As Manchester United gear up to clash with Sheffield United at Bramall Lane this Saturday, they’re undoubtedly buoyed by their thrilling victory over Brentford at Old Trafford before the international hiatus. It was substitute Scott McTominay’s double in injury time that handed the Red Devils a pivotal 2-1 win.
However, despite that morale-boosting triumph which managed to dispel some gloom from M16, United’s form this season remains a point of contention. With a tally of five wins and six losses from their first 11 matches across competitions, there’s plenty to ponder.
Manager Erik ten Hag is pinning his hopes on McTominay’s game-changing performance against Brentford to ignite a spark in the squad. With their impending match against Sheffield United, all eyes will be on Manchester United, as they are anticipated to dominate and secure the win. Falling short might amplify the scrutiny on Ten Hag and his squad.
A potential silver lining for the Red Devils is their remarkable track record against teams that recently graduated from the Championship. They’ve not only bested such sides in their past nine league outings, but have also triumphed in the last six encounters away from Old Trafford.
For some added context, the only time Manchester United bettered their current streak of away victories against freshly promoted teams was during a seven-match sequence under the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson from November 2006 to May 2009. A memorable 2-1 victory against Sheffield United, driven by a Wayne Rooney double, initiated that streak. No doubt, Ten Hag would be looking forward to matching Sir Alex’s record.
The culmination was marked by a 1-0 win over Hull City during the 2008/09 season’s finale, thanks to Darron Gibson’s crucial strike. However, the streak was snapped with a 1-0 loss to Burnley at Turf Moor during the 2009/10 campaign’s early days.
Looking at their current impressive six win streak, it’s peppered with wins over Norwich City (1-0), Brentford (3-1), Fulham (2-1), Nottingham Forest (2-0), Bournemouth (1-0), and the latest being a 1-0 victory over Burnley.
