Liam Rosenior's 'mental' Chelsea comments shows advantage Man United have in Champions League race

Manchester United’s chances of qualifying for the Champions League were boosted when rivals Chelsea suffered a defeat to Newcastle United in the Premier League.

Just one week after Manchester United lost 2-1 to Newcastle in the Premier League to dent their chances of a top-five finish, Chelsea suffered the same fate.

United sporting director Jason Wilcox is targeting a Champions League return this season, and Michael Carrick has nine games remaining to try and achieve that goal.

The Red Devils currently sit third in the Premier League table ahead of a crucial clash against fourth-place Aston Villa. Chelsea would have climbed above United had Liam Rosenior’s side beaten Chelsea.

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Man United have ‘mental’ advantage over Chelsea

Following Chelsea’s defeat to Newcastle, manager Rosenior spotted a lack of “mental freshness” in his side.

“We lacked a little bit of mental freshness in the final third. A combination or the right decision or that bit of quality in the moment,” Rosenior said, as quoted by Football London.

Rosenior also pointed out Chelsea’s physical fatigue through injuries: “It’s difficult at the moment with the injuries, especially in attacking areas. I’ll never make excuses. Injuries are a part of the season, but you’re missing three of our most important players in terms of unlocking a low block.”

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Chelsea are still competing in the Champions League and FA Cup as well as the Premier League, so the London club have been playing twice a week regularly.

In contrast, United’s full focus is on the Premier League and Carrick has the advantage of a fresh squad that plays just once a week.

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It is no secret that United and Carrick’s aim from now until the end of the season is to finish in the top five and secure a return to the Champions League.

Naturally, that makes the upcoming Villa clash an extremely important fixture, and Carrick did not shy away from that in his pre-match press conference.

“It’s been a really good week in many ways and I’m excited,” Carrick said.

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“It’s an important game, there’s no getting away from it. It’s a fantastic game. We’ve put ourselves in a position now where there’s an awful lot to play for, so yeah, really embracing the situation at the moment and looking forward to the next game.”

While Chelsea may have had one eye on their Champions League matches, United’s full focus is on Villa and the top five.

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