Manchester United

Manchester Utd are the Premier League’s most successful club. They have won the Premier League a record thirteen times and the top division a totla of twenty times.

• Stadium: Old Trafford
• Stadium Capacity: 74,994
• Location: Manchester
• Founded: 1880 (as Newton Heath)
• Nickname: The Red Devils
• Manager: Jose Mourinho
• Kit: Red shirts and socks with black shorts

Manchester was formed in 1880 but was originally called Newton Heath and played in green and yellow before they were renamed Manchester Utd in 1902 and then moved to Old Trafford in 1909. United have played in the top division for most of their history and they have only played one season (1974/75) in the second division in the last eighty years. United have won more trophies than any other club in English football. Here are the highlights:

• League Champions: 20 times (a record)
• FA Cup Winners: 5 times
• League Cup Winners: 5 times
• European Cup / Champions League: 1967/68, 1998/99 & 2007/08
• European Cup Winners’ Cup: 1990/91
• FIFA Club World Cup: 2008

The Manager

Jose Mourinho is one of the most successful managers of his generation. He first became known as a manager with Porto, in his native Portugal. He won the Champions League (2004) with the Portuguese team and became famous for his celebration when his Porto team beat Manchester Utd at Old Trafford. Since then, Mourinho has won the Premier League three times with Chelsea and league titles in Spain and Italy. He has been the Manchester Utd manager since May 2016. 

Three to Watch

Here are three Manchester Utd players to keep an eye on in the Premier League this season:

Romelu Lukaku

The Belgian striker was Manchester Utd’s top scorer with 16 goals last season. Lukaku is a strong, fast target man who has already scored over 100 Premier League goals. He is also the record goalscorer for his country. He has scored over 40 goals for Belgium and helped his country to their best-ever World Cup finish (third place) at Russia 2018.

Paul Pogba

Pogba was one of the stars of the French team that won the World Cup in Russia and became the first Manchester Utd player to score in a World Cup Final. Pogba is a powerful and creative central midfielder who can also score spectacular goals. Pogba will be one of United’s most important players this season.

David De Gea

De Gea is often described as one of the world’s best goalkeepers.  The Spaniard signed for Manchester Utd from Atletico Madrid in 2011 when he was just 20 years old and has now made more than 300 appearances for the club. He won the Premier League’s Golden Glove last season and has been voted Manchester Utd’s Player of the Year three times.

Last season

Manchester Utd finished second in the Premier League last season but were a disappointing 19 points behind their city rivals. However, with a strong defence, they were very difficult to beat and only conceded 28 goals all season. They also reached the FA Cup Final but lost 1-0 to Chelsea.

Prediction 2018/19: 5th

Fans will be hoping to compete with Manchester City this season, but with few big signings this summer they may find themselves battling for a Champions League spot. United with a settled squad will need to make a strong start if they want to keep pace with the teams at the top.