Solskjaer not giving up on 'miracle' title win

LONDON • If Manchester United win their game in hand, the gap to runaway leaders Manchester City will close to eight points.

But with seven games remaining for the Red Devils and tricky opponents to come, including top-four contenders Leicester and Liverpool, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer still believes it will take "a miracle" for his side to win their first Premier League title since 2012-13.

However, the Norwegian will not shut the door on United's chances of overhauling City as faint they may be.

The visitors came from behind to secure a 3-1 win at Tottenham on Sunday - a result that damaged Spurs' hopes of returning to the Champions League after a year out, while solidifying their own grip on a top-four spot. Second-placed United (63) are nine points clear of Chelsea in fifth. Spurs are a further 14 behind in seventh.

After keeping the title door ajar in north London, Solskjaer wants his players to lay down a marker this term to send out a message to City and their other rivals that they are now bona fide challengers after a 2019-20 season that saw them finish 33 points behind champions Liverpool.

"It's not theoretically impossible but it would take a lot. It would take a miracle," he said. "But sometimes, miracles happen.

"We just have to get as many points on the board as possible and keep getting the wins we need to make sure we've improved from last season. We want to at least get as close to them (City) as possible."

While Solskjaer was buoyed by a fourth successive league win that was secured by goals from Fred, Edinson Cavani and Mason Greenwood, he was fuming at half-time after Cavani's opener was controversially ruled out, ensuring Spurs went into the interval 1-0 up thanks to Son Heung-min.

Scott McTominay was harshly adjudged to have fouled Son in the build-up after accidentally catching the South Korea forward in the face with a trailing hand.

Solskjaer took aim at Son for his dramatic reaction to what seemed like minimal contact, claiming the Korean had "conned" referee Chris Kavanagh.

"I have to say, if my son stays down like this for three minutes and needs his 10 mates to help him up, he won't get any food," he said.

league defeat of the season for Spurs leaves them struggling to qualify for the Champions League.

"When you get the injustice and adversity, that decision (to disallow the goal) is just shocking. Top reaction... We showed good character to come back."

Spurs' 10th league defeat of the season has put a huge dent in their top-four ambitions, but Mourinho chose to vent his frustration at Solskjaer and the reporters on hand, saying he was "very, very disappointed" with the Norwegian's comments and was "not comfortable with talking to the media anymore".

In the aftermath of the incident, Son was racially abused on social media, with a range of comments mocking his "slit eyes", to dog eating. Calling on tech giants to take action, Spurs issued a statement, saying: "Another match day and more abhorrent racial abuse suffered by one of our players. We stand with you, Sonny."

A number of high-profile black footballers in the league, including United's Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial, have suffered online racial abuse this season.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS