Manchester United's fixtures for the 2022/23 Premier League season were released on Thursday, with Erik ten Hag's side set to face Brighton, Brentford and Liverpool in their first three games of the season.
A poor end to the last campaign saw United finish in sixth place, earning themselves a spot in the Europa League for next season. But, with Ten Hag now in charge and the summer transfer window open, United fans will be hoping for a big improvement next time around.
United have a tough start to the season on paper, with meetings with Liverpool and Arsenal in their opening six matches. We simulated their full fixture list to see where they could end up in the table.
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Man United's 2022/23 Premier League fixtures simulated
To complete this simulation, we used Football Manager 2022 and updated the game with the latest teams, transfers, and most importantly, the updated fixtures for the 2022/23 season. Let's see how United faired in some of their games next season.
Opening game: United 0-1 Brighton (Saturday, August 7, 2022)
United were poor in their first game of the season, losing at home in Ten Hag's Premier League opener. A late goal from Solly March confirmed the win for Brighton, showing there was still much work to do this season for United to be challenging at the top.
Biggest win: United 4-1 Nottingham Forest (Monday, December 26, 2022)
United's biggest win of the season came in the home clash against newly promoted Nottingham Forest, winning 4-1 at Old Trafford. Two goals from Bruno Fernandes and goals from Donny van de Beek and Anthony Elanga handed United the three points.
United never scored more than four goals in the Premier League, with the win over Forest being the only time it happened in the simulation. United scored three goals in one game on four different occasions.
Biggest shock: United 1-3 Leicester City (Saturday, February 18, 2023)
United managed to avoid any majorly embarrassing defeats in the simulated season, meaning no 5-0 pummelling by one of your biggest rivals. The biggest defeat in Ten Hag's first year as United boss was a 3-1 loss to Leicester City, coming during United's best winning streak of the season.
Ronaldo cancelled out Harvey Barnes' first-half opener early in the second half, but goals from Dennis Praet and Patson Daka handed the Foxes a 3-1 win. Only twice did United concede thee goals, the second time in a 3-2 loss to Leeds United.
Derby days: United vs City
United managed to claim a point against City, drawing 1-1 at Old Trafford. Ronaldo was on the scoresheet as he equalised following Erling Haaland's opener.
Ronaldo ended the season with only 13 league goals for United, but it was still the highest in the squad. The reverse fixture against City saw United beaten 2-1, with Pep Guardiola's side coming from behind to claim three points.
Final game: United 3-0 Fulham (Sunday, May 28, 2023)
United ended the season on a high note, claiming a 3-0 win against Fulham. Goals from Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes and Jadon Sancho earned the three points.
So, after 38 league games, how did United do in the Premier League? Did the arrival of Ten Hag lead United back to the Champions League places, or would the Dutch boss need more time and some new players?
2022/23 Premier League final standings
Despite having a new manager at the helm and improving their points tally, United finished sixth again in the Premier League. This would confirm UEFA Europa League football for a second consecutive season, ending the campaign on 65 points, eight off the top four. This simulation is based on United's current squad as it stands, with this simulation showing that new signings are desperately needed this summer.
Overall, according to Football Manager 2022's Premier League simulation for the 2022/23 campaign, United could struggle to improve as they ended the season with the least goals scored, most goals conceded and worst goal difference in the top seven.
What do you think of these United results for next season? Let us know in the comments below!
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