Erik ten Hag has told his Manchester United players they cannot afford to let their performance levels drop when they face struggling Everton at Old Trafford on Saturday.
United snapped a three-game winless streak in the Premier League, including a 7-0 hammering at fierce rivals Liverpool, with a 1-0 victory over Brentford in midweek.
That moved the Red Devils into fourth place, three points clear of Tottenham with a game in hand in the battle for Champions League football next season.
But Ten Hag warned there is still plenty of work to do in United's remaining 10 games, starting with this weekend's visit of an Everton side fighting for survival.
"You have to do it every game and that means preparation, but it has to be the standard," Ten Hag said of his side's mentality. "You're playing for Man United, so there's the demand.
"No ifs or buts. A player must deliver when you play for Manchester United. You must be accountable. It's about demands, so we must match standards always.
"For a player playing at the top, competing for trophies, competing for the Premier League, you have to do it always, consistently. It's our job to bring that mentality in."
Everton followed up a 2-2 draw away at Chelsea prior to the international break with a 1-1 draw at home to Tottenham, but they are only outside the relegation on goal difference.
The Toffees are unbeaten in four league games – their best run since a run of six that ended on October 1 – and boss Sean Dyche wants them to continue with the same mindset.
"It is about the mentality on a daily basis and taking that into games," he said. "We work at a certain level in training; we want that to go into every game we play.
"It's a different mindset for me and the work we do and the work to progress where we want to be. I think that work is in progress."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Manchester United - Christian Eriksen
Ten Hag revealed on the eve of the game that Eriksen will be part of United's squad for the first time since injuring his ankle at the end of January, having made a swifter-than-expected return.
The Denmark international was a key player for United prior to his lay-off, assisting seven goals and scoring one of his own in 19 Premier League appearances.
Everton - Alex Iwobi
Iwobi has gone six league games without a goal involvement for Everton, but there is no denying his influence in the side.
Among Everton players in the league this season, the Nigeria international ranks top for possession won in the final third (26), chances created (47) and successful take-ons (41).
MATCH PREDICTION - UNITED WIN
Everton have undoubtedly improved under Dyche, having collected 12 points from their nine Premier League matches since he took over, which is seven more than they managed in their final 12 under Frank Lampard.
United have won all three matches in the early Saturday kick-off slot this season, including victory over Manchester City in January, and they are unbeaten in 24 games at Old Trafford in all competitions.
The Red Devils have also lost just one of their past 29 Premier League home games against Everton, with that coming in December 2013, though each of the past three fixtures between the sides in Manchester have finished all square.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
United - 52.7 per cent
Everton - 20.6 per cent
Draw - 26.7 per cent
Paris Saint-Germain 3-3 Le Havre: Ramos rescues point but title confirmation must wait
Paris Saint-Germain were held to a 3-3 draw at home to relegation-battling Le Havre on Saturday and will need to wait before confirming their 12th Ligue 1 title.
PSG would have clinched the title with three games to spare with a victory. They have a 12-point gap over second-placed Monaco, who are at Lyon on Sunday, and a goal difference of 47 to Monaco's 18.
The away side opened the scoring in the 19th minute through Christopher Operi and PSG levelled 10 minutes later with Bradley Barcola scoring, but Le Havre went ahead again seven minutes before the break when Andre Ayew found the net.
Le Havre made it 3-1 with an Abdoulaye Toure penalty in the 61st minute, before Achrif Hakimi gave PSG hope with a goal 12 minutes from time and Goncalo Ramos levelled in added time. Le Havre are 15th on 29 points.
Aston Villa 2-2 Chelsea: Gallagher caps Blues fightback at Villa Park
Conor Gallagher scored the equaliser as Chelsea fought back from two goals down to clinch a deserved 2-2 draw with Champions League-chasing Aston Villa on Saturday.
Villa looked set to go nine points clear of Tottenham in the race to finish in the Premier League's top four, with Marc Cucurella's own goal and Morgan Rogers' low drive giving them a handsome half-time lead.
Mauricio Pochettino's men dominated much of the first half without reward, but they continued to press after the interval and cultured finishes from Noni Madueke and Gallagher dragged them level.
They almost completed a fine comeback in stoppage time, but there was relief for Villa when referee Craig Pawson disallowed a goal for Chelsea defender Axel Disasi following a VAR review due to an infringement from Benoit Badiashile.
It meant Villa boss Unai Emery was unable to celebrate his new long-term contract with three points, with his team now seven points clear of fifth-placed Spurs, who have three games in hand on their rivals.
Chelsea stay ninth and are five points adrift of the top seven, but with a game in hand to come, their European hopes are not yet over.
Villa made a flying start and were ahead within four minutes, albeit in somewhat fortunate circumstances. John McGinn didn't get a clean connection on Lucas Digne's left-wing cutback, but his shot bounced off Cucurella and into the net.
Chelsea thought they were level after 16 minutes as Nicolas Jackson raced clear to finish into the roof of the net, but his strike was disallowed for offside after a VAR review, with replays showing he was leaning beyond Matty Cash.
Jackson should then have equalised when found by Cucurella six yards out, but he could only send his header against the foot of the post and wide.
Villa then doubled their lead against the run of play shortly before half-time, with Djordje Petrovic powerless as Rogers squeezed his shot through Trevoh Chalobah's legs and in.
A hamstring injury saw Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez withdrawn at half-time, and his replacement Robin Olsen was beaten after 62 minutes, Madueke stroking home after Gallagher forced a high turnover.
Olsen stuck out an arm to deny Madueke a second with 71 minutes gone, but he had no chance as the Blues levelled with nine minutes to play, Gallagher rifling a left-footed finish into the top-left corner.
Chelsea thought they had won it when Disasi headed home five minutes into stoppage time, but referee Pawson disallowed the goal following a VAR review, with Badiashile adjudged to have fouled Diego Carlos in the build-up.
Villa throw it away
Villa could hardly have wished for a stronger position at half-time. Despite Chelsea carving out several good openings, they found themselves 2-0 up and primed to exploit their opponents further through the pace of Ollie Watkins and Leon Bailey.
Chelsea had lost 16 of their previous 18 Premier League games when trailing at half-time (one win, one draw), losing their last eight when two or more goals behind at the break.
However, Emery's men simply didn't get going after the restart, and only a late VAR review saved them from a crushing defeat, with Disasi's potential winner chalked off for a foul by fellow defender Badiashile.
Gallagher leads from the front
Gallagher has polarised opinion at times this season, but Chelsea's stand-in skipper produced a talismanic display just when his team needed him most at Villa Park.
The England international is known for his tenacious work out of possession, and he forced a turnover on the corner of the Villa box in the build-up to Madueke's goal.
Gallagher's own strike, which flew into the top corner to stun the home faithful, took him to double figures for Premier League goal involvements for the season (four goals, six assists). He has only achieved that feat in one other campaign in the competition, scoring eight goals and adding three assists on loan at Crystal Palace in 2021-22.
Four of his seven Premier League goals for Chelsea, meanwhile, have now come from outside the area.
Chelsea Women 0-2 Barcelona Femeni (1-2 agg): Holders reach Champions League final again
Women's Champions League holders Barcelona overturned a 1-0 first-leg deficit to reach a fourth straight final on Saturday, beating 10-player Chelsea 2-0 at Stamford Bridge.
Emma Hayes' hopes of ending her glittering spell with the Blues by lifting the Champions League trophy were dashed in heartbreaking fashion in front of a sell-out crowd in West London.
Barca went ahead through Ballon d'Or winner Aitana Bonmati 26 minutes in, the diminutive Spaniard seeing her shot deflect off Kadeisha Buchanan to beat Hannah Hampton.
The hosts pushed for a response as Sjoeke Nuksen struck the post, but their position worsened just before the hour mark as Buchanan was perhaps harshly shown a second yellow card for her tackle on Salma Paralluelo.
Barca penned their hosts back from there and Bonmati was decisive again as they inched ahead with 15 minutes to play, drawing a foul from Ashley Lawrence and allowing Fridolina Rolfo to convert from the penalty spot.
Jonatan Giraldez's team have won two of the last three editions of the Champions League, also losing in the final to Lyon in 2021-22. They could be reunited with Les Lyonnaises in next month's final in Bilbao, as they hold a 3-2 lead over Paris Saint-Germain at the halfway stage of the other semi-final.
Data Debrief: Bonmati caps trademark Barca performance
Aided by Buchanan's red card, Barcelona showcased their mastery of possession-based football at Stamford Bridge, enjoying 67.8 per cent of the possession and completing over twice as many passes as Chelsea (583 to 224).
Bonmati was at the centre of everything for the Blaugrana, playing a key role in both goals as well as laying on two chances for team-mates and playing 31 passes in the final third – no Chelsea player recorded more than 11.
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