West Ham 3 United 2

Having had the door to Champions League qualification carelessly left open by city, United saw it slammed firmly shut by a West Ham side who were in no mood to end their tenure of the Boleyn Ground with anything other than a win.

A night that had started badly for the Reds, whose team coach was attacked by missiles by Hammers supporters, continued that way as the home side seized the early advantage on the pitch.  Lanzini's cross from the left found Sakho, whose shot deflected off the foot of Blind to creep inside the post.

United almost found themselves two down when appallingly disorganised defending allowed Carroll a free run on goal, but the striker's shot found De Gea's feet in the way.  After half an hour the Reds began to suggest they might make West Ham pay for their failure to add to their total as they gradually found their way into the game.  

Early in the second half, with Carrick replacing Schneiderlin in the Reds eleven, United brought the scores level. Mata's cut back found Martial and the Frenchman made no mistake from close range.  With the game now an open affair, it seemed possible for either side to win it and it was United who got their noses in front with eighteen minutes to go.  Rooney's ball from midfield found Rashford, who picked out Martial on the left and he drove into the box to drill past Randolph at the far post.

At that point, Champions League qualification appeared to beckon, but the home side had a different idea of how the evening would end.  Antonio headed his side level four minutes later and it when De Gea failed to keep out a header from Reid, a victorious last game at the ground for West Ham was assured.

It was a thrilling match but ultimately deeply disappointing for United, who now play Bournemouth in the last game of the season knowing that a draw for city at Swansea will be enough, given their superior goal difference, to see Champions League football at the Etihad rather than Old Trafford next season.

Norwich 0 United 1

United went into this game without Rashford or Martial and the uninspiring fare on offer illustrated just how valuable they've proved during our recent upturn in form.  Fortunately, we ran into a Norwich side who were even worse and, largely thanks to an appalling piece of defending, left Carrow Road with what could still prove a vital three points.

Robbed of the pace of Rashford and Martial, United looked as dull as they have for so much of the season.  Against a nervous looking Norwich, the lack of adventure was all too apparent.  De Gea saved to deny Jerome early on when the forward probably ought to have done better, but Norwich offered little else in a dire first half.  

Sadly, the Reds offered nothing better.  We dominated possession, of course, but the build-up play was slow and laborious.  Smalling's header over the bar from a corner was the closest United came and there was a disappointing new addition to the continuing saga of our defensive injuries when Darmian was forced off with what looked a nasty foot injury.

United opened the second half with a little more urgency and Herrera almost capitalised when his volley from Mata's pass went narrowly wide.  If this signified a more adventurous approach from the Reds in the second half, then the improvement turned out to be only marginal.

It took a horrendous defensive error from the home side to bring about the crucial goal.  Bassong's missed header allowed Rooney a run on goal and then, just as it looked like the chance had been squandered, the United captain produced a pass to set up the advancing Mata, who drilled home from close range.  

If the move emphasised that Rooney's future is probably as a creator rather than a scorer of goals, the sublime pass he then laid on for Schneiderlin offered further evidence.  Sadly, the Frenchman's future certainly isn't as a forward and he illustrated this by steering his shot tamely wide.

Although Norwich played most of the second half with a second striker, they offered little more than speculative yahoos into the box that were easily dealt with, more often than not by the typically efficient Chris Smalling and United were allowed to stroll to a comfortable win.

The three points keep us in the chase for a Champions League spot, but there will be many among the Reds support scratching their heads about how on earth we allowed these opponents to win at Old Trafford earlier in the season.  Had we not, the road to European qualification would surely have been a hell of a lot smoother and not involve reliance on a notoriously unreliable Arsenal at city or a that tricky midweek trip to the Boleyn Ground.

Under 21s: Chelsea 0 United 1

United's Under 21s finished the league season in the best possible way with a hard-fought but deserved victory at Stamford Bridge, which came courtesy of a goal from Matty Willock.  With the league title already won, this was effectively a meaningless game but the Reds approached it as if it were a title decider, showing a determination and will to win that speaks volumes for this group of players.

Willock almost broke the deadlock when his mazy run into the area ended with his shot being smothered by Collins in the Chelsea goal.   However, when a second chance fell to the midfielder, he made no mistake.  He started the move himself, moving the ball out to El Fitouri on the left.  His clever ball inside allowed Pereira to move the ball back to Willock, who steered his shot inside the far post.

Pereira ought to have made it two just before half-time, but he spooned his shot over the bar with only the keeper to beat.  At the other end there were some timely interventions from Phil Jones - a seemingly permanent member of the Under 21 team this days - but United were good value for their half-time lead.  

There was an old-fashioned 21-man brawl at the start of the second half, following an extraordinarily reckless tackle by Chelsea's Palmer, whose attempted challenge on El Fitouri was so wild he actually took out team mate Aina instead.  When the dust had settled, Palmer bizarrely walked away unpunished, with Josh Harrop and keeper Collins - who'd run forty yards to join the punch-up - both yellow carded for their involvement.

From there the game settled into a more sedate affair.  Mitchell had come on as a substitute for Januzaj at half-time and carried United's greatest threat.  First he then Harrop brought saves from Collins.  Chelsea began to dominate possession late in the half but the United defence rarely looked troubled and the Reds saw out the game comfortably.

United 1 Leicester 1

Everyone outside United and Spurs, of course, were looking to Leicester to seal the title today.  The Reds needed a win too though, for the rather less romantic but highly important prospect of a top four finish.  In the end, a draw meant that Leicester left Old Trafford without the championship but they'll have been the happier of the two sides, edging closer to their target while United rely on others to keep alive their rather more meagre prospects.

United began a frantic first half in the best possible way, taking the game to Leicester and grabbing a deserved lead in the eighth minute when Valencia's cross from the right found Martial at the far post, who comfortably tucked home. The Reds might well have had a second when Lingard's shot through a congested penalty area was well saved by Schmeichel.

Leicester came back, however, and captain Wes Morgan typified the spirit he's shown throughout this campaign when he got his head to former United reserve Drinkwater's free kick to draw his side level.  

In an eventful first half, both sides will feel they were on the wrong end of the kind of borderline decisions that have littered Leicester's run-in.  Lingard was through with only the keeper to beat when he was jostled by another ex-Red Danny Simpson.  

If Simpson probably did enough to make it a difficult decision for referee Oliver, the later clumsy challenge from Rojo on Mahrez in the area appeared, frankly, to be a clear-cut foul but the referee again waved play on.  There was also a case for both Fellaini and Huth being penalised following an aggressive tussle in the area: the big Belgian's stray elbow into the German's chin would presumably have received the greater punishment and will almost certainly be followed up with action by the FA.

With Spurs facing a difficult trip to Chelsea tomorrow and with a home game to come next weekend, most would have forgiven Leicester had they simply aimed to hold on to a point in the second half.  This spirit and endeavour of this team, however, meant they took the game to United with increased ambition, the romance of securing the title at Old Trafford clearly winning out over old-fashioned pragmatism.  Which is exactly how it should be.

With Kante now bossing central midfield, they looked the more likely to take the lead in the period after half-time.  Okazaki was close to getting on the end of Simpson's cross across the area and Mahrez struck a shot from outside the box too close to De Gea.

As the champions-elect began to tire and the game became increasingly spread, United began again to look the more likely winners.  Smalling narrowly failed to score with a header from Rooney's cross and, when substitute Memphis was brought down by Drinkwater on the edge of the area, it looked a clear penalty.  Instead, Oliver gave Drinkwater a second yellow but judged the offence to have occurred on the edge of the box.

Only at that point did the visitors settle for a point.  A brilliant intervention from Schmeichel prevented Memphis from getting on the end of a back pass as United pressed.  In the end an eventful game finished even, edging Leicester closer to their remarkable title while United fans will surely wonder what might have been had their team showed this kind of will to win against lesser opposition this season.