Whisper it gently, but Old Trafford is slowly but steadily reverting to its reputation as one of the toughest Premier League venues to attend.
Manchester United began 2023 with a bang, defeating Bournemouth 3-0 in M16 to extend their league winning streak to four games. Erik ten Hag’s team cruised to victory, with three goals from Casemiro, Luke Shaw, and Marcus Rashford, increasing their grip on a top-four spot.
The Red Devils are currently three points ahead of fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur and four points behind second-placed Manchester City, who faced Chelsea on Thursday evening. United’s fast progress under Ten Hag this season has been founded on a considerably improved defensive record as well as the fact that they no longer suffer from stage fright at Old Trafford.
The triumph over Bournemouth was not only United’s seventh consecutive home victory, but also their tenth in 13 home games in all competitions this season, putting them only three wins away from matching last season’s total of 13 victories on their own turf. The Red Devils have won all three M16 matches since the season began a fortnight ago following the World Cup, scoring eight goals and allowing none.
While they were always odds-on to beat Burnley, Nottingham Forest, and Bournemouth, there have been far too many instances in the past where they have gone unstuck and, at times, been embarrassed by opponents they were supposed to easily defeat.
Although David de Gea was responsible for United’s fourth consecutive clean sheet in all competitions against the Cherries, United dominated the game from the start, controlling the pattern of play and taking the game to the relegation-threatened Cherries. It was the same tale versus Forest a week before, in that they dominated proceedings. Last season, United were defeated on their own turf by Aston Villa and Wolves, forced to settle for a point by Everton and Southampton, and barely squeezed past Crystal Palace and Norwich City by the odd goal.
This season, though, United has a whole different vibe when they go onto the legendary Old Trafford grass, to the point where you expect them to win every time. It is perhaps the first time since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013 that United has made winning at home a habit. They no longer cater to the requirements of the weaker opponents, refusing to go after them aggressively. Under Ten Hag, they are a different kettle of fish.
Arsenal, Liverpool, and Tottenham Hotspur have all been defeated in M16 this season, demonstrating their capacity to put the best to the test. Brighton & Hove Albion and Real Sociedad, the only two clubs to leave Old Trafford with a win this season, should be proud, given how Ten Hag has transformed the Theatre of Dreams back into a fortress.
This season, United has not only won on their home turf, but they have also kept clean sheets. They have maintained eight clean sheets in 13 games at Old Trafford, conceding only seven goals in total. The last time United surrendered at home in the Premier League was on September 4 – a run of five games that included victories against Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United, Nottingham Forest, and Bournemouth.
After what transpired last season and in prior years, you would never have guessed that United was capable of such a feat. Former Reds managers Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and Ralf Rangnick all had dismal home results in the post-Ferguson era, losing to a selection of clubs that United would have expected to sail through with relative ease.
Ten Hag has altered United’s style of play to control matches and force themselves on the opponents, with the exception of the opening day defeat to Brighton. They are now responsible for their own house. Despite winning their past two home games by an aggregate score of six goals to nil, they are still lacking in offense, as seen by the lost opportunities against Bournemouth. Nonetheless, they are once again a force to be reckoned with on their home turf.
These are the first three of Ten Hag’s team’s four consecutive home games in 11 days, which concludes with the Manchester derby. United has only won one of the previous seven home derbies, and since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement, they have only won three of 12 home games versus City, losing seven. They also lost Ferguson’s last two Old Trafford derbies, including the 6-1 loss, so it wasn’t always flawless.
Winning all four of those games would have seemed like a tough order for United before Ten Hag took over, but they’re flowing again and starting to turn Old Trafford into a fortress, with the fans responding and playing their role.
Gray believes, Mikel Arteta’s team will have a ‘sticky spell‘ at some time this season, despite winning 14 of their 17 Premier League games, and believes United should not be written out.
Newcastle United, led by Eddie Howe, pose the most serious danger to the traditional Big Six due to the enormous wealth of their Saudi Arabia-backed owners. If Newcastle is as astute and aggressive in terms of player recruiting as City has been in recent years, they might go on to dominate in the future. We’re still a long way from Newcastle being a championship contender, but they’ve done well so far this season (fourth place) and will be able to speed their ambitions by adding stronger players if they qualify for Europe.
Liverpool, Manchester United, and Arsenal have all had great success, but also seasons of despair, while City and Chelsea were nothing more than also-rans (City spent a season in the third tier in 1998-99) before being bought out by billionaires who transformed their fortunes and the makeup of the Premier League. Tottenham are still waiting for years of promise to be fulfilled, while Newcastle’s aspirations of reliving their exhilarating times under Kevin Keegan in the mid-1990s seemed a faraway dream until the Saudi takeover a year ago.
For the first time, though, the stars are aligning for all of the elite teams to be competing at the same time. City’s domination may continue this season, but the 2022-23 season seems like a new era that will determine what occurs and who wins for the following ten years.
To conclude on what United has achieved so far in this blistering season, there is no doubt about it that United cannot stand the heated pressure in the league. Arsenal, Spurs and Liverpool were all crushed under this beautifully orchestrated squad by Erik Ten Hag. More important games lay ahead, especially the Derby and against the league leaders-Arsenal. Points against these two giants will guarantee United a top-four spot and who knows that these results might even help in lifting the trophy at the end of the season.
