Manchester United: Season defining games (Part 1)
By Jake Knox
With only 3 games gone, Manchester United are the only team with a 100% start to the Premiership Season. 35 games remain and we take a look at arguably the most pivotal from the next 2 months.
17/09/2017 – Everton (h)
The focus of Everton’s trip to Old Trafford will understandably be the return of Wayne Rooney. Manchester United fans will welcome back the former skipper with open arms so he can be assured of a great reception.
Given the start to the season he’s had (2 goals in 3 games), they’ll be hoping he has an off day and rightly so.
Rooney won’t be the only former United player returning to Old Trafford with Everton having signed defender Keane and midfielder Schneiderlin.
Everton are widely tipped to challenge for a top 4 place this season. Despite losing star striker Romelu Lukaku to United in the summer. This said the team who spent £118.08m (before Add ons) this summer currently sit in 12th Place.
Last season’s visit saw United needing a last-gasp penalty from Zlatan Ibrahimovic to rescue a point.
United will be confident of getting all 3 points given their start to the season which would be an improvement on the time the two teams previously met at Old Trafford.
14/10/2017 – Liverpool (a)
One of the first fixtures every full blooded United fan looks for once the fixtures are released.
The rivalry between the two clubs is widely considered to be the biggest in the country. United have won 3 of the last 5 visits to Anfield. However, their last trip ended in a rather dull 0-0.
It’s fair to say that along with Chelsea, Liverpool overachieved last season mainly due to not having any European commitments.
Many pundits are not expecting them to repeat this feat this season with their squad size.
They have since added Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain for £35m from Arsenal.
Manchester United fans will be optimistic about this year’s trip too, given the noticeable differences between the quality of the two squads.
However, with Salah and Mane, the United defenders are going to have to be at the top of their game.
28/10/2017 – Tottenham Hotspur (h)
Tottenham have been steadily improving over the last few seasons. They are no longer an almost guaranteed 3 points. The core attacking trio of Kane, Ali and Eriksen will prove a stern test for United.
The addition of Matic in the holding midfield role was a master stroke by Mourinho and he will need to be in top form to keep both Ali and Eriksen under wraps.
Last season the teams shared the spoils both winning at home. 1-0 at Old Trafford and 2-1 at WHL.
As WHL is currently under development, Tottenham will have greater emphasis on picking up points on the road. Especially considering their poor record at Wembley- P11 W2 D2 L7.
Of course, every game is important. Some would argue that it’s actually the games against lower opposition that are more important.
Certainly, this is where United fell short last season with draws against Burnley, Stoke and Hull City.
However, a win against a team such as Chelsea or Manchester City can be worth so much more than the 3 points.
Next: Juan Mata: Manchester United season is a marathon
It’s these games that help improve confidence, get the supporters going again and generally make life around the club even better. 9 points from the above games would go a long way to ensuring that the Premiership crown makes it way back to Old Trafford.