It's fair to say that August was quite a mixed month for Manchester United. What started with so much hope quickly turned to anger and annoyance. With Erik ten Hag's side losing their first two matches of the Premier League season — at home to Brighton on the opening day and away at Brentford the week after — it was far from an ideal start for the Dutchman.
The defeat to Brighton was bad, but the thrashing United endured against Thomas Frank's side was catastrophic. Anger towards the Glazers intensified, and questions remained as to why United had not recruited a midfielder and an attacker — when it was clear that both were desperately needed.
As the club's fans continued to protest against the owners, United announced the signing of Real Madrid midfielder Casemiro, who arrived at Old Trafford as a five-time Champions League winner. The deal to sign the Brazilian was announced just before the Liverpool game — and it's at that point where United truly kickstarted their campaign.
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Ten Hag's men were incredibly impressive against Jurgen Klopp's side, and were deserving of their 2-1 victory. The attacking trio of Marcus Rashford, Anthony Elanga and Jadon Sancho all performed well against the Merseyside outfit — and all warranted their starting place against Southampton in the next game.
While it was far from a vintage performance at Saint Mary's Stadium, United got the job done. Bruno Fernandes grabbed the only goal of the game and this time, it was United's defenders that received most of the praise, with Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez forming a strong relationship at centre-back, while Diogo Dalot and Tyrell Malacia played well at full-back.
Against Leicester, in the club's first game in September, it was another case of getting the job done. The performance was marginally better than in the win over the Saints, but it still wasn't convincing — not that makes a different on the scoresheet.
Now, as Ten Hag's men prepare to play five times in 15 days before the end of the month, United have a chance to build on their recent results, while they can also integrate Casemiro and latest signing Antony, who finally arrived at Old Trafford from Ajax on deadline day.
United face off against Arsenal today (Sunday), hoping to make it four wins on the bounce. Last season, United won and lost against the Gunners — winning 3-2 at home, but losing 3-1 at the Emirates. This season, Mikel Arteta's side arrive at Old Trafford as the most in-form team in the division, having won all of their opening five matches.
It will, undeniably, be a test for Ten Hag's side, and will go a long way in showing whether or not they have recovered from the events of early August.
The game against the Gunners is followed by United's first Europa League game of the season against Real Sociedad, and is quickly followed by a Premier League clash with Crystal Palace. United, who reached the final in the 2020/21 season, ultimately losing to Villarreal on penalties, will be desperate to taste European success this campaign, and they have the perfect opportunity to begin their quest with a win.
Following their visit to Selhurst Park on September 11, United clash with FC Sheriff Tiraspol — who became everyone's second favourite Champions League team last season. While United obviously cannot confirm progress to the knockout stages of the competition after two matches, they can certainly put themselves in a great position to do so.
United's last game of September comes at home to Leeds, in what promises to be a scintillating game of football. By that point, Ten Hag's men could have won five Premier League matches in a row, and secured maximum points from their opening two Europa League matches.
It's possible, but certainly not expected.
With so many games in such a short space of time, Ten Hag will be forced to make changes to his team. While it would be ideal to stick with a winning team, it will simply not be possible, or sensible. Casemiro is expected to make his first start in a red shirt against Arsenal, and there is a chance that supporters could see Antony for the first time in the flesh.
Even if Antony and Casemiro don't start against the Gunners, they will still have plenty of opportunities to do so this month.
The congested fixture schedule also provides Cristiano Ronaldo — who failed in his attempts to leave the club in the summer — with an opportunity to get some minutes, maybe even from the start.
It will be interesting to see what approach Ten Hag takes against Sociedad in the Europa League; will he use it as a game to rest certain players? Maybe, but he will be desperate to start with a win.
In many ways, it feels like September could prove to be a pivotal month in United's season, even so early on in the campaign. With five matches to come this month, there is potential for United to find a real purple patch come the end of it. Yet, there is also the possibility that, even after three impressive wins, United could slip back into some of their old habits.
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