Manchester United fixtures: Will Ten Hag stretch his record against Liverpool’s Arne Slot? | OneFootball

After much speculation, Erik ten Hag can look forward to a third season in charge of Manchester United.

For a while, it seemed that Ten Hag and the Red Devils would part ways after two years together.

Even when appointed as head coach, the former Ajax manager had no illusions about the job and stressed that restoring the club’s former glories would be gradual.

Since legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson stepped down in 2013, the record English champions have gone through four permanent head coaches before appointing Ten Hag ahead of their 2022/23 campaign.

A debut season at Old Trafford resulted in a third-place finish in England’s top division, winning the League Cup and reaching the FA Cup final.

However, the 2023/24 season proved to be a historic low for the record 20-time English champions, ending with a negative goal difference (57 scored, 58 conceded), which they last managed in 1989-90 (-1 in both cases).

Furthermore, Man Utd slumped to its worst-ever Premier League finish in eighth place. It marked their worst performance since coming 13th under Alex Ferguson in 1990.

But after following up on last season’s EFL Cup success by winning the 2024 FA Cup final at Manchester City’s expense, subsequently becoming the first United manager since Sir Alex Ferguson to win trophies in successive seasons, there was increasing support for him to be given a reprieve, and it seemed the powers that be agreed.

“The club management came to me while I was on holiday in Ibiza,” he told Dutch TV channel NOS. “They suddenly showed up on my doorstep and told me they wanted to continue with me.”

Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who became a minority shareholder in the club and took control of sporting operations, is thought to have spoken to former Bayern Munich manager Thomas Tuchel, but Manchester United eventually opted to retain Ten Hag.

“Manchester United have told me that they spoke with Tuchel, but they eventually came to the conclusion that they already have the best manager,” he added.

“Ineos took their time. They are new in football, it’s normal to reflect on the season. It’s no secret that they talked with multiple candidates.”

With another campaign guaranteed, although it could always be short-lived if results are poor to begin with, Ten Hag can begin plotting United’s upward trajectory after the 2024/25 Premier League fixture list has been revealed. As always, there are certain fixtures supporters will look out for, and we’ve also looked at them.

When do Manchester United first play Liverpool?

If there is one fixture in English football comparable to Barcelona v Real Madrid and Celtic v Rangers, it’s Liverpool v Man Utd, and we don’t have to wait long before the Premier League’s most decorated clubs (in terms of silverware won across various competitions) lock horns. That first showdown will come on matchday three at Old Trafford, reminiscent of Ten Hag’s first season in charge when he faced Jurgen Klopp’s men on the third gameweek. He will be hoping for a similar result as United ran out 2-1 winners that day; however, they came into that game having suffered back-to-back losses against Brighton and Brentford, the former at home.

However, there will be one difference this time, as Klopp will no longer be in the opposite dugout. He’s since been replaced by a familiar face to Ten Hag in the guise of former Feyenoord head coach Arne Slot, and these two have clashed on four previous occasions, with both sharing two wins apiece, albeit Ten Hag won the two most recent showdowns. Slot himself will be looking to make an immediate statement victory at the home of Liverpool’s most bitter rival.

When Man United face their big-six rivals:

Liverpool will be the first of the big-six rivals that Man Utd will face, and three games later before September ends, they will host Tottenham, whom they could not beat last season. A visit to Chelsea will come at the start of November, and one month later, United will be back in London to face Arsenal, who completed a rare double over United in the 2023/24 campaign. The first Manchester derby will occur at the Etihad Stadium a week or so before Christmas, with the reverse fixtures starting with a trip to Anfield in the new year.

Manchester United’s full Premier League fixture list for 2024/25:

One thing Manchester United will be doing a lot to start the 2024/25 season is travelling, with three of their opening five games coming away from home. Erik ten Hag’s men will kick off the season against Fulham at Old Trafford on the third Friday of August before subsequent trips to Brighton, newly promoted Southampton, and Crystal Palace, where they were humbled by Oliver Glasner’s side last time out.