On the face of it this was a pretty strange way to try and chase down a Premier League title that was technically still there to be won. A raft of changes from the weekend and a performance that smelled just a little bit of uninterest.
But for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team, this was never about winning the league.
This was a season that began with a home defeat by Crystal Palace, a setback soon followed by a 6-1 dismantling from Tottenham. From that point, the direction of travel has been largely north.