Manchester United Record Worst League Start Since 1986 Following Tottenham Draw

Manchester United have earned only six points from their first six matches following a recent draw against 10-man Tottenham.

Manchester United have recorded their worst start to a league season since 1986, earning only six points from their opening six matches. The club currently sits in 13th place in the Premier League following a draw against a 10-man Tottenham side. Despite this standing, United lead the league in total shots attempted with 125—seventeen more than any other team—and have conceded 65 shots, the third-fewest in the division behind Arsenal and Bournemouth.

Statistical analysis from ESPN indicates United hold the league's sixth-best expected goal (xG) differential, driven by the fifth-most xG created and seventh-fewest xG conceded. The team has maintained 64% of final-third touches, the highest mark in the league, and 62.4% of penalty-area touches, trailing only Manchester City. However, Gradient Sports reports that United also lead the league in the percentage of shots taken when a better passing option was available.

Financial data shows Manchester United fell to eighth in global annual revenue in the most recent accounting year, having previously never ranked lower than fourth between 1996 and 2020. The club currently operates with the fourth-highest wage bill and the fifth-most valuable squad in the Premier League according to Transfermarkt. Head coach Michael Carrick, who led the team to a fifth-best xG differential over his first 17 matches last season, now prepares the squad for a trip to Spain to face Atletico Madrid.