Manchester United's surprise comeback win at Crystal Palace meant the club ended November on a high and kept them in the mix for European qualification in what is an incredibly tight league table.
The Premier League currently resembles the unpredictability of the Championship, with so few points between so many teams and where almost anyone can beat anyone.
However, with six games taking place in December, as well as the Africa Cup of Nations kicking off, the league should become much clearer between now and the New Year, as may Manchester United’s realistic aspirations for the season.
Manchester United have winnable fixtures during a notoriously tricky month
According to Opta, Ruben Amorim’s side have the third easiest fixture list over the festive period behind only Manchester City and Liverpool. Four home games and two outings against basement boys Wolves play a big role in that but surely everyone is aware there is no such thing as a safe bet when it comes to modern-day Manchester United.
The team's first home game comes against West Ham on Thursday night, by which point they will know where a win will take them in the ever-changing table. That was also the case in their last Old Trafford fixture which they proceeded to lose 1-0 to an Everton side down to 10 men for more than 75 minutes. The Red Devils will also have to deal with several demons of their recent past when they face the Irons.
Not only did West Ham do the double over Manchester United last season – the first loss being the final game of Erik ten Hag’s reign – current Hammers boss Nuno Espirito Santo did too. The then-Nottingham Forest coach inflicted a first home defeat on his compatriot Amorim on a night to forget for the now-exiled Andre Onana among others.
With Lucas Paqueta suspended after his double dissent red card against Liverpool, Manchester United ought to have too much for a side that has improved under Nuno but is still among the weakest in the division. Confidence should be up after a first win at Selhurst Park in five years, and Matheus Cunha back fit after a recent head knock.
A trip to Molineux follows on Monday night, a fixture in which Cunha and Onana were standout performers, albeit for very different reasons as the Brazilian scored directly from a corner last season. The return fixture with Rob Edwards’ side closes out Manchester United's 2025 fixture list - and there is no excuse for anything but maximum points.
That Boxing Day defeat also saw a third red card of the disastrous 2024/25 season for Bruno Fernandes, and the Manchester United captain and talisman has a curious record against both Wolves and West Ham. Of the other 19 current Premier League clubs, the 31-year-old has only failed to score against the two strugglers, as well as Sunderland. One game against the Black Cats is an understandable explanation but 24 combined appearances against the established pair is a near-glitch in the system, and something he will want to correct.
Manchester United’s apparent easier fixture list continues with another Monday Night Football encounter when Bournemouth visit Old Trafford on December 15. The Cherries' early season form has waned in recent weeks, gaining just one point from five games. But this is Manchester United, who haven't beaten Andoni Iraola’s men in either of the last two seasons, losing both clashes at Old Trafford. The month they both took place? December. The scoreline on both occasions? 3-0.
Those heavy losses were part of back-to-back winters of serious discontent for the Old Trafford club, who have a miserable league record in December over the last two campaigns. In their combined 14 league games, they have won just four and lost a staggering nine. The month also saw Manchester United drop out of Europe in 2023 and the League Cup in 2024.
Undoubtedly Amorim's hardest games of the month come either side of Christmas Day as they take on supposed Champions League challengers, Aston Villa and Newcastle. Villa Park has been a happier hunting ground in recent years as it was for so long under Sir Alex Ferguson. The Magpies 2-0 win at Old Trafford just before New Year’s Eve last season, though, was one of many low points as Joshua Zirkzee was booed off, a symbol of a broken team.
The Dutchman’s first league goal since December 1 sparked the comeback win at Palace – the first of the season – and came at a welcome time for both player and club, as did Mason Mount’s winner. Both will be crucial in the coming weeks with Bryan Mbeumo and Amad heading to the Africa Cup of Nations, likely after the Bournemouth game.
Amorim will also be without Noussair Mazraoui for up to six games, adding to the woes at wing-back, but the long-awaited return of Lisandro Martinez at Selhurst Park provided a big boost as did the performance of Luke Shaw on his 300th appearance for the club. Both Benjamin Sesko and Harry Maguire remain out but neither are far away, and the complete absence of midweek European games this season gives no shield for tiredness in the squad ahead of a hectic and crucial period.
At this juncture last season, Amorim’s side sat just three points behind 6th-placed Nottingham Forest after 14 games in a bunched league table. Fast forward a month, and the gap was 15 with Forest in third and Manchester United rooted in 14th.
It ended any hopes of qualification for the Champions League, and the team's league season as a whole. This December must be different and will reveal much about both their direction under Amorim and their aspirations heading into 2026.
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