Chapter 418: The Arrival of European Knockout Stages
Manchester United, charging ahead, easily overcame Leicester City and Watford with scores of 3-0 and 2-0, respectively. With Chelsea being held to a 1-1 draw at Burnley, United established a double-digit lead at the top of the Premier League table after 25 rounds.
At this point, many people realized that it was only a matter of time before the Red Devils would reclaim the Premier League title. Chelsea, under Conte's leadership, had performed admirably this season, securing 60 points in 25 matches, averaging 2.4 points per game. This pace would typically secure around 91.2 points by season's end, a commendable feat in any league. However, facing a Manchester United that had been unstoppable since the season began, Chelsea found themselves 10 points behind.
At the start of the season, media and experts predicted a fiercely contested Premier League title race, especially with Mourinho and Guardiola's arrivals. They were both considered top contenders. As the season neared its two-thirds mark, this prediction had proven half true. Mourinho's team displayed an unstoppable momentum, while Guardiola's Manchester City struggled, trailing the leaders by 21 points, effectively exiting the title race and facing difficulties securing a Champions League spot.
In contrast, Conte's Chelsea was exceptional, being the only team posing a slight threat to United's position. After 25 rounds, the Premier League standings were:
1st: Manchester United – 23 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss – 70 points2nd: Chelsea – 19 wins, 3 draws, 3 losses – 60 points3rd: Tottenham Hotspur – 14 wins, 8 draws, 3 losses – 50 points4th: Arsenal – 15 wins, 4 draws, 6 losses – 49 points (ahead of Manchester City on goal difference)5th: Manchester City – 15 wins, 4 draws, 6 losses – 49 points6th: Liverpool – 48 points
From third place Tottenham onwards, the gap to the top was at least 20 points, effectively ruling them out of the title race. The Premier League title race was between Manchester United and Chelsea, with Chelsea's chances looking slim. Their only advantage was the absence of European commitments, while United faced the pressure of competing on four fronts.
As February reached mid-month, European competitions entered the knockout stages, with Manchester United gearing up for the Europa League Round of 32. Adding the FA Cup and the upcoming League Cup final, United's schedule was becoming extremely packed.
On February 16th, 2017, at 8:05 PM local time, Manchester United hosted Saint-Étienne at Old Trafford for the first leg of the Europa League Round of 32. United had never lost in 13 home games against French teams (10 wins, 3 draws) and remained unbeaten in their last 15 European home matches (12 wins, 3 draws). This was the first encounter between the teams since the 1977-78 European Cup Winners' Cup, where United progressed 3-1 on aggregate. Despite Saint-Étienne's history as a dominant French club, their last league title was in the 1980-1981 season, making them a mid-table team in Ligue 1 currently. Zlatan Ibrahimovic showcased his brilliance with a hat-trick, and Bruno added another goal, leading United to a 4-0 victory, almost securing their place in the next round.
A week later, United only needed to avoid a heavy defeat in the away leg to progress.
On February 19th, United visited Ewood Park for the FA Cup Fifth Round against Blackburn Rovers. United fielded a 4-2-3-1 formation with Rashford as the lone striker and Ibrahimovic resting on the bench. Lingard, Gündoğan, and Bruno supported from behind, with Carrick and Herrera as holding midfielders. Smalling and Rojo partnered in central defense, flanked by Darmian and Ashley Young, with Romero in goal. Blackburn, struggling in the Championship, took an early lead in the 17th minute through Emnes and Graham, but United dominated possession, ending the match with 75% possession and a 3-1 comeback victory thanks to goals from Bruno, Rashford, and Ibrahimovic, advancing to the FA Cup quarter-finals. However, the quarter-final draw was not favorable, pitting United against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
On February 22nd, in the second leg of the Europa League Round of 32, United visited Saint-Étienne. Given their 4-0 first-leg advantage and an upcoming League Cup final against Southampton, Mourinho rotated his squad extensively, leaving key players like Bruno behind. Despite the changes, United secured a 1-0 victory, progressing with a 5-0 aggregate. In the Round of 16 draw, United was drawn against Russian side Rostov, a tough fixture given the travel and potential cold weather conditions in Russia.
The Premier League's other European competitors faced similar challenges. West Ham and Southampton were already eliminated from the Europa League, and Tottenham dropped to the Europa League after finishing third in their Champions League group but were ousted by Gent. Manchester City progressed as group runners-up but faced a tricky tie against Monaco. Arsenal, despite winning their group, faced Bayern Munich in the Round of 16 and suffered a 5-1 first-leg defeat, likely sealing their exit. Leicester City, struggling domestically, showed promise in their Champions League debut but trailed 2-1 to Sevilla in their Round of 16 tie, leaving them with a chance to progress.
In the worst-case scenario, it was possible that no Premier League teams would reach the quarter-finals of either the Champions League or the Europa League this season.
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