Manchester United secured another positive result against Brighton at the weekend, with a promising 4-2 victory at Old Trafford.
It was a first home win over the Seagulls since February 2022, following impressive triumphs over arch-rivals Liverpool at Anfield and at home to Sunderland at the beginning of October.
This mini-run has seen United grow in confidence with each passing outing, and it must surely put Ruben Amorim in contention for manager of the month.
Crucially, promise is building, and a sense of possibility is spreading throughout the fanbase.
Free midweeks are proving beneficial for this Manchester United squad
With European football well underway in the 2025-26 campaign, most top sides in England are having to contend with playing twice weekly, as well as logistical issues when travelling away from home every other match week.
Unfortunately, United have no such worries without continental expeditions for the first time in nine seasons.
That said, we may now be starting to see the full benefits of having free midweeks, with the North West giants allowed to work without distraction at their Carrington base.
Amorim has previously spoken about the training-ground value of playing only once a week, and his side has looked much improved in their recent victories.
Furthermore, the 40-year-old has made some tweaks, playing a little more directly at times and really utilising the strengths of his players, which in turn has silenced any lingering doubts about his system.
A settled side is starting to bear fruit
One thing we’ve noticed throughout this month is that Amorim is starting to settle on his best XI, one that appears well-equipped to challenge for the European spots.
Senne Lammens has come in and made the number 1 spot his own with three fine performances, whilst the left-footed duo of Amad and Bryan Mbeumo have begun to really gel down the right flank.
In midfield, Bruno Fernandes – who made his 300th appearance at the weekend – regularly partners veteran teammate Casemiro, and both appear to be benefiting from each other’s experience.
Matheus Cunha, who opened his goalscoring account on Saturday with a lovely finish, has begun to have more of an influence on proceedings, with Benjamin Sesko starting to settle in as the team’s focal point.
In defence, Matthijs de Ligt has been a rock, usually flanked by two of Luke Shaw and Harry Maguire or Leny Yoro.
While Mason Mount, Diogo Dalot, Patrick Dorgu, Manuel Ugarte and Kobbie Mainoo have all played their part in United’s recent good spell, too.
It’s hardly coincidental that we are witnessing an upsurge in performances and results with a blend of continuity surfacing.
Winning will breed confidence
It may be a cliché, but no doubt winning becomes a habit, and of course, it is a really good one to get into.
Many of the current group of players who predate Amorim’s time at the club will be scarred by past inconsistencies; however, Ineos appear to have bought well during the summer, and the recruits are breathing fresh impetus into the side.
While there have been some performances that were more than subpar —i.e., Grimsby, Manchester City, and Brentford —the 20-time English champions have generally performed quite well in most of their remaining fixtures.
They were unlucky to lose to Arsenal on the opening day, and fine margins, such as Fernandes’ penalty miss at Fulham, have prevented them from collecting more points at this stage of the season.
Now, this group has won three consecutive fixtures for the first time under their Iberian leader, surely acting as a springboard to truly kick on to bigger and better things in the coming weeks and months.
Remember, the Reds have already played four of the traditional top six sides—Arsenal, Chelsea, City and Liverpool —so they should face a more favourable run of games, on paper at least.
Let’s hope we witness this group drive on, get even more wins on the board, and dispel any lingering question marks surrounding the Lisbon natives’ job once and for all.
We have seen something resembling a genuine play style and game plan in the last few outings. Long may it continue!
What have you made of Manchester United’s recent positive form? Let us know in the comments or across our social channels.
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