Premier League Club-By-Club Predictions: At least the only way for Manchester United is up. Yay?

After two-and-a-half seasons with Erik Ten Hag in charge, Manchester United made the decision to insert Ruben Amorim into the manager role for the remainder of 2024-25 and for 2025-26. While United still limped to a horrific finish, there is some reason to be optimistic about this season.

(Image Credit to Naomi Baker/Getty Images)

If Manchester United’s schedule had a name, it would be “More Mark Goldbridge Misery.”

Only hours before I saw the fixture list, I found myself watching the entire Man United season, but only Mark Goldbridge’s reaction. Probably the best YouTube video I’ve seen; whoever edited that might have been able to guide Manchester United to a better finish than whatever Ruben Amorim pulled off last season. 

Some more bad news for Goldbridge, they have to play “bloody Burnley” this season.

Can Manchester United recover from their worst-ever season in 2024-25, or is the worst yet to come?

What Noah says:

Jokes aside, Manchester United's first five games are as follows:

• Home to Arsenal

• Away to Fulham

• Home to Burnley 

• Away to Manchester City

• Home to Chelsea

For a side looking to build off of a fifteenth-place finish in last season’s Premier League, the fact that they could end up winning just one of the first five games isn’t the best way to start what could be the Red Devils’ biggest campaign in recent memory. That said, November and December could see United surge up the table; the only top-five side they play in that ten-game stretch is Newcastle. February and March are similar in terms of difficulty, but it is their January slate - which includes games against Manchester City and Arsenal - that could provide a landmine or two that need to be navigated. The same could be said for April and May, but their final three games are against mid-to-lower table sides. 

In terms of the transfer market, the Red Devils successfully secured the signatures of Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, and more recently Benjamin Sesko to reinforce the attack.

The season could go one of two ways for United. The Red Devils could either improve significantly and fight for Europe or, should there be a poor start, they would find themselves once again condemned to a long season and a bottom-half finish. I’m going to (slightly) lean towards the latter; while United will undoubtedly improve on what was arguably their worst season ever and make at least one Cup semifinal in the process, it is still going to take a herculean effort to get back to Europe. 

At the same time, Manchester United only play in three competitions this season: the Premier League, the EFL Cup, and the FA Cup, all tournaments they play in on an annual basis. Considering this and their summer transfer window, failure to get into a European place or even to finish in the Premier League’s top ten will make 2025-26 seem like a failed season. While the former could be achieved through a domestic cup, Manchester United will only earn tenth place.

Projected finish: 10th

What Ellie says:

Ruben Amorim has a difficult season ahead of him, which will see him try to come back from a very difficult 24/25 season where the Red Devils ended down in 15th with no trophy and no Europe. Manchester United start the season off away at the Emirates Stadium against Arteta’s side. This game will be closely matched between the two big six sides, with many eyes on the Sunday night fixture.

I think United will have a better season, learning from their mistakes from last season and implementing Matheus Cunha as their striker into the side will strengthen the Red Devils' side and will finish slightly higher than 24/25.

Projected finish: 14th

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Article written by Noah Guttman and Ellie Swain