The Sky Sports pundit and Arsenal legend made his prediction about Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side against relegation-battling Cardiff City.
Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson believes that Manchester United could field youngsters in their final Premier League game of the season against relegation-threatened Cardiff City as they “could easily be out” of the race for a top-four finish.
With all Premier League teams having four or five fixtures left this season, the race for the top four remains incredibly tight, with just four points separating third-placed Tottenham Hotspur – on 67 points – from sixth-placed United.
Meanwhile, in the lower reaches of the table, the battle to avoid relegation has petered out, with just one more spot not filled in just yet, and while multiple teams aren’t yet mathematically safe, Cardiff and Brighton & Hove Albion are the most likely candidates at present.
The Bluebirds face Liverpool, Fulham, Crystal Palace and Man Utd in their final games, while the Seagulls have Wolverhampton Wanderers, Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United, Arsenal and Manchester City to come.
Merson told Sky Sports News: “I think Cardiff will stay up. Their games are just much more winnable. Palace cannot stand Brighton, and even their own fans will be wanting Cardiff to beat them when they play each other. Like I said before with Brighton, it is all about timing. Palace and Fulham have very little to play for, so Cardiff are playing them at the right time
“Man Utd on the final day of the season – they could easily be out of the top-four race by then and their season finished, playing youngsters to see if they will be good enough for next season.”
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s charges, who will be eager to bounce back from their Champions League disappointment against Barcelona, face Everton, Man City, Chelsea and Championship-bound Huddersfield Town in their last four games of the campaign.
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