Man United’s Champions League hopes ‘all on the Europa League’ – Mourinho

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho said his side’s top-four hopes were over after their 2-0 defeat at Arsenal on Sunday.

Granit Xhaka and Danny Welbeck scored in a 2-0 win for Arsene Wenger’s side — the Frenchman’s first competitive win over Mourinho — to leave United four points off the Champions League places.

Mourinho made eight changes to his team ahead of the Europa League semifinal second leg against Celta Vigo at Old Trafford on Thursday.

And he said United’s first Premier League defeat since October meant qualifying for the Champions League was “all on the Europa League.”

But he told Sky Sports: “Like today, we try to play for a result. You cannot say that we didn’t try to win the game and that’s what we will try to do in the remaining three matches in the Premier League.

“But, obviously, everything for Thursday.”

Eric Bailly, Paul Pogba, Daley Blind, Marcus Rashford were all left on the bench as Mourinho rotated his squad, while Antonio Valencia did not even make the trip to London.

But despite the defeat the United manager was delighted with replacements Phil Jones, Chris Smalling and Juan Mata, none of whom have played since March 19.

He also had praise for Axel Tuanzebe, 19, who made his full debut at right-back against Alexis Sanchez.

“I’m disappointed with the result, not the performance at all,” he added. “I like very much the individual performances and I also like collectively.

“We lost because we didn’t score and we had great chances to score before them. They had the luck of that goal. We didn’t score before them, just that.

“I cannot demand more from players who don’t play one minute of football in the past seven weeks. I think Jones, Smalling, Mata were amazing, the way they performed after seven weeks of being out.

“The kid, the same. I think he did an amazing job and I think Alexis knows his name because the kid really played very well.”

The result might have been different had Wayne Rooney taken a good chance in the first half before Xhaka’s long-range effort deflected in off Ander Herrera.

Mourinho, though, refused to criticise the Spaniard despite suggestions he had not closed down the Arsenal midfielder quickly enough.

“Herrera played every game,” he said. “He did fantastically well to play 60 minutes and the goal is a lucky situation. We had much better opportunities to score and we didn’t score. I don’t think we deserve to lose this match.

“I feared that I couldn’t change players like Mkhitaryan and Herrera, players who played 90 minutes in Vigo, because I would have to change Mata, Jones and Smalling. But they were fantastic.

“This game is a plus for them. We need everybody. We have such a small squad in this moment and these guys have a fantastic answer.”

Referring to the fact that it was his first league defeat to Wenger, Mourinho added: “It’s the first time I leave Highbury or Emirates and they [Arsenal fans] are happy. It’s the first time.

“I left Highbury, they were crying. I left the Emirates, they were crying. They were walking the streets with their heads low. So finally today, they sing. It’s nice for them.

“It’s a big club. You think I enjoy the fact that a big club like Arsenal are not winning big trophies? Honestly, I’m not enjoying that.

“Arsene Wenger is not a small manager, he’s a big manager. So to have that record of winning so many matches and not losing in so many matches, is something that’s not normal.

“Normally it’s win, lose, draw. It’s not normal. And I really don’t care about it.”