Jose Mourinho has conceded that Manchester United's only route into next season's Champions League is to go all the way in the Europa League.
The Red Devils saw their 25-match unbeaten league run come to an end on Sunday afternoon when falling 2-0 to Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.
Defeat for United, their first since losing at Stamford Bridge last October, leaves them four points adrift of the top four with just three games left to play.
Mourinho made eight changes for the trip to face rivals Arsenal, admitting that the Europa League is now United's only real hope of qualifying for UEFA's showpiece competition in 2017-18.
"Yeah, all [focus] on the Europa League but today we tried to play for a result," he told Sky Sports News. "You can tell me you didn't play with the best team, the players who are first choice at the moment, but you cannot say we didn't try to win the game.
"That is what we're going to try to do in the remaining three matches in the Premier League but, obviously, everything for next Thursday."
United hold a 1-0 lead over Celta Vigo heading into Thursday's semi-final second leg at Old Trafford.
Daniel Lewis
