The 2021/22 campaign is proving to be a nightmare for Manchester United and Cristiano Ronaldo. But there are also worrying signs for the next season already.

Atletico Madrid knocked Manchester United out of the UEFA Champions League this week. And today, their top-four hopes dealt a huge blow after Arsenal’s win against Aston Villa.

Bukayo Saka scored the game’s only goal as the Gunners got the better of Steven Gerrard’s side. Following this win, Arsenal are now four points ahead of Manchester United.

On top of that, Arsenal have a game in hand. Also, not to forget, Mikel Arteta’s side has more favorable upcoming Premier League fixtures as compared to Manchester United.

Well, Arsenal are not the only team that can prove to be a threat to Cristiano Ronaldo & co. in the race for Europe. West Ham and Tottenham Hotspur are also potential competitors for the Premier League‘s top four race.

Spurs can even leapfrog Ralf Rangnick’s men in the league table if they can defeat West Ham United this week. But at the moment, Mikel Arteta’s side are the clear favorite for the fourth spot at the moment.

A look at the upcoming Premier League games for Manchester United and Arsenal

Mikel Arteta’s side definitely has the edge going into the business end of the season. Coming to Arsenal’s upcoming fixtures, they have Chelsea and Manchester United coming up among the traditional big six of the Premier League.

But the other upcoming fixtures are absolutely winnable for the Gunners. Both their defense and attack delivering at the moment. Thus, Mikel Arteta can certainly expect all three points against opponents such as Leeds United, Everton, Crystal Palace, etc.

Now coming to Manchester United, last summer, the English side signed the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Jadon Sancho, and Raphael Varane. Nobody expected the Red Devils to be in this situation back then. But here they are now, fighting for a top-four finish.

They are yet to play against their rivals-Liverpool, Chelsea, and Arsenal. Surprisingly, United have also struggled to get all three points against teams such as Watford and other mid and bottom-table teams this season.

Read More: Manchester United Manager Ralf Rangnick Takes a Dig at Arsenal and Everton for Having ?Russian Oligarchs? After Chelsea Ownership Breakdown

But presently, Cristiano Ronaldo and the other United players can’t afford to slip up in such games. They need to win games consistently. If not, the Red Devils will miss out on Champions League football next season.