Manchester United need to respond to the 2024-25 disaster in a big way with the 2025-26 season on the horizon.
Ruben Amorim will know that a fresh slate awaits him for the 2025-26 campaign, however, this means that results are set to start mattering after all of the leeway he was given last season.
Having arrived to a battered and bruised Manchester United which had been driven into the ground by Erik ten Hag, there were few judgements made on Amorim last season. However, this only ups the pressure set to be placed onto him should United have a bad start to next season.
United’s Premier League fixture list has been confirmed and things start off in difficult fashion, with an opening day clash against Arsenal. Such a blockbuster clash right out of the gate offers United the chance to send a message.
Matheus Cunha will be looking for a first win against Arsenal and could make himself an instant hero with a big momentum building performance. However the tough start doesn’t stop there.
Manchester United’s first five games ranked as the toughest of anyone in the Premier League
United’s first five games of the Premier League season includes clashes with three of the top five from last season. Despite this, pre-season confidence sees a belief that the Red Devils can enjoy a strong run in the opening month.
The chances of this happening however admittedly do look slim, with Opta Analyst revealing that United’s first five games of the season are ranked as the toughest average in the league.
Premier League 2025-26 first five fixtures difficulty
| Team | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 | Game 4 | Game 5 | Opponent Avg. Rating |
| Man Utd | ARS (H) [99.5] | FUL (A) [90.4] | BUR (H) [89] | MCI (A) [98.1] | CHE (H) [96.1] | 94.6 |
| Arsenal | MUN (A) | LEE (H) | LIV (A) | NFO (H) | MCI (H) | 94.0 |
| Bournemouth | LIV (A) | WHU (H) | TOT (A) | BHA (H) | NEW (H) | 93.7 |
| Everton | LEE (A) | BHA (H) | WOL (A) | AVL (H) | NFO (A) | 93.4 |
| Liverpool | BOU (H) | NEW (A) | ARS (H) | BUR (A) | EVE (H) | 93.3 |
| Wolverhampton | MCI (H) | BOU (A) | EVE (H) | NEW (A) | LEE (H) | 93.1 |
| Newcastle | AVL (A) | LIV (H) | LEE (A) | WOL (H) | BOU (A) | 93.1 |
| Leeds United | EVE (H) | ARS (A) | NEW (H) | SUN (A) | WOL (A) | 93.0 |
| Nott’m Forest | BRE (H) | CRY (A) | WHU (H) | ARS (A) | EVE (H) | 92.7 |
| Man City | WOL (A) | TOT (H) | BHA (A) | MUN (H) | ARS (A) | 92.7 |
| Brighton | FUL (H) | EVE (A) | MCI (H) | BOU (A) | TOT (H) | 92.4 |
| Spurs | BUR (H) | MCI (A) | AVL (H) | BHA (A) | WHU (A) | 92.4 |
| Fulham | BHA (A) | MUN (H) | CHE (A) | LIV (H) | BRE (H) | 92.3 |
| Sunderland | WHU (A) | BUR (H) | TOT (A) | LEE (H) | AVL (H) | 91.9 |
| Chelsea | CRY (H) | TOT (A) | FUL (H) | MUN (A) | LIV (A) | 91.6 |
| Brentford | NFO (A) | MUN (H) | SUN (A) | BHA (H) | FUL (A) | 91.2 |
| Burnley | TOT (A) | SUN (H) | MUN (A) | LIV (H) | NFO (A) | 91.0 |
| West Ham | SUN (H) | CHE (H) | TOT (A) | NEW (A) | AVL (A) | 91.0 |
| Crystal Palace | CHE (A) | NFO (H) | AVL (A) | SUN (H) | WOL (A) | 90.9 |
| Aston Villa | NEW (H) | BRE (A) | CRY (H) | EVE (A) | WHU (H) | 90.9 |
So not only will Amorim have the weight of expectation on his shoulders, but also has the toughest run in his first five games of any other manager with only Arsenal joining United in the 94s.
That being said, United doing it the hard way is within the club’s history and in many ways, getting these games out of the way could actually be beneficial.
First five games are make or break for Ruben Amorim
While he would have wanted an easier start than the league’s hardest, Amorim will have smiled at the fixture list presented to him.
At Old Trafford in May, Amorim told United fans the good days are coming, and if the 2025-26 season starts well, fans and players will be believers.
Amorim will be able to build some immediate momentum with a healthy points tally after five games and avoiding defeats.
If United are on 10 or more points by the time game week six rolls around, then it will signify that Amorim has United ticking and on track for a top six finish at the very least which is the expected target for next season.
So it will be make or break for United and Amorim because the other side is that the club struggle and the head coach is then left with an impossible challenge.
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