Manchester: Jesse Lingard insists Manchester United are refusing to give up on the Premier League title but admits they may have to win all their remaining games to stand a chance of hauling back runaway leaders Manchester City.
United’s 2-1 win away to West Bromwich Albion on Sunday reduced the gap back to 11 points but City, who have a plus-17 better goal difference than their rivals, effectively have a four-game cushion at the top of the table after winning 16 consecutive league matches.
The Premier League campaign will reach its halfway mark this weekend when City host struggling Bournemouth and United face a tricky trip to a resurgent Leicester City but Lingard, 25 last week, believes there is no margin for error.
Asked if United would need to win all their remaining 20 league matches to catch City, the England forward said: “Probably, but we will take each game as it comes. We’ll concentrate on the next one ahead and see where we are at the end of the season. I think in any other season, we would be top with the points we have. So long as we keep winning games, that’s the most important thing.”
In fact, United’s current tally of 41 points would have been enough only to secure top spot after 18 games in five of the previous 15 Premier League seasons and, in five of them, no better than third.
Paul Pogba will return against Leicester from a three-match suspension after the midfielder’s red card away to Arsenal forced him to miss the games against City, Bournemouth and West Brom but right-back Antonio Valencia is likely to be missing on Saturday after suffering a hamstring injury at the weekend. Eric Baily and Marouane Fellaini remain longer-term absentees and Michael Carrick has still to return after undergoing a heart procedure.
Lingard’s form in a central role behind striker Romelu Lukaku has been one positive for Mourinho and the forward, whose strike against West Brom was his fourth goal in his past five matches, admitted it is his preferred position.
Meanwhile, Louis van Gaal has renewed his attack on United by claiming he would consider managing in England again if only to spite his former club. “I will probably not manage a club anymore,” he said. “I would make one exception — if a big English club comes for me, than I would do it. Because then I can get the chance to get one over on Manchester United.”
