Former Manchester City midfielder Nigel de Jong has ruled Manchester United out of the running of the top four as he believes Arsenal and West Ham are the frontrunners for a place in the Champions League.
The Reds dropped points as they returned to action after a 16-day layoff where they were held by Newcastle United.
Following the sacking of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, United have gone unbeaten in five seeing them nudge their way back into the European fold.
Arsenal have been on an upward trajectory since turning around their fortunes under Mikel Arteta and despite bumps in the road against Liverpool and the Reds, they continue to assert claims for a place in the top four.
Their win over Norwich saw them bridge the gap to four points ahead of the Hammers whilst Ralf Rangnick's side are seven points off the final Champions League spot.
Despite picking up four points from their last two, United have failed to impress against two of the relegation-threatened sides as the Canaries slumped to defeat after Cristiano Ronaldo's penalty whilst the Magpies managed a draw.
But De Jong has played down the Reds' top-four credentials.
He told Ladbrokes: "I don't see Man United finishing in fourth this season, even if they're currently favourites behind Man City, Liverpool and Chelsea to do so; I really don't. I think it'll be a battle between Arsenal and West Ham.
"Arsenal are doing well, but there's still a long way to go this season; I'm not sure they can sustain this form for the duration of the season.
"That being said, they don't have to worry about European football so they have very little in the way of distractions over the next few months. They've got some great young kids who are constantly building on their experience.
"Obviously, their current problem with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang doesn't help things, so I can see them getting rid of him in January. I think they could do with bringing in two or three more players in January.
"I like Arsenal; they can be a positive force in the second half of the season, but the only way I see them doing that is by bringing in a couple of players next month."
The Premier League winner added. "There's a long time between now and the end of the season, and there's a lot of football to be played in that time. If they do that, then they've got every chance of finishing in the top four.
"Man United have a bigger issue, for me. I think there's a big problem surrounding the egos there, and how Ralf Rangnick can keep everything together.
"The majority of those players are aged 28 and over, so he's got a big problem on his hands to keep everybody under control. I don't see them competing for fourth spot.
"I'd say it's between Arsenal and West Ham. I really like David Moyes. If he can keep getting these kinds of performances out of his players, there's no reason why they can't be right up there at the end of the season.
"I just hope no clubs go shopping in January for key members of his squad. If he can keep that team together, and maybe bring a couple more names in, I see them and Arsenal going for fourth spot."
We’ve teamed up with LiveScore to invite fans to vote for their favourite results - the games which were much more than a score. Vote for the match that mattered to you here .
