“It doesn’t really matter” – Solskjaer unconcerned with Man Utd’s position in the table

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has poured cold water on concerns regarding Manchester United’s position in the Premier League table.

The Red Devils jumped up to seventh place on Sunday after clinically dispatching Brighton 3-1 at Old Trafford, with strikes from Andreas Pereira, Marcus Rashford and a Davy Propper own goal securing all three points.

Should Man Utd’s position concern Solskjaer? Five things to know…

• At the start of the day Man Utd were sitting in 14th place in the Premier League.
• Solskjaer’s side thrashed Brighton 3-1 in one of their most convincing displays of the season to date.
• Three points took Man Utd up to seventh in the table and just a point below Arsenal.
• However, they still remain nine points away from the top four, with Man City now occupying the final Champions League qualification spot.
• Despite this, Solskjaer remains unconcerned by their position, and instead chose to focus on another solid victory.

It was a convincing performance from Solskjaer’s side who managed to score two league goals in the first half at Old Trafford for only the second time in 2019 – the first also being against Brighton in January.

Three points was enough to see Man Utd leapfrog the Seagulls but they remain nine points adrift the top four, a rather unfavourable situation that doesn’t appear to be fazing Solskjaer.

“We should have scored many more goals,” Solskjaer told BBC Sport after Man Utd’s win.

“It was an excellent performance from the lads, when you see them going forward it is a joy to watch.

“Anthony Martial did not get a goal but he was outstanding. Brandon Williams was excellent too, he has had some good games already and he seems he wants to be out there and enjoy himself.

“The table does not really matter at the moment: we need to keep improving and keep winning games and see where it takes us.”

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Solskjaer: Fred was the Catalyst

There were a number of man-of-the-match candidates in the North West on Sunday, but one player stood out above the rest: Fred.

The much-questioned midfielder was imperious in the middle of the park, dominating the ball and driving his teammates forward. It was a near inch-perfect performance from a player who is now starting to justify his price tag, an assessment echoed by his manager.

“He set us off today with his midfield play, we won the ball, had to get after them,” Solskjaer said.

“Propper and [Dale] Stephens, we couldn’t let them get on the ball and Fred was maybe the catalyst.”