spurs this evening, United face Brighton & Hove Albion at the Amex Stadium next Thursday before hosting Chelsea at Old Trafford on May 25.

United’s progress in cup competitions this season, both domestically and in Europe, has meant that their original league schedule has been tinkered with throughout the campaign, meaning time has proven tight to get fixtures rearranged. Although tonight’s trip to Spurs is taking place just 48 hours after originally scheduled because of TV, the trip to Brighton next week is a rearranged assignment, with it originally scheduled for March 18.

Sandwiched between the trips to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and the Amex Stadium is a home clash with Aston Villa at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon. Each fixture will see United go up against a side not too far behind them in the table, all of whom are striving for one objective between now and the end of the season: European qualification.

Spurs, despite the mess they currently find themselves in, are still in mathematical contention for a Champions League place, even though defeat to United this evening would all but end those aspirations. A win for Erik ten Hag’s side would take them nine points clear of the Londoners, only boosting their own top-four hopes.

Spurs, who will be under the stewardship of Ryan Mason this evening following Daniel Levy’s decision to sack interim head coach Cristian Stellini on Monday, have lost each of their last two games, conceding nine goals in the process. With that in mind, United will already be aware of the expected backlash if they fail to win.

This is why United need to use the trip to the capital as the catalyst for a change in their away form. As documented by this correspondent yesterday, United have lost six of their seven away games against top-half teams this season, and it is a record that has to be corrected, particularly if the Reds are to have a stab at mounting a title charge next term.

Moving onto Sunday’s tussle with Villa, United will come up against one of the country’s most in-form teams; they have won eight of their last 10 games and are unbeaten in the duration of that run. It is a run that has also seen them beat both Chelsea (2-0) and Newcastle United (3-0) without conceding.

Unai Emery has transformed their fortunes in recent months – a cycle that began with a 3-1 win over United in November – and they will put plenty of questions to Ten Hag’s troops, even though the Reds will be confident because of the fact they will be at home and Old Trafford has been turned back into a fortress this season. They are 25 games unbeaten in M16 and have not lost on their own patch in the Premier League since the opening day.

Villa, who are proving incredibly strong defensively, will be a tough nut for United to crack, even though they have already beaten them 4-2 this season, proving victorious in the third round of the Carabao Cup. Should United be able to beat them, it would be yet another sign of Ten Hag making Old Trafford an intimidating place to visit again.

To wrap up United’s upcoming three-game week, the Reds will face Brighton for the third time this season next Thursday. The Seagulls, like Villa, still have European aspirations and have been in excellent form themselves, losing just two league outings in 2023 so far.

United have failed to win each of their two meetings with the south coast side outside of a penalty shootout this season and were battered 4-0 on their last visit to the Amex. Roberto De Zerbi’s troops were the better side for long spells at Wembley and you would not bet against them making it awkward at the Amex.