The highly-anticipated Premier League fixture schedule will be revealed on Tuesday, 18 June, with eager Manchester United supporters gnawing at the bit.
The day is usually pencilled early to plan excursions and prepare bragging rights ahead of the anticipated opener and the beloved Christmas festival.
The Reds start the campaign strong historically – having only lost two out of the last nine opening-day fixtures.
Erik ten Hag returns to Carrington on Monday, where he will begin preparations for the upcoming season after long-awaited confirmation that he will be in the dugout for the FA Cup champions.
Manchester United’s opening day record
Since the Premier League era began in 1992, the club has played 32 opening-day fixtures.
The Old Trafford outfit has won 21, drawn four and lost seven – the most recent being a 1-0 home victory against Wolves.
The last opening-day defeat came a year prior when United fell short to Brighton – losing 2-1 in Ten Hag’s first competitive game.
Following that defeat, his side travelled to Brentford and lost 4-0 – with the glaring issues there for all to see.
Both defeats were the only two out of the first six games – including early victories over Liverpool and Arsenal.
That was the polar opposite of the campaign just gone, where Ten Hag’s side only acquired two wins out of the opening six.
Bayern Munich and Arsenal dished out painful defeats, although VAR played a crucial role in both.
Other opening-day defeats incurred in 2020 – a 3-1 home defeat against Crystal Palace, in 2014 – falling to a surprising 2-1 loss against Swansea City, and in 2012 – a 1-0 away loss against Everton.
That said, the 20-time champions have held a 65% opening-day win ratio since the dawn of the competition.
Who do we want on the opening day?
Day one is critical regarding early momentum, with 20 clubs aiming to get off on the right foot.
Despite the fixtures created independently, it may be safe to assume that there will not be a Manchester Derby to look forward to in mid-August or a trip down the M1 to face Liverpool and their new manager, Arne Slot.
A win over a ‘big six’ rival would reinstall the confidence of the fans and players at the Theatre of Dreams, whereas a defeat may set the club back in some ways.
The mood will be high as we prepare for the 2024/25 campaign following the FA Cup final success in May – a 13th title for the Reds.
Newcastle United and Everton are the club’s most frequent opponents on the opening day (three meetings each).
Whoever our Dutchman and his team will begin against, it can be assured a good start is a necessity after the recent news confirming his stay for potentially three more years.
The media and rival fans will have the knives out as soon as points are dropped, but the most important thing is that Ineos continues to believe in the project.
Before the opener, United embraces a trip to Scandinavia before a pre-season tour of America.
The season begins the week before the domestic opener as United take on Manchester City in the FA Community Shield on 10 August.
Who would you like the boys to walk out against on the opening day of the Premier League season? Let us know in the comments below.
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