Man Utd fixtures: Next six games after disappointing Crystal Palace defeat
A pretty terrible start to the season got that little bit worse this weekend as Crystal Palace secured a narrow 1-0 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford to pour more misery on Erik ten Hag’s side.
Despite this disheartening defeat, Man Utd enjoy a rather favourable run of fixtures in the month of October and at the start of November, featuring six times across the Premier League, Carabao Cup and Champions League as we head towards the hectic Christmas period.
It could prove a definitive four weeks of football for the Red Devils as they aim to make up lost ground in both competitions, with Ten Hag’s men likely favourites in the majority of their upcoming matches – five of which come on home soil.
Here is your guide to Man Utd’s next six fixtures in all competitions.
For Man Utd, this is simply a must-win game. The Red Devils lost their opening Champions League match against Bayern Munich in a dramatic seven-goal encounter in Bavaria, with upcoming opponents Galatasaray probably their biggest challengers for qualification.
It should be a battle that Man Utd win fairly comfortably, especially given the Turkish outfit drew with Copenhagen in their opener, but dropping points could prove disastrous.
Galatasaray possess a squad full to the brim with former Premier League stars with the likes of Hakim Ziyech, Davinson Sanchez and former United man Wilfried Zaha, alongside the likes of Dries Mertens and Mauro Icardi. It may not be the most youthful side in the competition, but it certainly has the quality to compete.
Man Utd endured mixed performances against Brentford last season, winning the home clash 1-0 but suffering a dismal 4-0 defeat at the Gtech Community Stadium. That shocking loss only two games into the Ten Hag era shows just how far United have come under his leadership.
Brentford have not been in sparkling form over the past few weeks, with an emphatic 3-1 home defeat to Everton their worst performance of the season to date. Man Utd will be hoping to pour more misery on Thomas Frank’s men, with Ivan Toney’s absence still proving costly for the Bees.
The last time these two sides faced one another, there were two different managers in the dugout. It was a battle between Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Chris Wilder back in January 2021, with the latter having the last laugh following a surprise 2-1 win for Sheffield United in front of an empty Old Trafford.
A humiliating 8-0 defeat to Newcastle United will still be in the back of the Sheffield United players‘ minds, with Man Utd hoping to serve them up a similar humbling. Prior to the 2021 defeat, the Blades hadn’t beaten the Red Devils since 1993.
A second successive home Champions League game offers Man Utd the opportunity to put themselves firmly in the driving seat for qualification. Rasmus Hojlund welcomes his old club Copenhagen to Old Trafford, with the Red Devils once again strong favourites for a convincing win.
Copenhagen sit atop the Danish Superliga having won seven of their opening ten league matches, but a trip to Manchester should prove too difficult for Jacob Neestrup’s side.
A repeat of last season’s FA Cup final, the first Manchester derby of the new campaign comes in Man Utd’s final game of October. Ten Hag will be hoping for a better result than at Wembley, perhaps one more similar to the home Premier League clash between the sides that the Red Devils won 2-1 last term.
In all honesty, United fans will likely not be too optimistic heading into the derby with Manchester City, especially given recent performances. However, as the old saying goes, form goes out of the window on such occasions.
Both clubs will be hoping that their injury lists have eased up by the time this game comes around, with Ten Hag needing some speedy defensive recoveries in particular to cope with the likes of Erling Haaland and Julian Alvarez.
Now for a repeat of the Carabao Cup final, Man Utd play host to Newcastle United in the competition’s round of 16 this season. The Red Devils won last year’s final 2-0 to claim their first trophy since 2017, but the Magpies will be looking for revenge.
Newcastle dumped Man City out of the third round with an impressive display as they begin to find their feet after a slow start to the season, and they will have no qualms travelling to Old Trafford in November.
Eddie Howe’s side won the last meeting between the sides 2-0 in a comfortable encounter at St James‘ Park back in April.
|
Date / Kick-off Time (UK) |
Fixture |
|---|---|
|
03/10/23 – 20:00 |
Man Utd vs Galatasaray |
|
07/10/23 – 15:00 |
Man Utd vs Brentford |
|
21/10/23 – 20:00 |
Sheffield United vs Man Utd |
|
24/10/23 – 20:00 |
Man Utd vs Copenhagen |
|
29/10/23 – 15:30 |
Man Utd vs Man City |
|
01/10/23 – 20:15 |
Man Utd vs Newcastle |