Van Gaal Looks Up In The Battle For The Top Four

Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal is continuing to look up the Barclays Premier League table as the race for the top four places and Champions League qualification continues at considerable pace.

The Reds moved back into third spot with a 3-1 success against Leicester City on Saturday, but Liverpool and Tottenham also collected three points. West Ham, United's next league opponents, were beaten at Anfield, while Manchester City drew 1-1 with league leaders Chelsea.

On Sunday, the fixture list pitted Southampton against Swansea City and Arsenal against Aston Villa, and while the Premier League's pecking order changes from week to week, that is merely a sign for van Gaal that the race is heading right to the wire.

"I have already said in press conferences [that the race for a Champions League spot could go to the final weekend] because that is a big battle," the boss confessed to MUTV.

The Reds gained two points on City and Chelsea this weekend, and while the league's leading pair have been the clear front-running title chasers this season, van Gaal still has his sights on finishing as high up the table as possible. "We are [five] points off Manchester City, for example," he said. "So I believe it shall be a big battle in the end."