Ralf Rangnick explains what Manchester United must do to beat Arsenal to fourth place

Ralf Rangnick has said Manchester United will have to win most of their remaining nine Premier League matches this season, if they’re to beat Arsenal to fourth place.

The Red Devils trail Mikel Arteta’s men in the table and have played two games more than the North-London club.

It’s for that reason, Rangnick feels United will have to come close to their maximum points tally of 27 from the final games of this season.

The race for fourth spot has taken on even more significance after the Red Devils were eliminated from the Champions League on Tuesday, meaning they will have to focus solely on their league campaign for the final two month of the term.

United are next in league action on 2 April when they host Leicester City, with this weekend’s fixture against Liverpool rearranged due to the Merseysiders involvement in the FA Cup, while the following week is an international break.

“It’s unusual to not play a game for two-and-a-half weeks, especially in this league where you usually play every three days,” Rangnick said in his post-match press conference, following United’s 1-0 loss to Atletico Madrid.

“We have 85 percent of the squad on international duty and most of them only coming back on Tuesday and Wednesday, so in the end we will only have three days to prepare for the Leicester game.

“In the league, the situation is pretty clear, we will have to win most of those nine games. For sure, we have to win at Arsenal [on 23 April]. The only way to finish fourth in the end is to win most of those nine games.

“It would not be bad if they dropped points,” Rangnick added, when asked about Arsenal’s form. “But for us, the only thing that we can do is make sure we win as many games as possible.

“We are fully aware that some of the games we have to play, there are some really difficult ones. In the Premier League, there are no easy games, but for sure, the next three games at home to Leicester, away to Everton and then Norwich, we have to get all nine points if possible.”