Manchester United entertain Watford at Old Trafford this afternoon (3pm kick-off) looking to record a 13th Premier League win of the campaign.

Jose Mourinho’s men got the better of champions Leicester 3-0 last weekend to keep the pressure on the top four, and with both Arsenal and Liverpool losing, United are now closer than they’ve been in a long time to the Champions League qualification spots.

The Red Devils are just two points behind Arsene Wenger’s Gunners in fourth after they lost 3-1 at league leaders Chelsea last time out, while Liverpool slipped to fifth after losing 2-0 at Hull.

Thus, United know that a win over Walter Mazzarri’s Watford may be enough to send them into the top four, although it won’t be easy against the Hornets, given that they haven’t lost in the league since January 3.

Since then, Mazzarri’s men have won two and drawn the other two of their four Premier League matches, and they go to Old Trafford having beaten Arsenal 2-1 in their last away outing.

Clearly, it’s not going to be easy for Mourinho’s men, but they will be favourites to secure all three points this afternoon, and so here are THREE reasons why they’ll get the victory at Old Trafford today…

Embarking on excellent run

Manchester United are currently embarking on the longest unbeaten run of any side in the Premier League, having not lost any of their last 15 matches.

Mourinho’s men last suffered defeat back in October when they went down 4-0 at league leaders Chelsea, but since then they have won eight and drawn seven of their 15 league games, as well as progressed to the League Cup final, got out of their Europa League group, and reached round five of the FA Cup.

Their 2-1 defeat to Hull in the second leg of their League Cup semi-final is their only defeat of 2017 in any competition, and their 3-0 success over Leicester last weekend suggests that they are back in the groove ahead of the second half of the season.

Front players hitting form

Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Juan Mata, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic all scored against Leicester as United are starting to rely less on the goals of the latter.

The Swedish striker has netted 15 Premier League goals this term, and 20 in all competitions, with Spaniard Mata their second highest goal-scorer with eight.

However, that goal for Armenian captain Mkhitaryan was his second of 2017, and he has also laid on two assists since the turn of the year.

It’s a similar story for Mata, although his strike was his third of 2017, and he also got an assist back in the FA Cup victory over Reading at the start of January.

Thus, the front players are beginning to chip in with more goals now, reducing the expectation on Ibrahimovic somewhat, and that will give Watford much more to think about at Old Trafford this afternoon.

Cannot afford to drop more points

United have won just five of their 12 home Premier League games this season, with six draws the chief reason for their fading title challenge.

Mourinho’s men have failed to get past Stoke, Burnley, Arsenal, West Ham, Liverpool, and most recently Hull at Old Trafford this term and, although they have only lost once there, these six games would have felt like defeats as they easily could have won them all.

Nonetheless, they haven’t, and that’s why they are sixth in the table and chasing the top four, but they cannot afford to drop more points at home to a so-called lesser side.

You sense that it’s just a matter of time before Liverpool start winning again, and with Arsenal and Manchester City both facing winnable games this weekend, Mourinho’s side simply have to beat Watford this afternoon.