Ahead of the official Premier League fixture list release on Thursday (June 16th), there has been a ‘leaked’ list published online as reported by The Sun
If true, Manchester United’s opening fixtures do look rather kind on paper.
United are only due to play one of the ‘big six’ in their opening eight games – Antonio Conte’s Tottenham.
According to the report, United kick off with a tricky trip to Molineux; a fixture which hasn’t produced the most enthralling of encounters since Wolves’ return to the Premier League.
Erik ten Hag’s first Premier League game at Old Trafford will see a rejuvenated Newcastle visit the Theatre of Dreams
Wolves (A), Newcastle (H), Brighton (A), Leicester (H), Spurs (A), Southampton (A), Nottingham Forest (H) and West Ham (A), make up up the first eight fixtures, respectively.
If these fixtures are confirmed, they surely represent a great opportunity for Erik ten Hag’s tenure to get off to a great start.
They also give United a chance to quickly right a few wrongs from last season.
Heavy league defeats to Leicester and Brighton were low points in a woeful campaign last time out.
Even though United managed a league double over West Ham, United’s League Cup exit came at the hands of the Hammers.
Five of these first eight fixtures mirror five of the first eight teams United played at the start of the last campaign (So’ton, Wolves, Newcastle, West Ham, Leicester). United picked up ten points from a possible fifteen in those games.
We await the confirmed listings from the Premier League later in the week, but whomever United face in the early weeks, Erik ten Hag will be desperate to start his maiden season at the club with a bang.