It feels as if Manchester United have been trying to keep their heads above water for as long as we can remember – playing catch up while dealing with a plague of injuries.
But the Arsenal result could prove seminal in the longer term. The turning point. Because a draw or loss and Manchester United would have been floundering around mid table again. But the defeat of Arsenal means that United now have their destiny in their own hands again.
While the other big boys have some tough fixtures to negotiate Manchester United can hopefully enjoy two relatively straightforward home games – if there is such a thing in The Premier League – against Hull and Stoke. Win those two and things should look even rosier in terms of cementing that place in the top four.
That is of course the target for this season and, with Liverpool currently nowhere near the top four, Manchester United have to feel confident about their prospects.
Meanwhile the injury situation seems to be improving at last. On Tuesday evening Jonny Evans made a start for the reserves against Blackburn after an extended injury which has seen him miss a large chunk of the season. Evans played for 64 minutes before being subbed, perhaps with the weekend in mind.
Adnan Januzaj and Ander Herrera also played in a 5-0 thrashing of their local rivals. It all bodes well for the start of an intense period of club football.
We think that United will take maximum points in the next two matches. If they can beat Southampton away after that then they will be on a 5 match winning run with Liverpool to come at Old Trafford.
Too many ifs and buts right now. The fact is that things are looking good and Manchester United fans can examine the league table without quickly turning away in disgust.
Manchester United fans: where will the team finish?
