United aiming to sign off in style

The game is important in many respects, not least because it provides the opportunity to go six points clear of fourth place in the Premier League and eight of fifth spot.

Liverpool (away to Brighton & Hove Albion) and Aston Villa (at home to West Ham United) do not play until Saturday and Sunday respectively, so the pressure would be placed on them ahead of kick-off.

Additionally, most fans will also be aware of the lengthy gap that follows our game at the Vitality Stadium.

In fact, there are 24 days before we are in next in action, facing Leeds United at Old Trafford on Monday 13 April.

That means there are four whole weekends without a first-team fixture. This week, we play on Friday, and the international break then kicks in, with spots at the World Cup finals still up for grabs.

Across the Easter weekend, there are no top-flight games because the Emirates FA Cup quarter-finals are taking place.

With our contest against Leeds moved to the Monday, it means an even longer wait throughout another round of games, with West Ham United's match against Wolverhampton Wanderers the opener on Friday 10 April.

Hence, our next weekend outing is not until Saturday 18 April, when we play at Chelsea in a 20:00 BST kick-off. By then, it will very much feel like the business end to the season.

At least, we have a fine recent record when it comes to heading into international breaks.

Opta have reported that the Reds are unbeaten in our last six Premier League games ahead of them, winning four and drawing twice. Our most recent loss before one came in September 2024, when we suffered a 3-0 home reverse to Liverpool.

With a lengthy pause on the horizon, let's all hope Michael Carrick's men can give us a winning send-off on the south coast.