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OFFICIAL YEARBOOK

A REVIEW OF THE 2021/22 SEASON

SUPPORTING MANCHESTER UNITED

MANCHESTER UNITED FOOTBALL CLUB OFFICIAL YEARBOOK A REVIEW OF THE 2021/22 SEASON

The Official Manchester United Yearbook 2021/22 Editor Charlie Ghagan Sub-editors Sean Mullan, Johnny Sharp Design Anthony Moore, Michael Webb (front cover) Contributors Ben Ashby, Steve Bartram, Adam Bostock, Sam Carney, Paul Davies, Mark Froggatt, Joe Ganley, Matt Holt, Joshua Kerr, Adam Marshall, Stuart Mathieson, Ian McLeish, Joe Nelson, Mikey Partington, Harry Robinson, Lars Magnus Igland Roys Thanks to Cliff Butler, Colin Carter, Harriet Drudge, Tom Hughes, Tom Keeling, Michael Leneghan, Katie Newton, Clare Nicholas, Gareth Shelley, Rachael Temple, Nathan Thomas, Andrew Ward Thanks also to all the clubs who kindly granted permission in allowing their official crests to be used in this publication. Photography Ashley Donelon, John Peters, Matt Peters/Manchester United FC, Getty Images, Alamy First published in 2022 Copyright © Manchester United 2022 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner and the publishers.

04 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

8 12

154

CONTENTS

184

John Murtough foreword

Erik ten Hag column

12 MATCH REPORTS 200

14 August 22 September 36 October 48 November 60 December

178

74 January

218

86 February 102 March 110 April 124 May 132 MEN’S TEAM 134 Player profiles 146 Loans 149 Farewells 150 2021/22 statistics

NAVIGATE

Click on a page number right to jump to each section

154 WOMEN’S TEAM 156 Marc Skinner column 160 Season review 166 Player profiles 174 2021/22 statistics 178 PLAYER OF THE YEAR 184 ACADEMY 186 Under-18s 192 Academy roll call 194 Under-23s 198 United Women Under-21s 200 ALL-TIME CLUB RECORDS 212 MU FOUNDATION 218 SUPPORTERS’ CLUBS Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 05

MANCHESTER UNITED FOOTBALL CLUB HONOURS AND TROPHIES FIFA Club World Cup 2008 Inter-Continental Cup 1999 European Cup/UEFA Champions League 1968, 1999, 2008 European Cup Winners’ Cup 1991 UEFA Europa League 2017 Premier League 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013 Football League Division One 1908, 1911, 1952, 1956, 1957, 1965, 1967 Football League Division Two 1936, 1975 FA Challenge Cup 1909, 1948, 1963, 1977, 1983, 1985, 1990, 1994, 1996, 1999, 2004, 2016 Football League Cup 1992, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2017 UEFA Super Cup 1991 FA Charity/Community Shield 1908, 1911, 1952, 1956, 1957, 1983, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2016; Joint holders 1965, 1967, 1977, 1990 Women’s Championship 2019 FA Youth Cup 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1964, 1992, 1995, 2003, 2011, 2022 MANCHESTER UNITED FOOTBALL CLUB LTD Co-chairmen Joel Glazer, Avram Glazer Directors Bryan Glazer, Kevin Glazer, Edward Glazer, Darcie Glazer Kassewitz, Richard Arnold, Michael Edelson, Sir Bobby Charlton, Sir Alex Ferguson, David Gill CBE Secretary Rebecca Britain Honorary president Martin Edwards 06 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

CONTACTS For the majority of club enquiries, please phone the main switchboard number on 0161 676 7770, where you will be given a series of options. The following can be reached without use of the main switchboard: Megastore +44 (0) 161 868 8567 United Direct online megastore +44 (0) 333 014 4543 MUDSA +44 845 230 1989 United Review/Inside United subscriptions +44 845 366 4447, or visit: ManUtd.com/programme or ManUtd.com/magazine Website ManUtd.com MUTV subscriptions mutv.com

JOHN MURTOUGH As a new era begins for the men’s team, United’s Football Director highlights the many reasons for positivity across the club...

elcome to the latest edition of the Manchester United Yearbook. For every football club, the start of a new season is an opportunity to refresh and restart. That is especially true this summer for everyone at Manchester United. With Erik ten Hag taking over as manager of the men’s team, there is a palpable sense of excitement around the training ground as the players and staff get to know the new boss, and respond to his methods. What’s clear is that Erik has high standards and expectations of his team, and a fierce determination to succeed. Those were among the characteristics that attracted us to him when we were searching for a new manager last season.

While we’re all confident of a better season ahead, it’s important to recognise that we have recruited Erik to build a team for long-term success. That won’t happen overnight and it’s crucial that we all get behind him, his staff and the players as they work towards their goals. Fans have a crucial role to play in what we’re trying to achieve because the backing of a packed Old Trafford, or our brilliant away support, provides so much encouragement to the players, particularly at moments of adversity. We saw exactly that during the FA Youth Cup final in May, when over 70,000 fans turned up to help inspire our Under-18s to victory in a tight game against a strong

“THE YOUTH CUP FINAL PROVIDED A REMINDER THAT FEW THINGS EXCITE UNITED FANS MORE THAN THE SIGHT OF HOMEGROWN PLAYERS EXCELLING IN A RED SHIRT”

Football Director Murtough joins Ten Hag on the Old Trafford pitch

FOREWORD

Nottingham Forest side. To attract such a huge crowd – by far the biggest in competition history – provided a reminder that few things excite Manchester United fans more than the sight of homegrown players excelling in a red shirt. For some of the team, their Youth Cup medals will prove to be a career high; others will go on to greater things at Old Trafford or elsewhere. But none of them will forget the encouragement received from the fans that night. Winning the Youth Cup for a record 11th time reflects the renewed strength of our Academy under the leadership of Nick Cox and his staff, and they deserve huge credit for their hard work. Recognition is also due to Marc Skinner and the players and staff of our women’s team after their strong fourth-placed finish in the Women’s Super League last season, further consolidating our position among the leading clubs in the women’s game after just four years of participation. With our women’s team and Academy thriving, and the men’s team under new management, there is much to be optimistic about as we embark on the 2022/23 season. Thank you in advance for the loyal support that I know you will provide for all our teams over the next 10 months.

Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 07

MANAGER’S NOTES

ERIK TEN HAG

The new boss is eager to get started, and he uses his Yearbook column to outline his vision for the future and his message to you, the loyal fans…

irst of all, I would like to say thank you to everyone who has given me such a warm welcome since I became Manchester United manager in May. Whether from staff at Old Trafford and Carrington, or fans on the streets of Manchester, I have

The Dutch manager and his coaching staff address the first-team squad at Carrington

08 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

received nothing but support and best wishes, and this is something I have appreciated very much. What is clear from all these conversations is the passion that exists for Manchester United – and the desire to see the club succeed. I can assure everyone reading this

that I will be doing everything in my powers to help achieve that success. I know that it has been a period of ups and downs for the club in recent years, but that is all in the past. I am only interested in looking to the future with optimism and determination. ▶

MANAGER’S NOTES

“I HAVE COME HERE TO WIN AND I EXPECT EVERYONE IN THE CLUB TO SUPPORT THAT OBJECTIVE WITH HARD WORK, DEDICATION AND HIGH STANDARDS” Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 09

MANAGER’S NOTES

“WE HAVE A CLEAR VISION OF THE KIND OF PROACTIVE, ATTACKING FOOTBALL WE WANT TO PLAY. OUR PLAYERS MUST BE BRAVE AND COMFORTABLE WITH THE BALL, AND WORK TOGETHER IN AND OUT OF POSSESSION”

The new United boss is excited about what lies ahead in his first season as a Premier League manager

10 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

MANAGER’S NOTES

Writing this just two weeks into pre-season training, I can already see that the players have returned fresh and hungry to improve. That is exactly the attitude I was looking for, and it gives me confidence about what we can achieve together in the months and years ahead. As I have told the players, I have come to Manchester United to win

BACK TO CONTENTS

and I expect everyone in the club to support that objective with hard work, dedication and high standards. So far, I like what I have seen. Every player has a fresh start and an opportunity to prove themselves. It is obvious that we have lots of excellent players – many of them were part of the squad which finished second in the Premier League just over a year ago – and, if they can play to their maximum potential, we will have lots to be excited about. We have a clear vision of the kind of proactive, attacking football we want to play. Our players must be brave and comfortable with the ball, and work together in and out of possession. We want to entertain the fans, but, most importantly, we want to win! Every successful squad needs a balance of youth and experience and I’m pleased with the blend we have at Manchester United. Of course, youth development is very important to this club, just as it was at Ajax, where I have come from. I am looking forward to working with the Academy coaches to nurture our young players and keep open a pathway to the first team for those that are ready, with the right combination of technical ability, attitude and commitment. I am writing this before leaving for our pre-season tour of Thailand and Australia, so I am looking forward to experiencing the amazing global support which I know this club is known for. Leading the team out at Old Trafford for the first time in our final pre-season game, against Rayo Vallecano, is another moment I am relishing, before we get down to the serious business of competing for points in our opening league game, against Brighton. Everyone knows that the Premier League is the most competitive domestic league in world football. To be successful, we need everyone, players, staff and fans, pulling together, and that’s what we will be aiming to achieve between now and next May. Every fan has a role in that process so thank you for your support for this great club, and enjoy the season ahead! Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 11

MATCH REPORTS

The game-by-game story of the Reds’ 49-fixture campaign, made up of three domestic competitions as well as the UEFA Champions League

COMPETITION BY COLOUR: PREMIER LEAGUE UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE CARABAO CUP EMIRATES FA CUP

AUGUST

Below A beautiful sight ahead of the Leeds game, with Old Trafford full up for the first time in 17 months

Two wins and a draw from three opening-month Premier League games, beginning with a Saturday lunchtime romp against Leeds at a joyous Old Trafford

he opening month of the Premier League season was filled with talking points for Manchester United, both on the pitch and in the transfer market. A crowd of 72,732 packed into Old Trafford for the opening-day meeting with Leeds, the Reds’ first competitive fixture with no Covid limitations on numbers in place since March 2020 – although fans had returned for our pre-season friendlies against Brentford (a 2-2 draw, with 30,000 fans), and Everton (a 4-0 win, in front of 55,000 fans). Against Leeds, after greeting new signing Raphael Varane prior to kick-off, the supporters bore witness to a sumptuous display of attacking football, with Bruno Fernandes bagging a hat-trick in a 5-1 win. United were held to a 1-1 draw at Southampton in the next fixture but recovered to make it two wins out of three with a 1-0 victory away to Wolves on matchday three. That latter game had even more cause for celebration, with the away fans chanting ‘Viva Ronaldo’ throughout – just two days later, Cristiano made a sensational return to M16, re-signing from Juventus. Elsewhere in the league, new boys Brentford – playing in the top flight for the first time since 1947 – caused quite the stir in their opening fixture, battling to a sensational 2-0 win over Arsenal. That was followed by impressive draws at Aston Villa and Crystal Palace, as Thomas Frank’s side finished the month unbeaten. Spurs were the early pacesetters and the only club with a 100 per cent winning record after the first three 14 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

games. Their 1-0 win over title holders Manchester City was followed by the same result against new boss Nuno Espirito Santo’s old club, Wolves, and newly promoted Watford. West Ham, United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Everton were in close pursuit, each on seven points, with City, Brighton, Leicester and Brentford also in the top half of the table at the end of August. It had been a truly dreadful start for Arsenal, who had followed up that aforementioned defeat with further losses against Chelsea and Manchester City, all without scoring a goal, to leave them bottom. Norwich and Wolves were also still to register their first points of the campaign, while Newcastle, Burnley, Leeds, Palace and Southampton continued to await a first victory. But the undoubted highlight had to be the return of the fans. Premier League stadiums were again packed with supporters and full of noise, as the good-time atmosphere returned. Football was back, and properly this time – and we loved it.

PLAYER FOCUS PAUL POGBA

Against Leeds, the French midfielder became the first Red to set up four goals in a Premier League game. And Pogba soon laid on another goal at Southampton, meaning he ended the month with five assists.

WATCH! Click here to enjoy all the Goal of the Month contenders

UNITED’S PRE-SEASON FIXTURES 18.07.21 FR Derby 1 United 2 24.07.21 FR QPR 4 United 2 28.07.21 FR United 2 Brentford 2 07.08.21 FR United 4 Everton 0 UNITED’S AUGUST RESULTS 14.08.21 PL United 5 Leeds 1 22.08.21 PL Southampton 1 United 1 29.08.21 PL Wolves 0 United 1 END-OF-MONTH PL STANDINGS P GD PTS 1 Tottenham 3 3 9 2 West Ham 3 5 7 3 UNITED 3 5 7 3 5 7 4 Chelsea 5 Liverpool 3 5 7 6 Everton 3 4 7 7 Man City 3 9 6 8 Brighton 3 1 6 3 -1 6 9 Leicester 10 Brentford 3 2 5 11 Aston Villa 3 1 4 12 Watford 3 -2 3 13 Southampton 3 -2 2 3 -3 2 14 Crystal Palace 15 Leeds 3 -4 2 16 Burnley 3 -3 1 17 Newcastle 3 -4 1 18 Wolves 3 -3 0 3 -9 0 19 Norwich 20 Arsenal 3 -9 0

GOAL OF THE MONTH

BRUNO FERNANDES V LEEDS (3RD) Having won the Goal of the Season award in 2020/21, Bruno set his stall out early to retain it with a thunderous effort on the opening day. With an hour gone at Old Trafford, and the Reds 3-1

up against Marcelo Bielsa’s side, Fernandes latched on to an inch-perfect through ball from Victor Lindelof before thumping an unstoppable half-volley high into the net past goalkeeper Illan Meslier (left) – the perfect way to complete his first United hat-trick on a brilliant day in front of 72,732 supporters.

Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 15

PREMIER LEAGUE | MATCHDAY ONE SATURDAY 14 AUGUST 2021 | OLD TRAFFORD | 12.30PM

UNITED 5 LEEDS UNITED 1 Fernandes 30, 54, 60, Greenwood 52, Fred 68

Ayling 48

Perfect start in league as Leeds are blown away

runo Fernandes scored a sensational hat-trick as United defeated Leeds 5-1 and got the 2021/22 Premier League season off to a magnificent and exciting start. Scott McTominay had the first meaningful shot blocked after 120 seconds, before Mason Greenwood had an effort saved. The Reds no.11 then pressured Pascal Struijk into jabbing a rescuing pass into him, deflecting it goalwards and forcing goalkeeper Illan Meslier to save. Chances kept coming and Paul Pogba looked to have opened the scoring after beating Meslier with some fancy footwork, only for his effort to drop wide. At the other end,

David De Gea denied Jack Harrison and Mateusz Klich, while Rodrigo headed off target. The deadlock was broken on 30 minutes. Pogba clipped a ball into the path of Bruno Fernandes, and the Portuguese fired in an effort that was too hot for Meslier to handle. United were stunned by a Leeds equaliser three minutes into the second half. Luke Ayling was released into space and had time to advance before unleashing a rocket past De Gea. But the response was swift and deadly. Just three minutes later, Pogba fed a pass through to Greenwood, who held off Struijk and drilled his

MAN OF THE MATCH BRUNO FERNANDES The hat-trick hero was unsurprisingly crowned star man after a sublime display of finishing in a memorable triumph, with his treble wrapped up by the hour mark.

POST-MATCH TABLE POS

1 2 3 4 5

UNITED Chelsea Liverpool Everton Brentford

PTS

1 1 1 1 1

4 3 3 2 2

3 3 3 3 3

16 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

It was the perfect platform for Jadon Sancho to make his bow, to a roar almost as loud as those which had greeted United’s goals

finish low into the corner to make it 2-1. Moments afterwards, Fernandes brilliantly put keeper Meslier on his backside and wrong-footed the defence before striking a shot that Ayling tried to hack away. However, ref Paul Tierney indicated goalline technology had signalled a goal and Old Trafford was rocking again. Fernandes secured the match ball with a thunderous half-volley inside the box on the hour, with a short VAR check confirming his first Reds hat-trick. Fred then swept home the fifth on 68 minutes, with Leeds now totally floored. It was the perfect platform for summer signing Jadon Sancho to make his bow as he replaced Daniel James to a roar almost as loud as those which had greeted United’s goals, rounding off a hugely satisfying afternoon at Old Trafford.

Left (top) Substitute Sancho pushes forward on his debut; (bottom) new man Varane shows off his shirt Below Celebrations in front of the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand as we go 3-0 up

UNITED

Fernandes scored United’s first opening-day league treble since Lou Macari v Birmingham 44 years previously.

17 18

8 6

SHOTS ON TARGET

FOULS

STARTING XI 17 Fred 21 James 18 Fernandes 6 Pogba 11 Greenwood

UNITED SUBS USED: Matic for McTominay 70’ • Sancho for James 75’ • Martial for Pogba 75’ YELLOW CARDS: Shaw

LEEDS SUBS USED: Firpo for Rodrigo 45’ •

Costa for Harrison 70’ • Roberts for Bamford 77’ YELLOW CARDS: Cooper, Raphinha

CORNERS

1 De Gea 29 Wan-Bissaka 2 Lindelof 5 Maguire 23 Shaw 39 McTominay

SHOTS

LEEDS

POSSESSION (%) 49

STARTING XI 1 2 21 6 15 5

Meslier Ayling Struijk Cooper Dallas Koch

10 Raphinha 19 Rodrigo 43 Klich 22 Harrison 9 Bamford

Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 17

PREMIER LEAGUE | MATCHDAY 2 SUNDAY 22 AUGUST 2021 | ST MARY’S STADIUM | 2PM

SOUTHAMPTON 1 UNITED 1 Fred 30 (og)

Greenwood 55

Reds held on south coast in hard-fought contest

he Premier League spoils were shared at St Mary’s as United were held 1-1 by Southampton. It was the hosts who had the first chance during an energetic opening, with David De Gea pushing a long-range James Ward-Prowse free-kick round his right-hand post. Bruno Fernandes then delivered a set piece of his own which was met by Victor Lindelof, whose effort looped up on to the crossbar. From the rebound, Anthony Martial’s goalbound header was scrambled away off the line. Paul Pogba then had a couple of chances, both also from free-kicks, this time whipped in by Luke Shaw

from the left. The first saw his shot turned behind for a corner before his second was headed just over. Southampton then took the lead with a sucker-punch of an own goal. Che Adams engineered some space

POST-MATCH TABLE POS

PTS

3 4 5 6 7

2 2 2 2 2

3 2 4 2 2

6 6 4 4 4

Brighton Tottenham UNITED Everton Brentford

MAN OF THE MATCH MASON GREENWOOD The forward scored an important leveller with his 19th Premier League strike, and he was later voted Man of the Match via the club app, ahead of Pogba and De Gea.

18 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

on the edge of the area before his shot deflected off Fred’s boot and past De Gea into the bottom corner. The final chance of the first 45 fell to the Reds as Shaw’s corner was met by the head of Lindelof in the box, but keeper Alex McCarthy did well to smother the Swede’s header. It was back to level pegging 10 minutes into the second period. Pogba exchanged passes with Fernandes in the area before poking the ball to Mason Greenwood, who struck a solid effort under McCarthy in front of the travelling United fans. The Reds were now attempting to mount further pressure, with Pogba sliding a shot wide, Greenwood heading over and McCarthy called into action to deny Fernandes. Into the final 20 minutes and Adam Armstrong burst through the United defence before unleashing a shot which De Gea kept out with a huge save. From the following corner, Adams had a superb opportunity to restore the lead for the home side, but he was unable to direct his header accurately when the ball found him at the back post. De Gea calmly punched away another Ward-Prowse free-kick effort and, despite plenty of intent from both teams and five minutes of added time, there was no decisive strike as it ended honours even.

The Reds were attempting to mount further pressure, with Pogba sliding a shot wide and McCarthy denying Fernandes

SOUTHAMPTON 1

8 SHOTS ON TARGET CORNERS

STARTING XI 6 8 19 10 9

Romeu Ward-Prowse Djenepo Adams A Armstrong

7 9

FOULS 10

12 McCarthy Livramento Stephens Salisu Perraud Walcott

SHOTS

1 21 5 22 15 32

UNITED

POSSESSION (%) 36

SOUTHAMPTON SUBS USED: Bednarek for Walcott 45’ • Diallo for Djenepo 70’ • Walker-Peters for Perraud 79’ YELLOW CARDS: Stephens, Djenepo

UNITED SUBS USED: Sancho for Martial 59’ • McTominay for Fred 76’ • Lingard for Matic 86’ YELLOW CARDS: Maguire, Fernandes, Pogba

STARTING XI 1 De Gea 29 Wan-Bissaka 2 Lindelof 5 Maguire 23 Shaw 17 Fred

31 Matic 11 Greenwood 18 Fernandes 6 Pogba 9 Martial

Left (top) Fred gets stuck in; (middle) Solskjaer and his opposite number Hasenhuttl watch on; (bottom) Fernandes is brought down by Adams Below Reds captain Maguire clears the danger

Pogba became the first player to register five assists in the first two games of a Premier League season.

Manchester United 2020/21 Yearbook 15

PREMIER LEAGUE | MATCHDAY 3 SUNDAY 29 AUGUST 2021 | MOLINEUX | 4.30PM

WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS 0 UNITED 1 Greenwood 80

Late strike proves the difference at Molineux

nited edged Wolves 1-0 in an enthrallingly tight Premier League game at Molineux. The encounter saw a lively opening 10 minutes, as David De Gea saved from Raul Jimenez before Aaron Wan-Bissaka slid in to deny the Mexican striker from opening the scoring. Debutant Raphael Varane made an important intervention to head clear from a home free-kick, while at the other end Mason Greenwood almost got on the end of Daniel James’s cross and was thwarted by

POST-MATCH TABLE POS

PTS

1 2 3 4 5

3 3 3 3 3

3 5 5 5 5

9 7 7 7 7

Tottenham West Ham UNITED Chelsea Liverpool

20 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

Wolves keeper Jose Sa when waiting for a Luke Shaw delivery. United had the ball in the net seven minutes before the break when Bruno Fernandes coolly slotted home after bursting past the Wolves defence, only for the flag to go up for offside. As the first half drew to a close, Jadon Sancho picked out Greenwood, who drove into the box from the left and struck an effort that curled away from the keeper, but also just wide of the goal. Fred had a shot saved after the break, then up the other end Adama Traore found Francisco Trincao in the 18-yard-box, only for the young winger to scuff the ball wide. The hosts had another great opportunity when Romain Saiss headed towards goal, but De Gea threw himself to the floor to expertly keep the effort out, before jumping up to deny the same player with Wan-Bissaka on hand to clear. Soon after, Sa pulled out a smart stop of his own to keep out Paul

De Gear threw himself to the floor to keep the ball out, before jumping to deny Saiss with Wan-Bissaka on hand to clear Pogba’s powerful strike as the Frenchman turned nicely in the box. Greenwood on the right then slid the ball neatly through to Fernandes, who shot across the face of goal. After a 50-50 involving Pogba and Ruben Neves on 80 minutes, the ball ended up at the feet of Greenwood and, having spurned a couple of first-half chances, his shot crept under Sa and in for what proved the winner.

MAN OF THE MATCH DAVID DE GEA A one-man wall of resistance. His incredible double stop from Saiss was labelled the best of the season so far by United legend Peter Schmeichel.

Left (top) Maguire and Varane salute the travelling support; (bottom) the Red army were in fine voice, as ever Below Wan-Bissaka holds off Wolves winger Podence by the touchline

The Reds set a new English top-flight record after going 28 consecutive away league games unbeaten.

BACK TO CONTENTS

WOLVES 1

SHOTS ON TARGET 5

CORNERS

STARTING XI Sa Kilman Coady Saiss Semedo Neves

28 Moutinho 5 Marcal 11 Trincao 9 Jimenez 37 Traore

FOULS 9

7 1 23 16 27 22 8

6 5

SHOTS

UNITED

POSSESSION (%) 44

WOLVES SUBS USED: Podence for Trincao 70’ • Gibbs-White for Coady 87’ • Silva for Traore 87’ YELLOW CARDS: Gibbs-White, Saiss, Neves

UNITED SUBS USED: Cavani for James 53’ •

Martial for Sancho 72’ • Dalot for Greenwood 90’ YELLOW CARDS: Pogba, Fred, Fernandes, Dalot

STARTING XI 1 De Gea 29 Wan-Bissaka 19 Varane 5 Maguire 23 Shaw 6 Pogba

17 Fred 21 James 18 Fernandes 25 Sancho 11 Greenwood

Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 21

SEPTEMBER The return of a legendary no.7 offers plenty for the fans to cheer, either side of some frustrating results as the challenges arrive in three competitions

here had been plenty of hype and excitement caused by the return to Old Trafford of Cristiano Ronaldo, and he did not disappoint, scoring five goals in as many games in September to show his scoring touch remains as lethal as ever. First up was a brace at home to Newcastle, as the iconic no.7 opened the scoring and then put United back in front after the Magpies had levelled, en route to a 4-1 triumph. Ronaldo kept up his love affair with the Champions League with another effort against Young Boys, and got the crucial league equaliser at West Ham. He finished the month with a 95th-minute winner on the night he set a new Champions League record for appearances – not a bad start! Results on the pitch as a whole were a little more mixed, however. The Reds did earn those aforementioned league wins over Newcastle and West Ham, as well as a European victory over Villarreal – with the last two involving particularly dramatic endings – but three defeats across three different competitions meant there was still work to be done domestically and on the continent, with the Carabao Cup campaign coming to an early end against the Hammers. It was Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool who led the way in the Premier League come the month’s end, following consecutive 3-0 wins over Crystal Palace and Leeds, but the Merseyside outfit ended September with dropped points in a remarkable six-goal draw against Brentford. It was already a close affair at the top, with Manchester City, Chelsea, 22 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

Everton and Brighton a single point behind Liverpool, as were United. The first key blow in the title race was struck when City left Stamford Bridge with a 1-0 victory. Moving down the table, Arsenal recovered from a dreadful start with three consecutive wins, including in the North London derby against a Tottenham side whose fortunes were heading the opposite way: their three August wins were followed by losses to Crystal Palace, Chelsea and the Gunners. Norwich propped up the division, having failed to pick up a point from their opening six outings. They were one of five clubs yet to win by the end of September, along with Burnley, Leeds, Norwich, Newcastle and Southampton. In the Champions League, the first two matchdays produced some eye-catching results, including a Barcelona demolition by Bayern Munich, Moldovan side Sheriff Tiraspol shocking Real Madrid in the Bernabeu, and Lionel Messi scoring to help new club Paris Saint-Germain beat Manchester City.

UNITED’S SEPTEMBER RESULTS 11.09.21 PL United 4 Newcastle 1 14.09.21 CL Young Boys 2 United 1 19.09.21 PL West Ham 1 United 2 22.09.21 LC United 0 West Ham 1 25.09.21 PL United 0 Aston Villa 1 29.09.21 CL United 2 Villarreal 1 END-OF-MONTH PL STANDINGS P GD PTS 1 Liverpool 6 11 14 2 Man City 6 11 13 3 Chelsea 6 10 13 4 UNITED 6 8 13 5 Everton 6 5 13 6 Brighton 6 3 13 7 West Ham 6 5 11 8 Aston Villa 6 2 10 6 3 9 9 Brentford 10 Arsenal 6 -5 9 11 Tottenham 6 -5 9 12 Watford 6 -2 7 13 Leicester 6 -3 7 6 -2 6 14 Wolves 6 -3 6 15 Crystal Palace 16 Southampton 6 -3 4 17 Newcastle 6 -7 3 6 -8 3 18 Leeds 19 Burnley 6 -6 2 20 Norwich 6 -14 0

PLAYER FOCUS JESSE LINGARD

After rounding off victory over Newcastle with his first home league goal since December 2018, Lingard grabbed the headlines by netting a late decider against his former loan side West Ham in the next PL game.

WATCH! Click here to enjoy all the Goal of the Month contenders

Above Ronaldo steps back out on to the Old Trafford turf wearing the United shirt for the first time since May 2009

GOAL OF THE MONTH ALEX TELLES V VILLARREAL

As far as first goals for United go, Telles’s has to be right up there with the best. The Brazilian perfectly connected with Bruno Fernandes’s corner to thump in a volley from the edge of the box

against Villarreal, netting an important equaliser as part of a vital Champions League win. ‘Still trying to find words to express my feelings... my first goal for United, inside a packed Old Trafford, and an incredible victory,’ he later wrote on Twitter. ‘This is football: working and believing until the end.’

Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 23

PREMIER LEAGUE | MATCHDAY 4 SATURDAY 11 SEPTEMBER 2021 | OLD TRAFFORD | 3PM

UNITED 4 NEWCASTLE UNITED 1

Ronaldo 45+2, 62, Fernandes 80, Lingard 90+2

Manquillo 56

Ronaldo returns, and promptly hits brilliant brace

ristiano Ronaldo marked his return to United in typical fashion, scoring twice as the Reds beat Newcastle 4-1 on a glorious afternoon at Old Trafford. Ronaldo looked lively from the start, having an opening flicked away before firing into the side-netting after linking up with Jadon Sancho. Home debutant Raphael Varane glanced a header wide from Luke Shaw’s corner on 19 minutes, before Bruno Fernandes had two efforts soon after – one from his own half, David Beckham-style, which

dropped just over the bar, before he rolled a shot wide after he, Sancho and Ronaldo had combined. It looked like the Reds were going to be left frustrated until that man found the net. Mason Greenwood’s shot from the right wasn’t held by goalkeeper Freddie Woodman and Ronaldo was there to blast home from five yards in first-half injury-time as the Theatre of Dreams erupted. Despite being pinned back for the most part, the visitors were looking lively on the break and, on 56 minutes, they drew level. Ciaran

MAN OF THE MATCH CRISTIANO RONALDO Two goals and a triumphant return to M16 for the fan favourite, who gave United the lead in first-half injury-time before subsequently restoring it after the visitors’ equaliser.

POST-MATCH TABLE POS

PTS

1 2 3 4 5

4 4 4 4 4

8 8 10 2 0

10 10 9 9 9

UNITED Chelsea Man City Brighton Tottenham

24 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

Six minutes later, Ronaldo struck again. Shaw found the Portuguese in the area and he was never going to miss one-on-one

Clark powered forward from his own half before finding Allan Saint-Maximin, who slipped the ball into Javier Manquillo to drive home. Six minutes later, though, Ronaldo struck again. Shaw sped towards goal brilliantly and found the Portuguese in the area and he was never going to miss one-on-one. David De Gea brilliantly palmed away a Joelinton shot on 67 minutes, but soon after, the Reds’ third arrived. De Gea started the move with arguably the pass of the match to Greenwood, who broke forward. He laid it back to Paul Pogba, who found Fernandes 25 yards out, who curled beautifully into the top corner. A fourth followed after substitute Anthony Martial dummied Pogba’s pass into Jesse Lingard, who turned to curl the ball home and ensure a memorable day for the Red faithful.

Left (top) Matic on the ball; (bottom) Fernandes celebrates his strike Below Ronaldo takes the acclain after scoring United’s opener as his team-mates rush to join him

UNITED

Ronaldo’s opener was his first Premier League goal for 12 years and 124 days – the second-longest gap in the competition’s history.

SHOTS

21 SHOTS ON TARGET

CORNERS

STARTING XI 31 Matic 11 Greenwood 18 Fernandes 25 Sancho 7 Ronaldo

11 7

FOULS 2

9 1 De Gea 29 Wan-Bissaka 19 Varane 5 Maguire 23 Shaw 6 Pogba

NEWCASTLE

POSSESSION (%) 64

UNITED SUBS USED: Lingard for Sancho 66’ • van de Beek for Greenwood 85’ • Martial for Fernandes 85’ YELLOW CARDS: Pogba

NEWCASTLE SUBS USED: Murphy for Manquillo 77’ • Lewis for Clark 84’ • Hendrick for Willock 85’ YELLOW CARDS: None

STARTING XI 27 19 14 6 2 11

Woodman Manquillo Hayden Lascelles Clark Ritchie

24 Almiron 28 Willock 36 S Longstaff 7 Joelinton 10 Saint-Maximin

Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 25

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE | GROUP F MATCHDAY 1 TUESDAY 14 SEPTEMBER 2021 | STADION WANKDORF | 5.45PM

YOUNG BOYS 2 UNITED 1 Ngamaleu 66, Pefok 90+5

Ronaldo 13

Ten-man Reds let early lead slip in Swiss capital

third goal in two games from Cristiano Ronaldo was not enough to prevent United suffering defeat to Young Boys, following Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s sending off. Meschak Elia was an early threat for the hosts, firing past David De Gea’s far post before his dangerous delivery failed to find a team-mate. It was Ronaldo who opened the scoring, latching on to Bruno Fernandes’s sumptuous outside-ofthe-foot pass and firing in a shot that squirmed through goalkeeper David von Ballmoos’s legs and over the line. De Gea then palmed away Christian Fassnacht’s long-distance sighter and from that United

GROUP F TABLE

POS

PTS

1 2 3 4

1 1 1 1

1 0 0 -1

3 1 1 0

Young Boys Atalanta Villarreal UNITED

launched a breakaway as once again Fernandes played Ronaldo in to shoot, only for von Ballmoos to offer a strong hand and deflect the ball behind. Then came the major talking point of the half, as Wan-Bissaka was shown a straight red card. The right-back arrived late on Young Boys’ Christopher Martins and referee Francois Letexier showed no hesitation in dismissing our no.29 for only the second sending off of his professional career. The home side almost equalised straight away, with Fassnacht arriving unmarked at the back post. Luckily, the Swiss international’s radar was off, as United went in at the break ahead. As the Reds changed shape to counter Wan-Bissaka’s dismissal, Ronaldo was left up front as the breakaway option and believed he had a case for a penalty on 54 minutes after being challenged by Mohamed Ali Camara, but referee Letexier was unmoved. The home crowd grew increasingly frustrated that their side couldn’t make the man advantage

MAN OF THE MATCH BRUNO FERNANDES Created Ronaldo’s goal with a stunning pass with the outside of his boot, and never stopped running throughout before being substituted in the closing stages of the game.

26 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

count, until Moumi Ngamaleu stuck out a toe on 66 minutes to divert a deflected cross beyond De Gea and suddenly the stadium exploded into life, sensing a real shock. Substitute Raphael Varane had to intervene to prevent United States international striker Jordan Pefok from converting a corner while, at the other end, Lindelof couldn’t quite get a shot away when the ball dropped to him from a rare foray forward. Ngamaleu struck one wide, before De Gea was forced to stretch to turn Sandro Lauper’s rasping drive over the crossbar. Then, in the last minute of added time, Pefok reacted quickest to pounce on a loose ball and slot home, causing euphoria in the crowd as the hosts got the points.

Wan-Bissaka arrived late on Young Boys’ Christopher Martin, and the referee showed no hesitation in showing our no.29 a straight red

YOUNG BOYS 4

SHOTS ON TARGET

8 20

CORNERS 13

FOULS

STARTING XI 8 Sierro 16 Fassnacht 20 Aebischer 13 Ngamaleu 15 Elia

26 von Ballmoos 36 Hefti 4 Camara 30 Lauper 21 Garcia 35 Martins

5 16

19 30

UNITED

46 SHOTS

POSSESSION (%) 54

YOUNG BOYS SUBS USED: Pefok for Sierro 45’ • Rieder for Martins 82’ • Sulejmani for Hefti 83’ • Zesiger for Lauper 90+2’• Kanga for Elia 90+2’ YELLOW CARDS: Martins, Fassnacht

UNITED SUBS USED: Dalot for Sancho 37’ •

Varane for van de Beek 45’ • Matic for Fernandes 72’ • Lingard for Ronaldo 72’ • Martial for Fred 89’

YELLOW CARDS: Varane RED CARDS: Wan-Bissaka

STARTING XI 1 De Gea 29 Wan-Bissaka 2 Lindelof 5 Maguire 23 Shaw 34 van de Beek

17 Fred 25 Sancho 18 Fernandes 6 Pogba 7 Ronaldo

Left (top) Wan-Bissaka sees red; (middle) Shaw and manager Solskjaer salute the travelling support in Switzerland Below The Reds line up before kick-off

2009

Ronaldo’s strike was his first Champions League goal for United since a semi-final brace against Arsenal in May 2009.

Manchester United 2020/21 Yearbook 15

PREMIER LEAGUE | MATCHDAY 5 SUNDAY 19 SEPTEMBER 2021 | LONDON STADIUM | 2PM

WEST HAM UNITED 1 UNITED 2 Benrahma 30

Ronaldo 35, Lingard 89

Late penalty save secures thrilling win in London

avid De Gea’s injury-time penalty save clinched a dramatic 2-1 win for United over West Ham in the Premier League. The Reds were the dominant side from the off and created the first chance of the game but Raphael Varane’s header from a corner in the third minute went wide. At the other end, Said Benrahma set up Jarrod Bowen before Aaron Wan-Bissaka intervened with a vital block, with Bowen then again denied by a save from De Gea. Cristiano Ronaldo saw a shot kept out by Lukasz Fabianski and the Hammers’ goalkeeper was also involved when he got an all-important touch to divert a

POST-MATCH TABLE POS

PTS

1 2 3 4 5

5 5 5 5 5

11 11 9 3 10

13 13 13 12 10

Chelsea Liverpool UNITED Brighton Man City

28 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

driven strike from Bruno Fernandes on to the post. With half an hour gone, West Ham took the lead. Benrahma’s shot from the edge of the box took an unfortunate deflection off Varane to wrong-foot De Gea. Fortunately, their advantage did not last long. Five minutes later, Fernandes found Ronaldo, whose initial shot was saved by Fabianski before the prolific no.7 tapped in the rebound. It ensured the scores were level at the break, despite the same player forcing a smart stop out of Fabianski before the interval. The Poland international again denied Ronaldo early in the second half. Having gone through one-on-one, the United man took aim, but Fabianski kept out the effort in magnificent fashion. Jesse Lingard, who had spent six months on loan at West Ham in the previous campaign, came on to warm applause from the home fans after 73 minutes, but he would soon be haunting them. After Fernandes shot straight at Fabianski, and Ronaldo had the first of two penalty appeals waved away,

Lingard, who had spent six months on loan at West Ham, came on to warm applause from the home fans, but he would soon haunt them Lingard cut in from the left wing on to his right foot, before perfectly curling in the Reds’ second of the day. The drama wasn’t finished there, with the hosts awarded a penalty in stoppage time after VAR spotted a handball from Luke Shaw. Mark Noble came off the bench purely to take the spot-kick, but was sensationally denied as De Gea got down to make the save.

MAN OF THE MATCH DAVID DE GEA His first-half save from Bowen, followed by that dramatic penalty stop in injury-time to deny Noble, were both priceless in ensuring United walked away with all three points.

At 36 years, 226 days, Ronaldo became the second-oldest player to score in consecutive games for United, behind Ryan Giggs.

Left (clockwise from far left) De Gea saves Noble’s late penalty; Ronaldo nets our equaliser; McTominay tussles with West Ham winger Benrahma Above The Reds celebrate Lingard’s late goal that would lead us to victory

WEST HAM 1

SHOTS

13 SHOTS ON TARGET CORNERS

STARTING XI Fabianski Coufal Zouma Ogbonna Cresswell Fornals

28 Soucek 41 Rice 11 Vlasic 20 Bowen 22 Benrahma

FOULS 8

5 1 5 4 21 3 8

4 2

UNITED

POSSESSION (%) 40

WEST HAM SUBS USED: Yarmolenko for Vlasic 68’ • Lanzini for Benrahma 88’ • Noble for Bowen 90+4’ YELLOW CARDS: None

UNITED SUBS USED: Sancho for Greenwood 73’ • Lingard for Pogba 73’ • Matic for Fred 88’ YELLOW CARDS: None

STARTING XI 1 De Gea 29 Wan-Bissaka 19 Varane 5 Maguire 23 Shaw 39 McTominay

17 Fred 11 Greenwood 18 Fernandes 6 Pogba 7 Ronaldo

Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 29

CARABAO CUP | THIRD ROUND WEDNESDAY 22 SEPTEMBER 2021 | OLD TRAFFORD | 7.45PM

UNITED 0 WEST HAM UNITED 1 Lanzini 9

Hammers’ early goal spells early League Cup exit

anchester United exited the Carabao Cup in the third round at Old Trafford, as West Ham gained some measure of revenge for defeat in the league fixture three days earlier. The visitors had posted a warning down the right after three minutes and almost scored from a cut-back that Jarrod Bowen hit just wide. But they got it right after nine minutes when Andriy Yarmolenko powered past Alex Telles and fed Manuel Lanzini, who beat Dean Henderson in the Reds goal. United’s response was exciting and instant. Jesse Lingard appealed for a penalty after being pulled back by Mark Noble, before Juan Mata struck the bar with a terrific shot just seconds later. Anthony Martial then rolled a shot just wide after being set up by captain-for-the-night Nemanja

Matic, and Lingard’s drive from outside the box forced a save from Alphonse Areola. It was all United in terms of the attacking threat, with Telles and Martial adding to the shots-on-target count, and Donny van de Beek created an opening for himself with some neat footwork before firing an effort wide. Early in the second half, Mata cleverly lifted a pass above the West Ham defence and Jadon Sancho volleyed just over in front of the Stretford End. Diogo Dalot almost marked his first start of the campaign with a goal on 57 minutes as he drove into the visitor’s box and drilled his shot past the post. Yarmolenko then smashed a shot off target, with Mason Greenwood almost making an immediate impact from the bench when he forced a save out of Areola. Both the Old Trafford crowd and Lingard were lifted by this, and the latter had another attempt saved. But it was Henderson who kept the tie alive with the potential for spot-kicks, as he denied Noble and Bowen in the closing minutes.

OTHER RESULTS: Brentford 7-0 Oldham Burnley 4-1 Rochdale Fulham 0-0 Leeds (5-6 on pens) Manchester City 6-1 Wycombe Norwich 0-3 Liverpool Preston 4-1 Cheltenham QPR 2-2 Everton (8-7 on pens) Sheffield Utd 2-2 Southampton (2-4 on pens) Watford 1-3 Stoke Wigan 0-2 Sunderland Brighton 2-0 Swansea Arsenal 3-0 AFC Wimbledon Chelsea 1-1 Aston Villa (4-3 on pens) Millwall 0-2 Leicester Wolves 2-2 Tottenham (2-3 on pens)

Yarmolenko also hit the post before our goalkeeper’s heroics. Sadly, United, for all the efforts, could not stretch the tie out into a penalty shoot-out.

It was all United in terms of the attacking threat, with Telles and Martial adding to the shots count and van de Beek firing wide MAN OF THE MATCH DONNY VAN DE BEEK A solid performance from the Dutch midfielder, with some intelligent movement going forward as well as diligent defensive work when tracking back.

30 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

UNITED 26

3 34

WEST HAM

POSSESSION (%) 39

SHOTS 2

27 8

SHOTS ON TARGET 3

6 CORNERS

STARTING XI 31 Matic 8 Mata 14 Lingard 9 Martial 25 Sancho

10 20

FOULS 6

4 26 Henderson 20 Dalot 3 Bailly 2 Lindelof 27 Telles 34 van de Beek

UNITED SUBS USED: Greenwood for Mata 62’ • Fernandes for Lingard 72’ • Elanga for Telles 73’ YELLOW CARDS: None

WEST HAM SUBS USED: Coufal for Fredericks 17’ • Fornals for Lanzini 69’ • Vlasic for Masuaku 69’ YELLOW CARDS: Noble

STARTING XI 13 24 15 23 31 33

Areola Fredericks Dawson Diop Johnson Kral

16 Noble 7 Yarmolenko 10 Lanzini 26 Masuaku 20 Bowen

Left (bottom) Elanga holds off West Ham’s Yarmolenko; (top) Henderson started in goal Below Dalot fires a cross in as the hosts chase an equaliser

This was United’s first home defeat in normal time at this stage of the competition for 14 years (v Coventry City in September 2007).

Manchester United 2020/21 Yearbook 15

PREMIER LEAGUE | MATCHDAY 6 SATURDAY 25 SEPTEMBER 2021 | OLD TRAFFORD | 12.30PM

UNITED 0 ASTON VILLA 1 Hause 88

Late drama as Reds sink to defeat at Old Trafford

nited suffered a September setback in the Premier League by losing 1-0 to Aston Villa at Old Trafford, that frustration compounded by Bruno Fernandes’s late missed penalty in an astonishing climax to the match. Early on, Fernandes volleyed over from a Luke Shaw cross and then drilled a free-kick into Villa’s defensive wall, while Cristiano Ronaldo hit one wide. Villa went close, meanwhile, when Matt Cash got past Shaw down the left and his cross was put over the bar into the Stretford End from only three yards out by Matt Targett. A wayward backpass then led to a

POST-MATCH TABLE POS

PTS

2 3 4 5 6

6 6 6 6 6

11 10 8 5 3

13 13 13 13 12

Man City Chelsea UNITED Everton Brighton

32 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

chance for Ollie Watkins, but David De Gea recovered well to deny the young striker. United’s tempo had faded as Villa began to get the upper hand in attack and a 39th-minute Ezri Konsa header from a corner posted further notice that this was developing into a real fight. The Reds responded with a late flurry before the interval and Paul Pogba came so close in injury time as a Fernandes corner was headed on by Raphael Varane and the French midfielder made contact with a reaction header that flew just wide of the target. In the second half, Harry Maguire looked to be hauled down in the box by Konsa, but no penalty was given, before Mason Greenwood saw a shot saved by Emiliano Martinez. Watkins had another effort brilliantly kept out by De Gea, with Greenwood having a series of shots blocked by Villa’s defence. Pogba pushed through the rearguard after 75 minutes and his footwork created an opening but Martinez made the save. Villa made the breakthrough on 88 minutes, as Kortney Hause

Early on, Fernandes volleyed over from a Shaw cross and then drilled a free-kick into the wall, while Ronaldo hit one wide headed in at the near post from a corner to the delight of the away fans. United weren’t done, though. Substitute Edinson Cavani headed a cross against scorer Hause’s arm, and the Reds were given a lifeline from the spot. But there was to be no happy ending as the normally dead-eye penalty taker Fernandes struck his spot-kick high over the bar into a stunned Stretford End.

MAN OF THE MATCH RAPHAEL VARANE Solid, smooth and in control at the back, on what was the Frenchman’s fifth appearance for the Reds, and just his second at Old Trafford.

Left (top) Cavani had an impact as a sub; (bottom) Fernandes takes his ill-fated penalty in stoppage-time Below Ronaldo’s free-kick is blocked by the well-drilled Villa defence

UNITED

United had previously gone 18 competitive games unbeaten against Villa – a run stretching back to December 2009.

POSSESSION (%)

17 18

4 CORNERS

5 FOULS

STARTING XI 17 Fred 11 Greenwood 18 Fernandes 6 Pogba 7 Ronaldo

9 De Gea Wan-Bissaka Varane Maguire Shaw McTominay

SHOTS ON TARGET

1 29 19 5 23 39

ASTON VILLA

SHOTS

UNITED SUBS USED: Dalot for Shaw 34’ •

Lindelof for Maguire 66’ • Cavani for McTominay 81’ YELLOW CARDS: Shaw, Fred

ASTON VILLA SUBS USED: Buendia for Ings 78’ • Archer for J Ramsey 86’

YELLOW CARDS: Cash, McGinn

STARTING XI 1 Martinez 4 Konsa 30 Hause 5 Mings 2 Cash 7 McGinn

6 Luiz 41 J Ramsey 3 Targett 20 Ings 11 Watkins

Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 33

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE | GROUP F MATCHDAY 2 WEDNESDAY 29 SEPTEMBER 2021 | OLD TRAFFORD | 8PM

UNITED 2 VILLARREAL 1 Telles 60, Ronaldo 90+5

Alcacer 53

Last-gasp Ronny show seals stunning comeback

ristiano Ronaldo took the roof off Old Trafford with a dramatic late Champions League winner for Manchester United against Villarreal. The Reds were under pressure early on, with David De Gea saving from Arnaut Danjuma twice and then Paco Alcacer. It was very much the De Gea show in the first half, with United under pressure from the visitors. Ronaldo went close with a header but the La Liga side continued to press, and there was a let-off when ex-Liverpool player Alberto Moreno hoofed high into the Stretford End, with Yeremi Pino and Alcacer also missing good chances.

United almost struck a fortuitous blow two minutes before half-time when a searching Paul Pogba crossfield pass, intended for Mason Greenwood at the far post, was intercepted by a stretching Moreno and he only just turned it for a corner and saved himself the embarrassment of an own goal. The half ended as it started with De Gea once more the hero, as he stuck out a right hand to stop an attempt from Pino. Villarreal’s first-half danger turned into a goal in the 53rd minute as the Spaniards got behind Dalot and a cross from Danjuma was prodded home at the near post by Alcacer.

Bruno Fernandes had a go with a bullet strike from distance before Alex Telles found the leveller in sensational style, connecting with a Fernandes free-kick on the edge of the area to thunder in a volley for his first Reds goal. Substitute Edinson Cavani almost scored four minutes after coming on, connecting with a Greenwood cross but just failing to keep his close-range effort down. The away side remained dangerous on the counter, and De Gea was the hero again as he saved first from Moi Gomez and then smothered a follow-up from Boulaye Dia, with Telles making a key block. But Old Trafford exploded with delight deep in added time. Jesse Lingard poked the ball to Ronaldo, who rifled home a powerful effort to seal a classic Reds comeback.

GROUP F TABLE

POS

PTS

1 2 3 4

2 2 2 2

1 0 0 -1

4 3 3 1

Atalanta Young Boys UNITED Villarreal

MAN OF THE MATCH DAVID DE GEA Countless key saves from the ever-reliable Spaniard kept United in the contest on several occasions and ultimately set the stage for Ronaldo’s dramatic late winner.

34 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

Telles found the leveller in sensational style, connecting with a Fernandes free-kick on the edge of the area to thunder in a volley

UNITED 1

39 18

SHOTS ON TARGET 7

7 CORNERS

4 7

FOULS

STARTING XI 39 McTominay 11 Greenwood 18 Fernandes 25 Sancho 7 Ronaldo

10 1 De Gea 20 Wan-Bissaka 2 Lindelof 19 Varane 27 Telles 6 Pogba

SHOTS

VILLARREAL

POSSESSION (%) 56

UNITED SUBS USED: Cavani for Pogba 75’ • Matic for

Sancho 75’ • Fred for Telles 89’ • Lingard for Greenwood 89’ YELLOW CARDS: Telles, Greenwood, Ronaldo

VILLARREAL SUBS USED: Dia for Alcacer 58’ •

Estupinan for Trigueros 61’ • Mandi for Albiol 73’ • Pena for Moreno 73’ • Gomez for Pino 73’

YELLOW CARDS: Albiol, Moreno, Pino, Pena

STARTING XI 13 8 3 4 18 5

Rulli Foyth Albiol Torres Moreno Parejo

6 14 21 9 15

Capoue Trigueros Pino Alcacer Danjuma

178

Ronaldo made his 178th appearance in the Champions League – a new record for the competition.

Left (clockwise from far left) United fans celebrate a stunning win; Ronaldo wheels away in celebration; Sancho tries to direct operations Above Eyes on the ball as Telles gets set to volley home a superb equaliser

BACK TO CONTENTS Manchester United 2020/21 Yearbook 15

OCTOBER

Below There were passionate celebrations at Tottenham as the Reds ended the month in style

Highs in Italy and north London are offset by disappointment at home and in the Midlands amid plenty of turbulence elsewere in the Premier League

ctober proved to be a tough month for the Reds, with the thrill of a dramatic comeback triumph over Atalanta and a commanding 3-0 win at Tottenham intertwined with chastening defeats away to Leicester and at home to Liverpool, all after a disappointing Old Trafford draw with Everton. The month’s opening two fixtures, against the Toffees and the Foxes, both saw United’s lead pegged back, but it was roles reversed at home to the Italian side in the Champions League. Trailing 2-0 at the break, a rousing fightback followed as goals from Marcus Rashford, Harry Maguire and Cristiano Ronaldo clinched a memorable victory. After a heavy defeat to Liverpool, a response was needed at Spurs, and once again Ronaldo proved the catalyst, with further efforts from Edinson Cavani and Rashford ensuring the Reds ended the month fifth, still not far behind the teams higher in the top-flight standings. It was Chelsea who finished October top of the pile after four successive wins, including a 7-0 dismantling of bottom side Norwich. Behind them were Liverpool, who blew a 2-0 lead at home to Brighton, while third-placed Manchester City also dropped points in a shock home loss to Crystal Palace. United and Arsenal occupied fifth and sixth place respectively, but West Ham were the surprise package, winning three from four to go fourth. A big news story of the month was the takeover of Newcastle, giving the Magpies significant new spending power. The new owners – 36 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

a consortium led by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund – made a swift impression by relieving manager Steve Bruce of his duties with the side second-bottom and winless from their first eight games. It wasn’t the first managerial change of 2021/22, though – at Watford, Xisco Munoz was replaced by Claudio Ranieri. Graeme Jones, meanwhile, was made interim boss at St James’ Park following Bruce’s exit. While Newcastle continued to struggle, the Hornets did at least record one of October’s standout results, twice coming from behind to win 5-2 at Everton. They were still hovering just above the drop zone in 16th, ahead of Burnley, Leeds, Newcastle and Norwich. Back-to-back European wins meant the Reds now sat atop Champions League Group H, while the return of Rashford following shoulder surgery boosted the available attacking options. There was no doubt, however, that there was much work to be done to get things back on track.

PLAYER FOCUS MARCUS RASHFORD

After his goal at Leicester, Marcus’s clinical finish from a tight angle v Atalanta (left) – sparked a memorable turnaround. He wrapped up an impressive October with the final strike at Spurs, to make it three goals in 173 minutes of action.

WATCH! Click here to enjoy all the Goal of the Month contenders

UNITED’S OCTOBER RESULTS 02.10.21 PL United 1 Everton 1 16.10.21 PL Leicester 4 United 2 20.10.21 CL United 3 Atalanta 2 24.10.21 PL United 0 Liverpool 5 30.10.21 PL Tottenham 0 United 3 END-OF-MONTH PL STANDINGS P GD PTS 1 Chelsea 10 23 25 2 Liverpool 10 21 22 3 Man City 10 14 20 10 9 20 4 West Ham 5 UNITED 10 4 17 6 Arsenal 10 -1 17 7 Brighton 10 0 16 8 Tottenham 10 -7 15 9 1 14 9 Everton 10 Leicester 10 -2 14 11 Wolves 9 0 13 12 Brentford 10 0 12 13 Crystal Palace 10 -1 12 10 -3 11 14 Southampton 10 -5 10 15 Aston Villa 16 Watford 10 -6 10 17 Leeds 10 -7 10 10 -6 7 18 Burnley 19 Newcastle 10 -12 4 20 Norwich 10 -22 2

GOAL OF THE MONTH

CRISTIANO RONALDO V TOTTENHAM A special strike, the kind few players in the game are capable of, but which the iconic no.7 regularly makes look simple. With the game still in the balance at 0-0, Bruno Fernandes looked up

to spot his compatriot at the far post, sending over a precise delivery which Ronaldo fired into the far corner with a perfectly executed volley. No-one summed it up better than the suspended Paul Pogba, who posted his eye-popping reaction on Instagram along with the simple caption: ‘Finish. Wow!’

Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 37

PREMIER LEAGUE | MATCHDAY 7 SATURDAY 2 OCTOBER 2021 | OLD TRAFFORD | 12.30PM

UNITED 1 EVERTON 1 Martial 43

Townsend 65

Toffees hit back to cancel out Martial’s cracker

nited were held to a frustrating 1-1 Premier League draw at Old Trafford as Andros Townsend struck after the interval to cancel out Anthony Martial’s first-half opener. Martial couldn’t quite rise high enough to steer his header on target from Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s cross early on, before Fred’s long delivery was nodded goalwards by Edinson Cavani, only for Toffees stopper Jordan Pickford to paw it away. But it wasn’t all one-way traffic, as at the other end, former Reds youth player Michael Keane glanced a header just wide from a free-kick. David De Gea was then called into action, making a save from

Demarai Gray in a lively encounter. The breakthrough came in the 43rd minute with a devastating finish from Martial. A sweeping move ended with Bruno Fernandes finding the Frenchman, who powered in from the left and unleashed a right-foot rocket past Pickford to score. Everton found an equaliser on 65 minutes. After clearing a corner, the visitors raced upfield, with Gray and Abdoulaye Doucoure combining to tee up Townsend for a low finish into the bottom corner. The action intensified as substitute Cristiano Ronaldo flashed a shot across the face of the goal after 74 minutes. Fellow subs Jadon

MAN OF THE MATCH AARON WAN-BISSAKA An impressive display at both ends of the pitch from the young Londoner, with the full-back crossing well for Martial and later blocking a goalbound Doucoure effort.

POST-MATCH TABLE POS

PTS

1 2 3 4 5

7 6 7 7 7

12 11 8 5 3

16 14 14 14 14

Chelsea Liverpool UNITED Everton Brighton

38 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

The breakthrough came with a devastating finish. A sweeping move ended with Fernandes finding Martial, who unleashed a rocket

Sancho and Paul Pogba combined shortly afterwards for the latter to curl a right-footer wide, before he went close again with a header from a Fernandes corner. The Reds looked to be completely undone by another Everton counter after 85 minutes when Yerry Mina had a simple tap-in. There were a few agonising moments before VAR stepped in to cancel out his would-be winner, much to the relief of United fans. Ronaldo presented Sancho with a chance to be the decisive star late on, just as the fourth official’s board went up for added time, but his shot lacked power and it ended up being an easy stop for his England team-mate Pickford. It was a tense finale but sadly there was no decisive strike and the Reds had to settle for a point.

Martial’s goal was his seventh in 13 appearances against the Toffees – more than he has scored against any other side for United.

Left (top) Varane pursues Everton’s Gray; (bottom) Fernandes shakes hands with Everton keeper Pickford at full-time Above McTominay and Fernandes rush to congratulate Martial on his goal

UNITED 1

17 18

13 SHOTS ON TARGET

6 CORNERS

10 21

FOULS 9

STARTING XI 1 De Gea 29 Wan-Bissaka 2 Lindelof 19 Varane 23 Shaw 39 McTominay

SHOTS

EVERTON

POSSESSION (%) 72

17 Fred 11 Greenwood 18 Fernandes 9 Martial 21 Cavani

UNITED SUBS USED: Sancho for Martial 57’ • Ronaldo for Cavani 57’ • Pogba for Fred 70’ YELLOW CARDS: Greenwood

EVERTON SUBS USED: Davies for Gordon 72’ • Dobbin for Gray 90+2’

YELLOW CARDS: Doucoure

STARTING XI 1 22 13 5 12 14

Pickford Godfrey Mina Keane Digne Townsend

16 6 24 11 33

Doucoure Allan Gordon Gray Rondon

Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 39

PREMIER LEAGUE | MATCHDAY 8 SATURDAY 16 OCTOBER 2021 | KING POWER STADIUM | 3PM

LEICESTER CITY 4 UNITED 2 Tielemans 31, Soyuncu 78, Vardy 83, Daka 90+1

Greenwood 19, Rashford 82

Record unbeaten away streak ends at King Power

anchester United’s long unbeaten away run in the Premier League finally came to an end with a 4-2 defeat at Leicester. Harry Maguire had to clear a dangerous cross with six minutes on the clock, with Mason Greenwood shooting straight at Kasper Schmeichel for the Reds. It was Greenwood who did open the scoring, however, when he cut on to his left foot to rifle an effort into the top corner, via the post, for his fourth goal of the campaign. David De Gea made an save from Jamie Vardy, and Ricardo Pereira’s cross drifted inches wide as the home side sought a quick response.

Cristiano Ronaldo was denied by an instinctive Schmeichel stop before Youri Tielemans levelled for the Foxes just after the half-hour, looping a strike beyond the reach of De Gea from the edge of the box. The lively Kelechi Iheanacho took aim with attempts either side of half-time, while Greenwood sent two efforts off target. Chances continued to flow as Nemanja Matic struck a sweetly hit half-volley narrowly over and De Gea produced a stunning save to tip a shot from Tielemans on to the post, with the incidents sandwiching Marcus Rashford’s long-awaited return from the bench.

POST-MATCH TABLE POS

PTS

3 4 5 6 7

8 8 8 7 8

13 3 6 5 3

17 15 14 14 12

Man City Brighton UNITED Everton Brentford

MAN OF THE MATCH DAVID DE GEA Could do little to prevent any of Leicester’s goals in the end, but the Spanish stopper kept United in the game right up until the closing stages with a number of important saves.

40 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

Leicester took the lead for the first time when Caglar Soyuncu tapped home from close range after pinball in the box following a corner. But Rashford made a rapid impact as he raced on to Victor Lindelof’s glorious long pass to face Schmeichel, smashing in the equaliser with eight minutes to go. But the hosts once again went in front almost immediately, as an attack straight from kick-off led to Ayoze Perez setting up Vardy to lash a rising drive beyond De Gea. Just as five additional minutes were announced over the PA system, Leicester made the points safe. Tielemans’ free-kick was flicked on by Soyuncu, with Patson Daka lurking at the far post to scramble in to make it 4-2.

Rashford made a rapid impact as he raced on to Lindelof’s glorious long pass to face Schmeichel, smashing in the Reds’ equaliser

LEICESTER 1

SHOTS ON TARGET 27

CORNERS

STARTING XI Schmeichel Amartey Evans Soyuncu Pereira Tielemans

42 Soumare 27 Castagne 10 Maddison 14 Iheanacho 9 Vardy

4 9

FOULS 17

5 1 18 6 4 21 8

10 14

51 SHOTS

UNITED

POSSESSION (%) 49

LEICESTER SUBS USED: Perez for Maddison 73’ • Daka for Iheanacho 77’ • Vestergaard for Evans 88’ YELLOW CARDS: None

UNITED SUBS USED: Rashford for Sancho 65’ •

McTominay for Matic 80’ • Lingard for Greenwood 80’ YELLOW CARDS: Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Pogba

STARTING XI 1 De Gea 29 Wan-Bissaka 2 Lindelof 5 Maguire 23 Shaw 6 Pogba

31 Matic 11 Greenwood 18 Fernandes 25 Sancho 7 Ronaldo

Left (top to bottom) Matic starts a move; Sancho on the ball; Wan-Bissaka tangles with Soyuncu Above Ronaldo congratulates Rashford on his equalising goal

Defeat brought United’s 29-game unbeaten streak away from home in the Premier League to an end, a run that began in February 2020.

Manchester United 2020/21 Yearbook 15

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE | GROUP F MATCHDAY 3 WEDNESDAY 20 OCTOBER 2021 | OLD TRAFFORD | 8PM

UNITED 3 ATALANTA 2 Rashford 53, Maguire 75, Ronaldo 81

Pasalic 15, Demiral 28

Another epic European comeback thrills the fans

he Reds staged another famous European fightback to beat Atalanta 3-2 at Old Trafford with a second-half salvo in front of the buoyant Stretford End. Marcus Rashford, making his first start since the Europa League final in May, made a lively start when he pulled a shot wide in the third minute. The visitors were looking dangerous too, however, and took advantage on 15 minutes when Davide Zappacosta crossed for Mario Pasalic to stab home. Fred had a shot tipped over the bar by goalkeeper Juan Musso, but it was Atalanta who struck again just before the half-hour as Merih

Demiral rose highest to powerfully head home from a corner. United tried to respond with Fred firing wide and Rashford hitting the crossbar but the hosts went in two behind at the interval. Early in the second period, Musso saved from Cristiano Ronaldo, but a home goal finally arrived when Bruno Fernandes freed Rashford to clinically slot into the far corner. The momentum had now firmly shifted as the Reds surged to mount attack after attack. Scott McTominay hit the post and Ronaldo had a snapshot saved. Atalanta were still proving a menace but David De Gea was in

MAN OF THE MATCH CRISTIANO RONALDO The Portuguese genius marked his 300th United appearance in typical style, timing his prodigious leap to perfection to head in the winner from Shaw’s precise delivery.

GROUP F TABLE

POS

PTS

1 2 3 4

3 3 3 3

1 0 2 -3

6 4 4 3

UNITED Atalanta Villarreal Young Boys

42 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

The momentum had now shifted as the Reds surged to mount attack after attack. McTominay hit the post and Ronaldo had a snapshot saved superb form once again with excellent stops to keep out Duvan Zapata and Ruslan Malinovskyi. That provided the platform for United to hit back again with a much-needed equaliser from skipper Harry Maguire. Bruno Fernandes swung in a cross that beat everyone, with Edinson Cavani getting the merest of touches, but the captain was the back post to slam the ball in. There was still plenty of time for another astonishing script to be written as Luke Shaw crossed for Ronaldo in the 81st minute. The Portuguese hitman hung in the air characteristically to meet the delivery and steered it home with his head as Old Trafford exploded. It made for another memorable night that had the crowd buzzing at the final whistle.

Left (top) Rashford puts pressure on Freuler; (bottom left) Fred tackles Ilicic Below Ronaldo gets set for his famous celebration after scoring the winner

This was the seventh time United had come from two goals down to earn at least a draw in the European Cup/ Champions League (won 3 drawn 4).

UNITED

POSSESSION (%)

17 18

9 CORNERS

88 72

FOULS

10 17 Fred 11 Greenwood 18 Fernandes 10 Rashford 7 Ronaldo

STARTING XI

SHOTS ON TARGET

1 De Gea 29 Wan-Bissaka 2 Lindelof 5 Maguire 23 Shaw 39 McTominay

ATALANTA

SHOTS

UNITED SUBS USED: Pogba for McTominay 66’ •

Cavani for Rashford 67’ • Sancho for Greenwood 73’ •

Matic for Fred 88’ YELLOW CARDS: Shaw, Matic, Cavani

ATALANTA SUBS USED: Lovato for Demiral 45’ • Zapata

for Muriel 56’ • Malinovskyi for Pasalic 68’ • Al Miranchuk for Ilicic 68’ • Pezzella for Koopmeiners 80’

YELLOW CARDS: De Roon, Lovato, Palomino, Pasalic

STARTING XI 1 Musso 15 De Roon 28 Demiral 6 Palomino 77 Zappacosta 7 Koopmeiners

11 Freuler 3 Maehle 88 Pasalic 72 Ilicic 9 Muriel

Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 43

PREMIER LEAGUE | MATCHDAY 9 SUNDAY 24 OCTOBER 2021 | OLD TRAFFORD | 4.30PM

UNITED 0 LIVERPOOL 5 Keita 5, Jota 13, Salah 38, 45+5, 50

Misery at Old Trafford as Klopp’s men take points

nited suffered a heavy Premier League defeat to Liverpool and had Paul Pogba sent off on a day to forget at Old Trafford. Yet the first big opportunity fell to Bruno Fernandes after just four minutes following a fluid move, giving him space on the right. Unfortunately, the Portuguese playmaker lashed off target. It proved costly seconds later when Mohamed Salah created an opening for Naby Keita to slot home in front of a stunned Stretford End. Roberto Firmino almost grabbed a second for the visitors when he was denied by David De Gea, but it was only a temporary respite.

POST-MATCH TABLE POS

PTS

5 6 7 8 9

9 9 9 9 9

0 -4 1 1 0

15 15 14 14 14

Brighton Tottenham UNITED Everton Leicester

A defensive mix-up allowed Keita to steal the ball and find Trent Alexander-Arnold on the right flank. The full-back fizzed in a low cross which was slid in at the far post by Diogo Jota. Scott McTominay and Cristiano Ronaldo both fired over, Luke Shaw skidded an effort narrowly wide, while Mason Greenwood and Marcus Rashford were denied by Alisson as United aimed to strike back. But no home goal arrived and Liverpool instead extended their lead on 38 minutes when Salah’s blocked shot rebounded to Keita, who squared back to the Egyptian to smash in. Salah got his second and the Merseysiders’ fourth in first-half stoppage time, steering Jota’s pass beyond the outstretched arm of De Gea. He completed his hat-trick early in the second half, latching on to Jordan Henderson’s piercing through ball and nudging past De Gea into the corner. Ronaldo looked to have got on the scoresheet himself with a fine curling finish, but the effort

was ruled out by VAR for a very narrow offside call. A tough afternoon took another bad turn when substitute Pogba – having initially been booked by referee Anthony Taylor – had his caution upgraded to a red card following another review. As the game petered out, Edinson Cavani hit the bar from close range, in what was the final moment of frustration on a painful day in M16.

Ronaldo looked to have got on the scoresheet with a fine curling finish, but the effort was ruled out by VAR for a very narrow offside call 44 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

UNITED

POSSESSION (%)

17 18

12 SHOTS ON TARGET

4 CORNERS

6 7

FOULS

STARTING XI 17 Fred 11 Greenwood 18 Fernandes 10 Rashford 7 Ronaldo

10 1 De Gea 29 Wan-Bissaka 2 Lindelof 5 Maguire 23 Shaw 39 McTominay

LIVERPOOL

SHOTS

UNITED SUBS USED: Pogba for Greenwood 45’ • Cavani for Fernandes 62’ • Dalot for Rashford 62’

YELLOW CARDS: Wan-Bissaka, Maguire, Shaw, Fred, Fernandes, Ronaldo. RED CARDS: Pogba

LIVERPOOL SUBS USED: Jones for Milner 27’ •

Oxlade-Chamberlain for Keita 63’ • Mane for Firmino 76’ YELLOW CARDS: None

STARTING XI 1 Alisson 66 AlexanderArnold 5 Konate 4 van Dijk 26 Robertson

8 Keita 14 Henderson 7 Milner 11 Salah 9 Firmino 20 Jota

Left (top) Rashford runs at Alexander-Arnold; (middle) McTominay tries to get a foothold; (bottom left) Shaw prepares a corner Below The Reds walk out for kick-off ahead of the 208th meeting between the clubs

This was our 69th defeat to Liverpool, dating back to a 0-2 loss in meeting no.1 in 1894 – but United still topped that head-to-head with 81 wins (with 58 draws).

Manchester United 2020/21 Yearbook 15

PREMIER LEAGUE | MATCHDAY 10 SATURDAY 30 OCTOBER 2021 | TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR STADIUM | 5.30PM

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 0 UNITED 3 Ronaldo 39, Cavani 64, Rashford 86

Ronny leads us back to winning ways on the road

anchester United bounced back from the dispiriting defeat to Liverpool by sweeping aside Tottenham Hotspur 3-0. Heung-min Son had an early effort deflected behind by Fred, before Luke Shaw’s inviting delivery towards the back post was cut out with Cristiano Ronaldo lurking. Another chance then fell to Son as he expertly controlled the ball with his left foot before prodding over with his right. The hosts had the ball in the net when Christian Romero bundled in with his body after a corner was flicked on, but his celebrations were cut short by the offside flag. At the other end, Fred’s powerful long-range attempt was beaten away by Hugo Lloris, but the Reds were soon celebrating the opener. Bruno Fernandes picked out his fellow countryman Ronaldo and the latter demonstrated all of his supreme finishing prowess with a masterful volley back across the goal and into the far corner.

POST-MATCH TABLE POS

PTS

3 4 5 6 7

10 9 10 10 10

14 6 4 -1 0

20 17 17 17 16

Man City West Ham UNITED Arsenal Brighton

46 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

Having gone in behind at the break, Spurs rallied in the second half and another opening came when Lucas Moura set up Son, who flashed a shot well wide. Moments later, Ronaldo thought he had a second after breaking away and smashing a shot high into the net, but the flag went up for offside. Shortly after the hour, Fernandes stole possession from Oliver Skipp and found Ronaldo, who slipped a delicate pass beyond the defence for Edinson Cavani to brilliantly lift the ball beyond Lloris for 2-0. Harry Kane threatened to reduce the arrears when he surged into the United half, but he cut an isolated figure and his cross was mopped up by the industrious Scott McTominay. With the final whistle looming, Nemanja Matic fed fellow substitute Marcus Rashford, who burst clear and emphatically side-footed his finish into the far corner. It was the perfect way to round off a successful and confidenceboosting evening in north London.

Fernandes picked out Ronaldo and the latter demonstrated all of his finishing prowess with a masterful volley into the far corner

MAN OF THE MATCH CRISTIANO RONALDO Set the tone with a world-class finish for the opener, then turned provider for Cavani to put United in control. Also had a potential second goal disallowed despite another confident finish.

BACK TO CONTENTS

34+

Ronaldo’s assist to Cavani was United’s first league goal in which two players aged 34 or over combined since 2010 (Scholes and Giggs v Newcastle).

Left (top to bottom) Wan-Bissaka and Dier compete; Rashford celebrates United’s third; Maguire speaks to England team-mate Kane Above Cavani is congratulated for making it 2-0

TOTTENHAM 1

SHOTS

29 18

9 SHOTS ON TARGET

0 7

CORNERS 2

10 FOULS

STARTING XI 5 Hojbjerg 29 Skipp 27 Lucas Moura 18 Lo Celso 7 Son 10 Kane

12 1 Lloris 12 Emerson Royal 4 Romero 15 Dier 33 Davies

UNITED

POSSESSION (%) 58

TOTTENHAM SUBS USED: Bergwijn for Lucas Moura 54’ • Ndombele for Skipp 66’ • Alli for Lo Celso 73’ YELLOW CARDS: Romero, Davies

UNITED SUBS USED: Rashford for Ronaldo 71’ • Matic for Fernandes 76’ • Lingard for Cavani 82’ YELLOW CARDS: Maguire, Fred, Shaw

STARTING XI 1 De Gea 2 Lindelof 19 Varane 5 Maguire 29 Wan-Bissaka 18 Fernandes

39 McTominay 17 Fred 23 Shaw 21 Cavani 7 Ronaldo

Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 47

NOVEMBER Two painful league defeats leads to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s departure, in a month where the Reds took comfort from progress to the last 16 in Europe

ollowing a 4-1 league loss away to Watford, it was announced on 21 November that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer would leave his role as manager of Manchester United. A club legend who will always be remembered fondly for his efforts, both on the pitch and in the dugout, Solskjaer said upon his departure: “This club means everything to me and together we’re a good match, but unfortunately I couldn’t get the results we needed and it’s time for me to step aside. It’s been a ball. Let’s keep supporting this team, you’ve got to stick with them. They [the fans] have been amazing with me since one of my first kicks of the ball – I scored with one of the first ones – until now. And I’m sure we’ll meet again because if there’s anywhere I’m going to watch football games, that’s at Old Trafford.” The month began with an important Champions League point away to Atalanta, where Cristiano Ronaldo was once again the star, twice scoring equalisers – including a fine injury-time effort to add to his similarly dramatic strikes in the home meeting and against Villarreal. A derby defeat to Manchester City followed in the Premier League, as well as the aforementioned loss to the Hornets, but in typical United fashion, when times got tough the Reds dug deep and pulled a result out of the bag. Interim manager Michael Carrick oversaw a 2-0 win away to Villarreal, thanks to goals from Ronaldo and Jadon Sancho, to seal a spot in the Champions League’s last 16. A few days later, Sancho was on target again to open the scoring 48 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

away to Chelsea, as United earned a promising point against the league leaders at Stamford Bridge. It wasn’t just at Old Trafford where a managerial change took place. Eddie Howe filled the vacancy Steve Bruce had left at Newcastle, while Antonio Conte came in for Nuno Espirito Santo at Tottenham, and Norwich replaced Daniel Farke with Dean Smith following his departure from Aston Villa, where Steven Gerrard took the hotseat. A top three of Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool were starting to pull away from the pack – while there were just two points between first and third, there were then a further five separating them from West Ham in fourth. Arsenal, Wolves and Spurs completed the top seven and the European places, while Norwich, Burnley and Newcastle were in the drop zone. United, meanwhile, were in eighth, five points off a Champions League spot. It had been a tough start to the campaign, but with changes afoot it was now time to look to the future.

Above De Gea, Telles and Matic applaud the away fans as a difficult month comes to an end with a draw at Stamford Bridge

PLAYER FOCUS JADON SANCHO

Sancho showed his quality with two key goals in November. First, he thumped in to seal Champions League progression at Villarreal, and then pounced on Jorginho’s error to race through and slot home against Chelsea.

WATCH! Click here to enjoy all the Goal of the Month contenders

UNITED’S NOVEMBER RESULTS 02.11.21 CL Atalanta 2 United 2 06.11.21 PL United 0 Man City 2 20.11.21 PL Watford 4 United 1 23.11.21 CL Villarreal 0 United 2 28.11.21 PL Chelsea 1 United 1

GOAL OF THE MONTH JADON SANCHO V VILLARREAL

In the final minute of normal time, Fred stabbed possession towards Ronaldo, who returned the ball with a clever flick. The pair then combined with Scott McTominay before Marcus

END-OF-MONTH PL STANDINGS P GD PTS 1 Chelsea 13 26 30 2 Man City 13 20 29 3 Liverpool 13 28 28 4 West Ham 13 8 23 5 Arsenal 13 -2 23 6 Wolves 13 0 20 7 Tottenham 12 -6 19 8 UNITED 13 -1 18 13 -2 18 9 Brighton 10 Leicester 13 -3 18 11 Brentford 13 0 16 12 Crystal Palace 14 -1 16 13 Aston Villa 13 -3 16 13 -4 15 14 Everton 14 -7 15 15 Leeds 16 Southampton 13 -7 14 13 -6 13 17 Watford 14 -20 10 18 Norwich 19 Burnley 12 -6 9 20 Newcastle 14 -14 7

Rashford surged forward and cut it back for Bruno Fernandes. He, in turn, played a delicate pass to Sancho, who took a touch before hammering in a rising effort via the crossbar. “I was so pleased for Jadon,” noted Michael Carrick. “To get his goal at the end pretty much capped the game off perfectly.”

Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 49

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE | GROUP F MATCHDAY 4 TUESDAY 2 NOVEMBER 2021 | GEWISS STADIUM | 8PM

ATALANTA 2 UNITED 2 Ilicic 12, Zapata 56

Ronaldo 45+1, 90+1

Stoppage-time strikes keep campaign on track

he Reds claimed a vital Champions League point away to Atalanta thanks to two fine goals from Cristiano Ronaldo. United came firing out of the blocks in Bergamo. Ronaldo tested his shooting boots within 20 seconds but the long-range effort was saved by Juan Musso. Marcus Rashford’s blocked effort then found the feet of Paul Pogba, who set up Scott McTominay for a deflected strike that hit the post. Despite this, it was the hosts who took the lead after 12 minutes. Duvan Zapata provided a low cross for Josip Ilicic, who beat David De Gea with a powerful strike.

In response, Ronaldo picked out Luke Shaw at the back stick, but the latter’s volley into the ground went over, before Ronaldo himself headed off target from Paul Pogba’s cross. At the other end, an Atalanta block led to the ball landing with Zapata in acres of space in front of goal. Thankfully, Eric Bailly was on hand to intervene brilliantly. United levelled just before the break. Mason Greenwood, on as a sub for the injured Raphael Varane, found Bruno Fernandes, who in turn brilliantly backheeled it through to Ronaldo, who was there to net for the fourth straight Champions League game. Another big

MAN OF THE MATCH CRISTIANO RONALDO Two more sublime strikes at the end of each half, to add to the impressive Champions League tally for a player who seems to relish producing the goods when it matters most.

GROUP F TABLE

POS

PTS

1 2 3 4

4 4 4 4

1 4 0 -5

7 7 5 3

UNITED Villarreal Atalanta Young Boys

50 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

Fernandes brilliantly backheeled through to Ronaldo, who was there to net for the fourth straight Champions League game

opportunity arrived on 48 minutes when Ronaldo attempted to return the favour, bursting into the box and setting up Fernandes, whose shot was blocked. Greenwood then hit the post from an offside position, before Zapata ran in behind the backline and fired home from close range to make it 2-1. An offside decision was reversed by VAR. With 15 minutes to go, an attack reached Aaron Wan-Bissaka at the corner of the hosts’ area but this time his effort bounced clear. Bailly then produced another stunning clearance, before Zapata headed over. Substitute Luis Muriel and the lively Zapata tested David De Gea, but our no.1 stood firm. In stoppage time, it was Ronaldo who found the equaliser in dramatic fashion, firing in from the edge of the area to keep his side top of Group F.

127

Left (top to bottom) Ronaldo and team-mates celebrate our first goal; Maguire tackles Zapata; Solskjaer applauds the travelling fans Below The teams walk out at Gewiss Stadium

Ronaldo’s brace took him on to 127 goals in total for United – one ahead of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and level with Brian McClair.

ATALANTA 1

SHOTS ON TARGET 3

4 CORNERS

5 91

STARTING XI 11 Freuler 3 Maehle 88 Pasalic 72 Ilicic 91 Zapata

FOULS 14

11 1 Musso 15 De Roon 28 Demiral 6 Palomino 77 Zappacosta 7 Koopmeiners

88 72

53 SHOTS

UNITED

POSSESSION (%) 47

ATALANTA SUBS USED: Djimsiti for Pasalic 45’ • Muriel for Ilicic 71’ YELLOW CARDS: None

UNITED SUBS USED: Greenwood for Varane 38’ •

Matic for Pogba 69’ • Cavani for Rashford 69’ • Sancho for McTominay 87’ • van de Beek for Fernandes 87’ YELLOW CARDS: McTominay

STARTING XI 1 De Gea 3 Bailly 19 Varane 5 Maguire 29 Wan-Bissaka 6 Pogba

39 McTominay 23 Shaw 18 Fernandes 10 Rashford 7 Ronaldo

Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 51

PREMIER LEAGUE | MATCHDAY 11 SATURDAY 6 NOVEMBER 2021 | OLD TRAFFORD | 12.30PM

UNITED 0 MANCHESTER CITY 2 Bailly 7 (og), Silva 45

The Reds fail to trouble City on tough derby day

he Manchester derby ended in dispiriting defeat for United as City left Old Trafford with a 2-0 Premier League win. The first decent chance of the derby fell to skipper Harry Maguire in the fifth minute when he met Luke Shaw’s free-kick with a solid header that was directed wide. But it was the visitors who broke the deadlock with seven minutes on the clock, when a Joao Cancelo low cross was turned in at the near post by Eric Bailly as he attempted to clear. The Blues were dominating possession but home fans were up off their seats midway through the half. Shaw’s cross was volleyed goalwards by Cristiano Ronaldo, but Ederson got down to save, with Mason Greenwood unable to react in time to turn in the rebound. David De Gea had to be at his best to keep United in the contest, saving from Gabriel Jesus, Cancelo (twice), Kevin De Bruyne and also preventing a second own goal, this time from Victor Lindelof. It was a worrying spell but United survived, until falling further behind

in the dying embers of the half. Cancelo’s deep cross to the far post appeared to surprise the defence and Bernardo Silva nipped in to turn the ball home via De Gea’s chest. Despite a change of system, and the introductions of Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford from the bench, City saw out the initial alteration of dynamics and settled back into their passing game. Shaw had been caught in the face during an aerial clash with Rodri and carried on for a short spell before he needed to be replaced by Alex Telles after 73 minutes. Donny van de Beek was also brought on, in place of Fred, but Pep

POST-MATCH TABLE POS

PTS

3 4 5 6 7

10 10 11 11 10

21 9 2 0 -1

22 20 17 17 17

Liverpool West Ham UNITED Brighton Arsenal

MAN OF THE MATCH DAVID DE GEA Would have been disappointed with the second goal but had previously made several key saves to keep United in contention on his 350th Premier League appearance.

52 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

Guardiola’s team almost extended their lead when Phil Foden brushed the post with a low effort. City’s control of the ball meant the Reds struggled to create any significant dangerous moments in the closing stages and, with the visitors having established a comfortable lead, the Premier League fixture sadly fizzled out without any dramatic finale.

City’s control of the ball meant the Reds struggled to create any significant dangerous moments and the fixture sadly fizzled out

UNITED

SHOTS ON TARGET 23

1 CORNERS

1 FOULS

STARTING XI 39 McTominay 17 Fred 23 Shaw 11 Greenwood 7 Ronaldo

9 1 De Gea 3 Bailly 2 Lindelof 5 Maguire 29 Wan-Bissaka 18 Fernandes

SHOTS

MAN CITY

POSSESSION (%) 33

UNITED SUBS USED: Sancho for Bailly 45’ •

Rashford for Greenwood 67’ • Telles for Shaw 73’ •

van de Beek for Fred 80’ YELLOW CARDS: Ronaldo MAN CITY SUBS USED: None

YELLOW CARDS: Cancelo, Silva

STARTING XI 31 2 5 3 27 17

Ederson Walker Stones Dias Cancelo De Bruyne

16 Rodri 8 Gundogan 9 Jesus 20 Silva 47 Foden

Left (top to bottom) The managers lay wreaths ahead of Remembrance Sunday; Telles tussles with Jesus; Lindelof dispossesses Bernardo Silva Below The teams observe a minute’s silence before the game kicks off at Old Trafford

Including this game, just three of the most recent 18 Manchester derby matches across all competitions had ended in a home victory.

Manchester United 2020/21 Yearbook 15

PREMIER LEAGUE | MATCHDAY 12 SATURDAY 20 NOVEMBER 2021 | VICARAGE ROAD | 3PM

WATFORD 4 UNITED 1

King 28, Sarr 44, Joao Pedro 90+2, Dennis 90+6

van de Beek 50

Vicarage Road loss signals Solskjaer’s departure

t was another disappointing Premier League defeat for United as struggling Watford scored twice in each half to seal a famous victory for the Hornets of Hertfordshire and make it a day to forget for the Reds. The afternoon took a worrying path from the opening skirmishes at Vicarage Road. Former United forward Joshua King was dragged down for a Hornets penalty on four minutes, and although David De Gea saved Ismaila Sarr’s spot-kick, Kiko Femenia reacted quickest from the rebound to seemingly smash in the opener. But a VAR check ruled that both Femenia and a United player were inside the box when the penalty was kicked, leading to a retake. Incredibly, De Gea was once again the hero, with another top stop from Sarr. The Reds’ first chance of the match came on a counterattack as Cristiano Ronaldo ran down the left before a shot from our no.7 was blocked for a corner which unfortunately resulted in no further threat on the Watford goal.

POST-MATCH TABLE POS

PTS

5 6 7 8 9

12 12 12 12 12

-4 0 -1 -2 1

20 19 17 17 16

Arsenal Wolves UNITED Brighton Crystal Palace

54 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

Harry Maguire got in the way of a big King chance from six yards, but the Norwegian striker did find the net on 27 minutes when he tapped in Emmanuel Dennis’s cutback from close range. Marcus Rashford almost levelled shortly afterwards but his volley was kept out by another ex-Red, goalkeeper Ben Foster, who soon thwarted the same player again. King headed straight at De Gea but then the home side did get a second when Sarr flashed a fierce drive into the far corner in the closing moments of the first half. Donny van de Beek came on at the break and had an immediate impact, slotting in his first goal of the season after Ronaldo nodded the ball down. Bruno Fernandes shot wide and Ronaldo was denied by Foster when through one-on-one as the Reds pushed hard to level. That task was made more difficult when Maguire was sent off on 69 minutes for a second yellow card, although Ronaldo kept pushing for a goal, shooting off

Donny van de Beek came on after the break and had an immediate impact, slotting in his first goal of the season after Ronaldo headed on

target and going close with a header. He thought he had equalised as he beat two players and poked into the net, but was unfortunately flagged offside, before Fernandes hit an effort over the top. The missed chances proved costly, as Joao Pedro and Dennis found the net in stoppage time to ensure Watford took the points in what would prove to be Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s final game in charge.

Left (top to bottom) van de Beek salutes the fans after his goal; Martial tries to create an opening; A dejected Fernandes is consoled by Fred and manager Solskjaer Below Sancho is challenged by Masina

David De Gea’s penalty save meant he’d kept out two league spot-kicks in a single campaign for the first time at United (excluding Sarr’s overruled initial attempt).

WATFORD 1

20 SHOTS ON TARGET

CORNERS 3

STARTING XI 23 8 19 25 7

Sarr Cleverley Sissoko Dennis King

FOULS 5

7 Foster Femenia Cathcart Nkoulou Masina Louza

1 21 15 13 11 6

SHOTS

6 23

UNITED

POSSESSION (%) 39

WATFORD SUBS USED: Troost-Ekong for Nkoulu 64’ • Hernandez for Sarr 68’ • Joao Pedro for Louza 77’ YELLOW CARDS: Louza, Dennis

UNITED SUBS USED: van de Beek for McTominay 45’ • Martial for Rashford 45’ • Dalot for Shaw 84’ • Lingard for Sancho 90+1’ YELLOW CARDS:

McTominay, Maguire RED CARDS: Maguire

STARTING XI 1 De Gea 29 Wan-Bissaka 2 Lindelof 5 Maguire 23 Shaw 39 McTominay

31 Matic 25 Sancho 18 Fernandes 10 Rashford 7 Ronaldo

Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 55

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE | GROUP F MATCHDAY 5 TUESDAY 23 NOVEMBER 2021 | ESTADIO DE LA CERAMICA | 5.45PM

VILLARREAL 0 UNITED 2 Ronaldo 78, Sancho 90

Patient display is rewarded by decisive late goals

ate goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Jadon Sancho secured a winning start to Michael Carrick’s spell as interim boss, as well as qualification to the Round of 16 with one group game to spare. Scott McTominay headed into the side-netting before David De Gea denied Moi Gomez at the other end, with Yeremi Pino and Pau Torres also firing off target for the hosts. Manu Trigueros then latched onto goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli’s long ball to force a fine save out of De Gea, while Rulli stopped Ronaldo’s header. The chances continued to flow, with Dani Parejo’s free-kick flying over and Gomez having a shot

deflected wide off Victor Lindelof. In the second half, Fred’s tame shot was claimed by Rulli, and De Gea was called into action again just before the hour mark when he pulled off a spectacular one-handed diving stop from Trigueros. An incisive move raised hopes in the 71st minute when Sancho played a great one-two with Bruno Fernandes, but then Rulli rushed off his line to block with his leg. Then the breakthrough came. After Etienne Capoue received the ball from Rulli, Fred dispossessed the midfielder, allowing Ronaldo to demonstrate excellent awareness with a delicate lob into the net.

MAN OF THE MATCH JADON SANCHO Having earlier been denied his first Reds goal by goalkeeper Rulli, Sancho did eventually get the landmark strike late on with an unstoppable hit to seal an important victory.

GROUP F TABLE

56 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

POS

PTS

1 2 3 4

5 5 5 5

3 2 0 -5

10 7 6 4

UNITED Villarreal Atalanta Young Boys

An incisive move raised hopes in the 71st minute when Sancho played a great one-two with Fernandes, but Rulli came off his line to block Capoue tried to atone but could not direct a flying header from Alberto Moreno’s cross on target as Villarreal chased an equaliser. Ronaldo was almost on the scoresheet again after showing clever anticipation to meet a Juan Foyth header before Rulli, only to nudge his finish wide of the far post. Substitutes Marcus Rashford and Fernandes also had decent attempts, before the icing on the cake, as the Reds finished strongly on a satisfying evening in Spain. Fred won the ball again in midfield and a slick move culminated in Rashford squaring to Fernandes, who helped it on to Sancho. The away fans held their breath and were able to witness the winger’s maiden strike for the club as his thumping drive bounced in off the underside of the bar for our second goal.

This was the 23rd time United had progressed through a Champions League group, from 28 attempts.

Left (bottom left) The teams line up; (near left) McTominay eludes Parejo Below Ronaldo congratulates Sancho on his first goal as a United player

VILLARREAL 13

SHOTS

13 SHOTS ON TARGET

CORNERS

STARTING XI 6 5 23 14 15

Capoue Parejo Gomez Trigueros Danjuma

FOULS 5

9 Rulli Foyth Albiol Torres Estupinan Pino

3 8

13 8 3 4 12 21

UNITED

POSSESSION (%) 51

VILLARREAL SUBS USED: Chukwueze for Pino 73’ •

Moreno for Trigueros 73’ • Dani Raba for Estupinan 79’ • Dia for Gomez 84’ YELLOW CARDS: Pino

UNITED SUBS USED: Fernandes for van de Beek 66’ • Rashford for Martial 66’ • Matic for Ronaldo 90+1’ •

Mata for Sancho 90+3’ YELLOW CARDS: van de Beek

STARTING XI 1 De Gea 29 Wan-Bissaka 2 Lindelof 5 Maguire 27 Telles 17 Fred

39 McTominay 25 Sancho 34 van de Beek 9 Martial 7 Ronaldo

Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 57

PREMIER LEAGUE | MATCHDAY 13 SUNDAY 28 NOVEMBER 2021 | STAMFORD BRIDGE | 4.30PM

CHELSEA 1 UNITED 1 Jorginho 69 (pen)

Sancho 50

Sancho strikes again as Reds take point in SW6

high-intensity encounter at Stamford Bridge ended all square as Chelsea and United shared the points in a 1-1 draw. The hosts created a couple of chances in the opening five minutes, with Hakim Ziyech and Callum Hudson-Odoi both being denied by David De Gea. United’s first chance of the evening fell to Bruno Fernandes as the Reds got forward, but on trying one from range he pulled his effort wide of Edouard Mendy’s post. On the half-hour mark Antonio Rudiger fired one from 25 yards that crashed off the crossbar. Replays showed it might have snuck in the

top corner if not for a very fine touch from the fingertips of De Gea. Fred looked to have been blocked off by Rudiger in the box towards the end of the half, but the penalty claims of the home side were waved away by referee Anthony Taylor. The final action before the break saw De Gea once again involved, as a Reece James free-kick missed everyone in the waiting crowd but bounced awkwardly, requiring the Spaniard to tip it to safety. United went ahead early in the second half. A Fernandes clearance from deep was miscontrolled by Jorginho on the halfway line, with Sancho nipping in to steal the ball.

Sancho raced through, supported by Rashford, but went it alone and kept his cool to slot past Mendy for his second goal in two games

POST-MATCH TABLE POS

PTS

6 7 8 9 10

13 12 13 13 13

0 -6 -1 -2 -3

20 19 18 18 18

Wolves Tottenham UNITED Brighton Leicester

MAN OF THE MATCH DAVID DE GEA Another textbook goalkeeping display from De Gea and more priceless saves to add to his ever-expanding showreel, with his efforts indispensable in earning a draw.

58 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

He raced through, supported by Marcus Rashford, but went it alone and kept his cool to slot past Mendy for his second goal in two games. As Chelsea looked for a quick comeback, Timo Werner had a golden chance to level the scores when a corner dropped to him in the area, but the German fluffed his lines by wildly striking the ball wide. Thomas Tuchel’s side were then awarded a penalty as Thiago Silva went down after getting to the ball ahead of Aaron Wan-Bissaka. Jorginho duly sent De Gea the wrong way from the spot with his usual skipping run-up. Wan-Bissaka put in an important block from Werner and Fred’s chip from an errant Mendy pass was caught by the Chelsea goalkeeper, before Rudiger missed a glorious late chance as the game finished level.

Left (top) Fred races past Ziyech; (bottom) Telles with Carrick at full-time Below Rashford and Sancho wheel away in celebration after the latter’s goal

BACK TO CONTENTS

Sancho became the fourth player whose first Premier League goal for United came at Chelsea – after Eric Cantona, Phil Neville and Harry Maguire.

CHELSEA 16

3 SHOTS ON TARGET

3 20

6 CORNERS

STARTING XI 5 Jorginho 3 Alonso 22 Ziyech 20 Hudson-Odoi 11 Werner

17 25

FOULS

13 Mendy Chalobah Thiago Silva Rudiger James Loftus-Cheek

16 14 6 2 24 12

34 SHOTS

UNITED

POSSESSION (%) 66

CHELSEA SUBS USED: Mount for Alonso 78’ • Pulisic for Hudson-Odoi 78’ • Lukaku for Werner 82’ YELLOW CARDS: James, Jorginho

UNITED SUBS USED: Ronaldo for Sancho 64’ •

Lingard for Rashford 77’ • van de Beek for Fernandes 89’ YELLOW CARDS: Bailly, McTominay, Fernandes, Ronaldo, Rashford

STARTING XI 1 De Gea 29 Wan-Bissaka 2 Lindelof 3 Bailly 27 Telles 39 McTominay

31 Matic 18 Fernandes 17 Fred 25 Sancho 10 Rashford

Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 59

DECEMBER With a new interim manager arriving, the results begin to perk up with an unbeaten month, despite Covid-enforced fixture gaps disrupting proceedings

ichael Carrick’s spell as caretaker manager came to an end at the beginning of the month, with Ralf Rangnick arriving on an interim basis until the end of the 2021/22 campaign. “The squad is full of talent and has a great balance of youth and experience – my efforts for the next six months will be on helping these players fulfil their potential, both individually and, most importantly, as a team,” the German said on his arrival. December proved to be a more productive period on the field as United went unbeaten in six games. First, Carrick claimed an impressive victory in his final game at the helm, a 3-2 win over Arsenal that brought to mind the classic duels between the sides from years gone by. Rangnick then started his temporary reign with three points thanks to Fred’s solitary strike against Crystal Palace, while the Champions League group stage concluded with a 1-1 draw at home to Young Boys. The calendar year ended with a trio of league outings, and wins over Norwich and Burnley either side of another point on the road, at Newcastle. It meant that the Reds finished 2021 in sixth, four points off the top four but with a game in hand. One downside was when clubs once again felt the impact of Covid-19, with a number of matches postponed due to various outbreaks. Two of the Reds’ games were among these – away to Brentford and at home to Brighton on 14 and 18 December respectively – 60 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

meaning the usually jam-packed festive schedule on this occasion at one point included a 16-day break. Manchester City had opened up a substantial gap in first place by this time, eight points clear of closest challengers Chelsea. Pep Guardiola’s team won seven out of seven in the Premier League in December, including a 7-0 demolition of Leeds and a 6-3 thriller at home to Leicester. Liverpool were third, Arsenal fourth, and West Ham’s surprise success showed no signs of slowing down, with the Hammers up in fifth, though admittedly with the standings slightly skewed by teams now having differing numbers of games played due to the return of Covid-related postponements. The side most affected by this disruption was Burnley, who had now played a full four games fewer than the top two in the Premier League. Sean Dyche’s Clarets were playing catch-up second from bottom, ahead of only Newcastle and Norwich heading into the new year.

Above Sancho considers his options as he prepares to take a corner at home to Arsenal

PLAYER FOCUS CRISTIANO RONALDO

The Portuguese no.7’s decisive brace against Arsenal moved him on to 801 senior goals for club and country, a tally no player in history could officially match. He also netted against Norwich and Burnley.

UNITED’S DECEMBER RESULTS 02.12.21 PL United 3 Arsenal 2 05.12.21 PL United 1 Crystal Palace 0 08.12.21 CL United 1 Young Boys 1 11.12.21 PL Norwich 0 United 1 27.12.21 PL Newcastle 1 United 1 30.12.21 PL United 3 Burnley 1

WATCH! Click here to enjoy all the Goal of the Month contenders

GOAL OF THE MONTH FRED V CRYSTAL PALACE

Victory in Ralf Rangnick’s first game in charge was secured in style when the Brazilian midfielder curled a glorious effort in over Palace goalkeeper Vicente Guaita from the edge of

END-OF-MONTH PL STANDINGS P GD PTS 1 Man City 20 39 50 2 Chelsea 20 24 42 3 Liverpool 19 34 41 4 Arsenal 19 9 35 5 West Ham 19 9 31 6 UNITED 18 4 31 7 Tottenham 17 2 30 8 Wolves 18 -1 25 9 Leicester 18 -2 25 10 Brighton 18 -1 24 11 Crystal Palace 19 0 23 12 Aston Villa 18 -4 22 13 Southampton 19 -9 21 18 -4 20 14 Brentford 17 -8 19 15 Everton 16 Leeds 18 -18 16 17 Watford 17 -13 13 16 -9 11 18 Burnley 19 Newcastle 19 -23 11 20 Norwich 19 -34 10

the area on 77 minutes. “It’s always good to score in a game, but today we win 1-0 and it’s nice that my goal can be so important,” said Fred in his post-match MUTV interview. “With me being left-footed, sometimes I try with my right. I just looked for the goal and it happened. I’m very blessed.”

Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 61

PREMIER LEAGUE | MATCHDAY 14 THURSDAY 2 DECEMBER 2021 | OLD TRAFFORD | 8.15PM

UNITED 3 ARSENAL 2

Fernandes 44, Ronaldo 52, 70 (pen)

Smith Rowe 13, Odegaard 54

Reds edge Old Trafford thriller amid controversy

ristiano Ronaldo struck twice as United outfought Arsenal for a 3-2 victory in a topsy-turvy encounter at Old Trafford. Diogo Dalot had the first chance when he cut in from the right and saw his shot take a deflection off a defender before being held by Aaron Ramsdale. Ronaldo then took aim with a long-range effort that flew wide to the right of the goal. Instead, it was Arsenal who took the lead in freakish circumstances. David De Gea was caught on his ankle by Fred ahead of a corner, and went down in distress as the ball was cleared. Play was allowed to continue and Emile Smith Rowe shot into an empty net, with the goal

controversially left to stand by VAR. Doing well to regroup, United largely dominated the rest of the half. Ben White intervened to prevent Ronaldo connecting with an overhead kick, and Harry Maguire had two shots of his own – one that flew over and one which was saved by Ramsdale. Bruno Fernandes equalised one minute before the break. A deft touch from Fred created the opening, and Fernandes beat Ramsdale with a strike that was too hot for the goalkeeper to handle. The Gunners came out after half-time on the offensive, as Gabriel headed towards goal from a corner, but De Gea was well positioned to claw the ball off the line.

Fernandes equalised one minute before the break. A deft touch from Fred created the opening, and Bruno hit a strike that was too hot to handle POST-MATCH TABLE POS

PTS

5 6 7 8 9

14 13 14 14 14

-3 -4 0 0 -2

23 22 21 21 19

Arsenal Tottenham UNITED Wolves Brighton

62 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

Ronaldo was then denied by Ramsdale and Marcus Rashford also had an attempt saved during a lively opening five minutes of the second period. The same pair then combined to put United ahead for the first time. Rashford played the ball to Ronaldo, who was primed to shoot incisively into the opposite corner in front of a delighted Stretford End. Yet it was all square again just 90 seconds later, when Martin Odegaard stroked a low drive out of the reach of De Gea to make it 2-2. The Norwegian midfielder then proceeded to wipe out Fred in the box, and United were awarded a penalty after a VAR check. Ronaldo stepped up and rifled the spot-kick straight down the middle. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Bukayo Saka had chances in the closing stages, but the Reds held on for a morale-boosting triumph.

MAN OF THE MATCH CRISTIANO RONALDO Another match-winning contribution from Cristiano, who left the field to a rapturous reception when he was substituted in the closing stages of the game.

801

Left (clockwise from bottom left) Telles takes a leap over Tomiyasu; Fred embraces Carrick on his final game in charge as caretaker boss Above United players celebrate a hard-earned victory at full-time

UNITED

Cristiano Ronaldo’s double took him to 801 senior career goals for club and country – 130 of which had come with United.

SHOTS

14 SHOTS ON TARGET

10 CORNERS

3 7

FOULS

STARTING XI 17 Fred 10 Rashford 18 Fernandes 25 Sancho 7 Ronaldo

9 1 De Gea 20 Dalot 2 Lindelof 5 Maguire 27 Telles 39 McTominay

ARSENAL

POSSESSION (%) 44

UNITED SUBS USED: Lingard for Rashford 79’ •

Martial for Ronaldo 88’ • van de Beek for Fernandes 90’ YELLOW CARDS: McTominay

ARSENAL SUBS USED: Saka for Smith Rowe 70’ •

Nketiah for Odegaard 79’ • Lacazette for Aubameyang 79’ YELLOW CARDS: None

STARTING XI 32 Ramsdale 18 Tomiyasu 4 White 6 Gabriel 20 Tavares 35 Martinelli

5 25 10 8 14

Partey Elneny Smith Rowe Odegaard Aubameyang

Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 63

PREMIER LEAGUE | MATCHDAY 15 SUNDAY 5 DECEMBER 2021 | OLD TRAFFORD | 2PM

UNITED 1 Fred 77

CRYSTAL PALACE 0 Interim boss Rangnick makes bow with home win

alf Rangnick’s first game in charge of Manchester United ended in victory as a stunning strike from Fred gave the Reds a crucial three points in the Premier League. The Reds made an intense start, with Marcus Rashford winning an early corner, Alex Telles firing wide and Cristiano Ronaldo being tackled as he shaped to shoot. Ronaldo then almost picked out Bruno Fernandes with a cross towards the left side of the box, only to see his compatriot unable to find enough height on his jump to meet it. Wilfried Zaha’s long-range attempt was held by David De Gea but Palace struggled to seriously threaten, while Ronaldo had an effort blocked and then headed wide. Quick feet from Jadon Sancho led to a chance from Fred on the edge of the box, but James Tomkins was there to block with his head. United’s pressure continued and Fernandes saw a shot saved by Vicente Guaita, before he and Ronaldo had efforts blocked. A dominant first half ended with Sancho’s shot deflecting over and Diogo Dalot firing wide.

The visitors finally began to create chances themselves in the second period. Cheikhou Kouyate headed over from a corner, and Conor Gallagher’s shot was too high. As the hosts got the ball up the opposite end of the pitch, Telles hit the Palace crossbar in search of the breakthrough goal. Jordan Ayew had a glorious chance for Palace on 74 minutes when he flashed an effort across the face of goal, and it proved pivotal as the Reds took the lead soon after. Crowded by defenders and with a shot on goal looking tricky, Mason Greenwood instead laid the ball off to Fred, who looped a fine

POST-MATCH TABLE POS

PTS

4 5 6 7 8

15 14 15 14 15

9 -1 1 -3 -1

27 25 24 23 21

West Ham Tottenham UNITED Arsenal Wolves

MAN OF THE MATCH FRED The Brazilian’s fine form continued with the game’s only goal, and the wild celebrations among his team-mates afterwards demonstrated his immense popularity at United.

64 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

first-time hit into the far corner. There was still work to do at the other end, with De Gea needing to tip Michael Olise’s cross over the bar and Victor Lindelof bringing down the dangerous Zaha as he broke clear on the wing. But the Reds still looked dangerous on the counterattack, and the hosts held the ball up well in the closing seconds as Rangnick made a winning start in the dugout.

The Reds made an intense start – Rashford won an early corner, Telles fired wide and Ronaldo was tackled as he shaped to shoot

UNITED 1

SHOTS

STARTING XI 17 Fred 18 Fernandes 25 Sancho 7 Ronaldo 10 Rashford

SHOTS ON TARGET 2

3 CORNERS

9 FOULS

16 1 De Gea 20 Dalot 2 Lindelof 5 Maguire 27 Telles 39 McTominay

PALACE

POSSESSION (%) 61

UNITED SUBS USED: Greenwood for Sancho 62’ •

Elanga for Rashford 76’ • van de Beek for Fernandes 86’ YELLOW CARDS: Lindelof, McTominay

PALACE SUBS USED: Edouard for Benteke 66’ • Eze for Kouyate 84’ • Olise for J Ayew 84’ YELLOW CARDS: Clyne, Guehi

STARTING XI 13 17 5 6 3 15

Guaita Clyne Tomkins Guehi Mitchell Schlupp

8 Kouyate 23 Gallagher 9 J Ayew 20 Benteke 11 Zaha

6/7

Left (top to bottom) Rangnick acknowledges the warm welcome; Rashford skips past Tomkins; Sancho finds himself under pressure Above Fans and players unite following the goal

Rangnick became the sixth of seven permanent, interim or caretaker managers since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement to win their first game in charge.

Manchester United 2020/21 Yearbook 15

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE | GROUP F MATCHDAY 6 WEDNESDAY 8 DECEMBER 2021 | OLD TRAFFORD | 8PM

UNITED 1 YOUNG BOYS 1 Greenwood 9

Rieder 42

Experimental line-up sees out the group stage

he Champions League group stage concluded at Old Trafford with a 1-1 draw for United against Swiss side Young Boys. With qualification as group winners already secured, Ralf Rangnick took the opportunity to see more of his players in action, changing all 11 starters from the league game against Crystal Palace. United made the perfect start, taking the lead on nine minutes. Luke Shaw’s waist-high cross into the box arrived slightly behind Mason Greenwood, but he shifted his body to volley the ball home. Dean Henderson was called into action just after the half-hour mark,

saving from Fabian Rieder, while Jordan Pefok headed over almost immediately afterwards. Three minutes before half-time, Young Boys equalised. A loose ball was pounced upon by Fabian Rieder, and he curled a stunner past Henderson into the United goal. The visitors almost took the lead before the interval when Michel Aebischer crashed in a shot that Eric Bailly needed to hack away to safety. Following the break, Anthony Elanga forced Guillaume Faivre to push away an inviting cross, and was then thwarted by the keeper after a move inspired by Jesse Lingard. Meanwhile, Meschack Elia pulled a

MAN OF THE MATCH MASON GREENWOOD The online poll saw the forward garner 58 per cent of the vote after he got the ninth-minute opener from Luke Shaw’s delivery, which the young side celebrated with gusto (left).

GROUP F TABLE

POS

PTS

1 2 3 4

6 6 6 6

3 2 0 -5

11 7 6 5

UNITED Villarreal Atalanta Young Boys

66 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

More Academy faces got their chance when Charlie Savage and Zidane Iqbal came on for the closing minutes for their senior debuts shot wide from a decent chance, and on 66 minutes a golden opportunity fell to Quentin Maceiras, but he screwed his effort wide, to the relief of the crowd. Rangnick used the second 45 minutes to give action to some of his fringe players, with Teden Mengi, Shola Shoretire and debutant Tom Heaton all making appearances. Mengi almost let Wilfried Kanga in after a slip, but the youngster recovered well to block the shot. More Academy faces got their chance when Charlie Savage and Zidane Iqbal came on for the closing minutes for their senior debuts. While United couldn’t find a winner, it was still a pleasing night as a number of youngsters were given a run-out, with European action moving to the backburner until the start of the last-16 stage in February.

Goalkeeper Tom Heaton made his senior United debut 19 years after joining the club as a trainee, having returned from Aston Villa in the summer.

Left (top) Heaton replaced Henderson for the remaining 22 minutes; (bottom) Matic keeps cool as he’s challenged by Elia Above Elanga, Mengi and Iqbal regroup at the final whistle at Old Trafford

UNITED

POSSESSION (%)

7 SHOTS ON TARGET

5 14

CORNERS

8 16 Amad 8 Mata 14 Lingard 36 Elanga 11 Greenwood

FOULS

STARTING XI

2 11

26 Henderson 29 Wan-Bissaka 3 Bailly 31 Matic 23 Shaw 34 van de Beek

YOUNG BOYS

SHOTS

34 16

UNITED SUBS USED: Mengi for Shaw 61’ • Heaton for Henderson 68’ • Shoretire for Amad 68’ • Savage for Mata 89’ • Iqbal for Lingard 89’ YELLOW CARDS: Shoretire

YOUNG BOYS SUBS USED: Sierro for Aebischer 62’ • Hefti for Rieder 62’ • Kanga for Pefok 62’ • Lauper for

Camara 77’ • Maier for Elia 87’ YELLOW CARDS: None

STARTING XI 91 Faivre 24 Maceiras 4 Camara 28 Lustenberger 25 Lefort 13 Ngamaleu

20 Aebischer 35 Martins 32 Rieder 15 Elia 17 Pefok

Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 67

PREMIER LEAGUE | MATCHDAY 16 SATURDAY 11 DECEMBER 2021 | CARROW ROAD | 5.30PM

NORWICH CITY 0 UNITED 1 Ronaldo 75 (pen)

De Gea heroics + Ronaldo spot-kick = three points

ristiano Ronaldo’s penalty and some superb saves from David De Gea helped United to a Premier League victory over Norwich at Carrow Road. Alex Telles was inches away from opening the scoring on 13 minutes, as his whipped effort took a deflection then hit the crossbar. The hosts offered a threat at the other end as a flick from Teemu Pukki was cleared by United. Meanwhile, Diogo Dalot took aim just inside the box on the half-hour mark, but it was straight at Tim Krul. Minutes later, Ronaldo twisted and turned inside the Norwich box, before Krul punched his shot away.

Lukas Rupp couldn’t connect properly with a header for the Canaries and Harry Maguire steered a looping headed effort of his own on target, but Krul got his fingertips to it to keep the score goalless. Norwich winger Przemyslaw Placheta tested De Gea early in the second half while Marcus Rashford burst towards goal, only to be denied by a strong tackle from Ozan Kabak, eventually being waved offside. De Gea then produced a world-class stop to deny Pukki from the edge of the box, tipping the ball over with a one-handed save. Another Rashford chance followed as he fired just wide.

POST-MATCH TABLE POS

PTS

3 4 5 6 7

16 15 16 16 14

27 9 2 -1 -1

36 27 27 26 25

Chelsea West Ham UNITED Arsenal Tottenham

MAN OF THE MATCH DAVID DE GEA “It was a fantastic performance,” Rangnick said of his no.1 at full-time, as a fine individual campaign for the Spanish stopper continued with a display that was vital to the eventual win.

68 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

The big chance came with 15 minutes to go. Referee Darren England awarded United a penalty after Ronaldo was felled in the area by Max Aarons, and the no.7 duly smashed the ball home. Moments after Ronaldo’s opener, De Gea produced another world-class stop to keep out Kabak’s header, before Dalot and substitute Eric Bailly got in the way of a big double chance for Norwich. Four minutes from full-time, United had a chance to wrap up the victory when Rashford dribbled down the left and found Ronaldo. Unfortunately, the ball was just behind him, and he couldn’t keep it down as he dug out a shot. De Gea once again denied Norwich in injury-time with another superb reaction save to clear a header off the line, ensuring he preserved a clean sheet as well as three points for his team.

Referee Darren England awarded United a penalty after Ronaldo was felled in the area and the no.7 duly smashed the ball home

NORWICH 1

5 7

SHOTS 15

11 SHOTS ON TARGET

5 CORNERS

6 FOULS

STARTING XI 8 23 11 22 24

Gilmour McLean Placheta Pukki Sargent

6 1 Krul 2 Aarons 5 Hanley 15 Kabak 30 Giannoulis 7 Rupp

UNITED

POSSESSION (%) 47

NORWICH SUBS USED: Sorensen for Hanley 21’ •

Cantwell for Placheta 70’ • Lees-Melou for Placheta 76’ YELLOW CARDS: Lees-Melou

UNITED SUBS USED: Greenwood for Sancho 67’ •

Bailly for Lindelof 74’ • van de Beek for Fernandes 88’ YELLOW CARDS: Dalot

STARTING XI 1 De Gea 20 Dalot 2 Lindelof 5 Maguire 27 Telles 39 McTominay

17 Fred 25 Sancho 18 Fernandes 7 Ronaldo 10 Rashford

Left (top to bottom) Rashford rises highest; Pukki is challenged by Maguire; Fernandes is put under pressure by Norwich’s McLean Below Ronaldo prepares his penalty, which would prove decisive

Ralf Rangnick became the first manager to oversee clean sheets in his first two United games since Ernest Mangnall in 1903.

Manchester United 2020/21 Yearbook 15

PREMIER LEAGUE | MATCHDAY 17 MONDAY 27 DECEMBER 2021 | ST JAMES’ PARK | 8PM

NEWCASTLE UNITED 1 UNITED 1 Saint-Maximin 7

Cavani 71

Second-half recovery salvages point on Tyneside

dinson Cavani made a goalscoring return as his second-half equaliser earned Manchester United a point against an energetic Newcastle side. The hosts went ahead after only seven minutes. Sean Longstaff dispossessed Raphael Varane and fed Allan Saint-Maximin, who cut inside and fired past David De Gea. At the other end, Bruno Fernandes saw his cross deflected to the back stick, but the Magpies thought they had doubled their lead after 38 minutes. Callum Wilson found the net after a dribble from Saint-Maximin, but the Magpies’ no.9 had strayed offside. The visiting Reds created a couple of openings ahead of the break, but Newcastle keeper Martin Dubravka looked comfortable as his side stayed ahead. It took a sublime stop from De Gea to deny Saint-Maximin from close range right at the start of the second half as Newcastle almost replicated their opener.

POST-MATCH TABLE POS

PTS

5 6 7 8 9

16 18 17 18 17

2 6 2 -1 -1

29 28 28 25 23

Tottenham West Ham UNITED Wolves Brighton

70 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

Showing more urgency, the Reds then went close twice in quick succession. Dubravka tipped over Rashford’s strike before Cavani fired his shot wide following Jadon Sancho’s pull-back. Yet Newcastle still offered a threat on the counter, and both Ryan Fraser and Saint-Maximin had shots well saved by De Gea. Ralf Rangnick’s men were rewarded for increased pressure on 71 minutes, when a Diogo Dalot cross was fired home – at the second attempt – by Cavani. The Uruguayan almost had a second soon after, but his dinked finish was cleared before it crossed the line. As the match drew to a close, the hosts piled on more pressure. With three minutes to play, Jacob Murphy saw his effort rebound off the post before De Gea produced yet another magnificent fingertip save to deny Almiron’s curling effort. So the points were shared, and United’s unbeaten run in all comps stretched to seven games.

Rangnick’s men were rewarded for increased pressure on 71 minutes, when a Dalot cross was fired in – at the second attempt – by Cavani

MAN OF THE MATCH DAVID DE GEA Yet another star-man award for the Spanish ace after some more excellent stops, many from close in, but the most eye-catching of which came to thwart Almiron’s long-range shot.

Just one of United’s last 14 final away games of a calendar year have ended in defeat, against Stoke City in 2015.

Left (top to bottom) Fernandes takes aim; Sancho shoots; Howe greets Rangnick before kick-off Above McTominay offers Cavani a high five after the Reds’ leveller

NEWCASTLE 1

SHOTS 6

13 SHOTS ON TARGET

8 CORNERS

FOULS

STARTING XI Dubravka Krafth Schar Lascelles Manquillo Fraser

36 S Longstaff 8 Shelvey 7 Joelinton 10 Saint-Maximin 9 Wilson

11 1 17 5 6 19 21

UNITED

POSSESSION (%) 31

NEWCASTLE SUBS USED: Murphy for Wilson 45+6’ • Almiron for Fraser 75’ • Gayle for Saint-Maximin 83’ YELLOW CARDS: Krafth, Manquillo, Joelinton UNITED SUBS USED: Sancho for Fred 45’ •

Cavani for Greenwood 45’ • Matic for McTominay 78’ YELLOW CARDS: Maguire, Fernandes, Ronaldo

STARTING XI 1 De Gea 20 Dalot 19 Varane 5 Maguire 27 Telles 39 McTominay

17 Fred 10 Rashford 18 Fernandes 11 Greenwood 7 Ronaldo

Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 71

PREMIER LEAGUE | MATCHDAY 18 THURSDAY 30 DECEMBER 2021 | OLD TRAFFORD | 8.15PM

UNITED 3 BURNLEY 1

McTominay 8, Mee 27 (og), Ronaldo 35

Lennon 38

Stirring first-half display blows the Clarets away

he year came to an end in winning fashion for the Reds, as a strong first-half showing set the home side up for a 3-1 victory against Sean Dyche’s Clarets. It was a lively start to proceedings at Old Trafford, with the visitors having a chance after four minutes when Chris Wood’s diving header went wide. United responded as Cristiano Ronaldo expertly brought down Luke Shaw’s ball over the top, but lifted his chance too high. Soon after, however, he was inadvertently involved in the opening goal, when his heavy touch fell kindly for Scott McTominay to steer home after eight minutes. The Reds were buoyed by the lifting of the pressure and well on top,

POST-MATCH TABLE POS

PTS

4 5 6 7 8

19 19 18 17 18

9 9 4 2 -1

35 31 31 30 25

Arsenal West Ham UNITED Tottenham Wolves

72 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

adding a second goal just before the half-hour. Jadon Sancho had Burnley on the back foot and his low drive took a slight deflection off defender Ben Mee to squeeze in at the far post. The Theatre of Dreams was bouncing and a third goal soon followed. Sancho helped create a chance for McTominay, whose powerful strike was pushed on to the post by goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey, only for Ronaldo to pounce on the rebound. Three minutes later, Burnley got one back. Aaron Lennon seized on a loose ball and fired in a shot that crept past De Gea to make it 3-1. In the second half, McTominay – the night’s standout performer – had another long-range attempt, but Hennessey tipped it over. It was the highlight of the second period as United moved to conserve energy and relegation-threatened Burnley failed to hit a higher gear. The second half couldn’t replicate the ruthlessness of that first 35 minutes and United rarely troubled Hennessey again after McTominay’s bullet, with Ronaldo striking a

McTominay’s powerful strike was pushed on to the post by goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey, only for Ronaldo to pounce on the rebound free-kick into the wall from a promising position and volleying a difficult opening off target. Burnley centre-back James Tarkowski had a couple of late headed attempts but one dropped wide and the other was easily fielded by De Gea. The win was enough to take the Reds into sixth position in the Premier League heading into 2022.

MAN OF THE MATCH SCOTT MCTOMINAY Opened the scoring early on with his first goal of the season and featured heavily in the third goal when his effort came back off the woodwork for Ronaldo to gobble up the chance.

108

Ronaldo’s goal was the 108th scored by United in 62 competitive matches during 2021, 65 of which came at Old Trafford.

Left (clockwise from far left) Wan-Bissaka gets instructions; McTominay finds the net; Shaw lines up a corner for United Above A familiar face appears in the Stretford End, on the day before Sir Alex’s 80th birthday

UNITED 3

SHOTS 5

18 SHOTS ON TARGET

6 CORNERS

STARTING XI 31 Matic 11 Greenwood 25 Sancho 21 Cavani 7 Ronaldo

FOULS

5 1 De Gea 29 Wan-Bissaka 3 Bailly 5 Maguire 23 Shaw 39 McTominay

BURNLEY

POSSESSION (%) 57

BACK TO CONTENTS

UNITED SUBS USED: Varane for Bailly 66’ •

Dalot for Greenwood 81’ • Fred for Ronaldo 90+3’ YELLOW CARDS: None

BURNLEY SUBS USED: Stephens for Cork 58’ • Vydra for Lennon 74’ • Pieters for McNeil 84’ YELLOW CARDS: None

STARTING XI 13 2 5 6 3 11

Hennessey Lowton Tarkowski Mee Taylor McNeil

18 4 7 17 9

Westwood Cork Gudmundsson Lennon Wood

Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 73

JANUARY

Below Ronaldo and Fernandes do their best to get to the ball before West Ham’s Declan Rice as the Reds’ final January outing ended in victory

United making a winning start in the Cup, while away from Old Trafford it’s Newcastle in the headlines, and Reds take part in the Africa Cup of Nations

he start of 2022 proved to be another up-and-down period for United, as the year’s league duties began with a disappointing defeat at home to Wolves followed by a 2-2 draw at Aston Villa, having been 2-0 up late in the game. But there were positives: prior to that stalemate with Villa, Scott McTominay hit the winner against the same opposition in the FA Cup, while there were back-to-back Premier League victories over Brentford and West Ham, the latter sealed at a raucous Old Trafford thanks to Marcus Rashford’s injury-time strike. The managerial changes kept on coming, as struggling Everton parted company with Rafael Benitez. A few weeks later Frank Lampard was unveiled as the new man at the helm at Goodison Park. Watford saw Claudio Ranieri depart after less than four months in charge, to be replaced by Roy Hodgson. Manchester City still led the way in the league, nine points ahead of Liverpool in second come the month’s end. Chelsea were in third, while United climbed to fourth, edging ahead of West Ham, Arsenal, Tottenham and Wolves. Burnley, Watford and Newcastle made up the bottom three, but for the Magpies it was the first chance to splash the cash following their recent big-money takeover, as they brought in five players reportedly costing a combined fee of £83.3m, including England full-back Kieran Trippier from Atletico Madrid. Other notable January deals saw Philippe Coutinho join Aston Villa, 74 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

Christian Eriksen make a return to football following his on-pitch cardiac arrest at the previous summer’s European Championship, and Dele Alli move to Everton. Also heading to Goodison for a spell was Donny van de Beek, one of nine United players to head out on loan – a list that also included Anthony Martial (Sevilla), Axel Tuanzebe (Napoli) and Amad (Rangers). Despite Newcastle’s new-found spending power, they still suffered a shock loss at home to Cambridge as teams from the top two divisions joined the FA Cup at the third-round stage. Arsenal were also handed a surprise defeat, going down 1-0 away to Nottingham Forest. That wasn’t the only competition with new interest for United in January, as the Africa Cup of Nations got under way in Cameroon. Eric Bailly helped Ivory Coast reach the last 16, where they lost to eventual runners-up Egypt on penalties, while midfielder Hannibal and Tunisia were beaten by Burkina Faso in the quarter-finals.

PLAYER FOCUS BRUNO FERNANDES

After a relatively quiet couple of months by his own lofty standards, Fernandes struck twice away to Aston Villa, and then turned provider, with assists for both Mason Greenwood and Marcus Rashford away to Brentford.

WATCH! Click here to enjoy all the Goal of the Month contenders

UNITED’S JANUARY RESULTS 03.01.22 PL United 0 Wolves 1 10.01.22 FA United 1 Aston Villa 0 15.01.22 PL Aston Villa 2 United 2 19.01.22 PL Brentford 1 United 3 22.01.22 PL United 1 West Ham 0

GOAL OF THE MONTH

MARCUS RASHFORD V WEST HAM While the finish itself may not have been the most spectacular, the reaction to Rashford’s last-gasp winner against the Hammers inside the Theatre of Dreams was one to remember.

END-OF-MONTH PL STANDINGS P GD PTS 1 Man City 23 41 57 2 Liverpool 22 39 48 3 Chelsea 24 30 47 4 UNITED 22 6 38 5 West Ham 23 10 37 6 Arsenal 21 8 36 7 Tottenham 20 2 36 8 Wolves 21 3 34 22 0 30 9 Brighton 10 Leicester 20 -3 26 11 Aston Villa 21 -4 26 12 Southampton 22 -8 25 13 Crystal Palace 22 -3 24 23 -12 23 14 Brentford 21 -16 22 15 Leeds 20 -11 19 16 Everton 17 Norwich 22 -32 16 21 -22 15 18 Newcastle 19 Watford 20 -17 14 18 -11 12 20 Burnley

With just seconds remaining, Edinson Cavani’s low ball across the face of goal was met by the Reds’ no.10 for a crucial finish to seal three important points, with bedlam ensuing in the stands. “It is the best way to win a game for me and it’s the greatest feeling,” a delighted Rashford said with a big smile afterwards.

Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 75

PREMIER LEAGUE | MATCHDAY 19 MONDAY 3 JANUARY 2022 | OLD TRAFFORD | 5.30PM

UNITED 0 WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS 1 Moutinho 82

Late strike spells home defeat for stuttering Reds

t was a disappointing start to 2022 for United as the Reds suffered a shock home defeat to Wolves in the Premier League. Ralf Rangnick’s side struggled to create much headway in the first half. On seven minutes, Jadon Sancho found himself in space in a promising position, but he ran into trouble and the move petered out. David De Gea had to be alert in the 12th minute, keeping out Daniel Podence’s near-post drive, and then immediately afterwards tipping over a half-volley from Ruben Neves.

Moments later De Gea was in action once more, thwarting Nelson Semedo and then making another stop from Podence. On 42 minutes, the home fans almost had something to cheer. Edinson Cavani worked an opening close to the Wolves goal, but lifted his effort just over the bar. Bruno Fernandes was brought on from the bench 10 minutes into the second half, with his introduction raising the Reds’ tempo and threat. Eight minutes after coming on, the Portuguese midfielder had his

MAN OF THE MATCH PHIL JONES Despite a lengthy absence from first-team action due to injury, Jones slotted back into defence with some crucial challenges to keep the visitors at bay until late on in the game.

POST-MATCH TABLE POS

PTS

5 6 7 8 9

20 18 19 19 19

10 3 3 0 0

34 33 31 28 27

West Ham Tottenham UNITED Wolves Brighton

76 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

With the crowd rocking, Fernandes delivered a free-kick for Ronaldo to head home, only for the stand-in captain to see his effort ruled out

side’s first golden chance of the match. Excellently set up by Nemanja Matic’s cutback, Bruno slammed a shot against the bar. With the crowd rocking at last, Fernandes then delivered a free-kick for Cristiano Ronaldo to head home, only for the stand-in captain to have his effort ruled out for offside. Ronaldo then broke away but dragged his left-foot shot wide as an upbeat United finally gave Wolves something to think about. The visitors survived and hit back with a Romain Saiss free-kick shaking De Gear’s bar. Then, with eight minutes to go, Adama Traore’s cross was headed away by Phil Jones. The ball landed at the feet of Joao Moutinho outside the area, who had time to control before drilling a shot past De Gea. Jones then put his head in where it hurts to bravely win a free-kick and give United one last glimmer of hope, but Jose Sa acrobatically kept out the effort from Bruno Fernandes to deny the Reds a point.

712

Phil Jones made his first league appearance for just under two years (712 days), since a meeting with Burnley on 22 January 2020.

Left (top to bottom) Darren Fletcher and Rangnick survey the scene; Matic heads away from Trincao Above The teams walk out under the Old Trafford floodlights

UNITED 1

SHOTS

STARTING XI 31 Matic 11 Greenwood 25 Sancho 21 Cavani 7 Ronaldo

SHOTS ON TARGET 6

CORNERS 8

FOULS

9 1 De Gea 29 Wan-Bissaka 4 Jones 19 Varane 23 Shaw 39 McTominay

WOLVES

POSSESSION (%) 51

UNITED SUBS USED: Fernandes for Greenwood 60’ • Rashford for Sancho 76’ • Elanga for Wan-Bissaka 84’ YELLOW CARDS: Shaw, McTominay, Matic

WOLVES SUBS USED: Traore for Trincao 66’ • Silva for Jimenez 81’ • Dendoncker for Podence 88’ YELLOW CARDS: Sa

STARTING XI 1 23 16 27 22 8

Sa Kilman Coady Saiss Semedo Neves

28 Moutinho 5 Marcal 11 Trincao 9 Jimenez 10 Podence

Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 77

FA CUP | THIRD ROUND MONDAY 10 JANUARY 2022 | OLD TRAFFORD | 7.55PM

UNITED 1 ASTON VILLA 0 McTominay 8

Scott’s early goal proves sufficient for Cup victory

he Reds booked a place in the FA Cup fourth round after beating Aston Villa in a high-tempo, controversial and entertaining tie at Old Trafford. The Reds came out firing early and Scott McTominay had the first shot on target after only six minutes, with Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez making the save. The Scottish midfielder then beat the Argentinian keeper two minutes later, with a firm header from eight yards out, as he met a cross brilliantly delivered by Fred. Ollie Watkins and Danny Ings both narrowly failed to get on the end of dangerous balls as the visitors sought a quick response. United hit back with a Marcus Rashford shot that almost took Edinson Cavani’s head off, as the Uruguayan striker tried in vain to steer the ball home. David De Gea was then called into action to deny John McGinn and Emiliano Buendia, while Martinez needed a strong hand to keep out Cavani’s shot at the other end. Watkins then turned Victor Lindelof in the area and slammed a

close-range strike against the bar, and a Jacob Ramsey attempt was heading goalwards before clattering off McTominay for a corner. Back up the other end, Fernandes had a low shot blocked as the ball eventually came to Luke Shaw, whose 35-yard piledriver was well tipped over by Martinez. Goalscorer McTominay had the final chance of the first half, seeing his volley from the edge of the area saved just before the interval. Villa thought they had found the equaliser on 50 minutes when a free-kick routine ended with Ings bundling in from close range, but a long, tense VAR check eventually

MAN OF THE MATCH SCOTT MCTOMINAY The Scot scored United’s FA Cup third-round winner just as he had the previous season against Watford, and he worked hard all over the pitch to take the star-man prize.

78 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

OTHER RESULTS: Swindon 1-4 Manchester City Mansfield 2-3 Middlesbrough Bristol City 0-1 Fulham (aet) Burnley 1-2 Huddersfield Coventry 1-0 Derby Hartlepool 2-1 Blackpool Millwall 1-2 Crystal Palace Barnsley 5-4 Barrow (aet) Boreham Wood 2-0 AFC Wimbledon Kidderminster 2-1 Reading Leicester 4-1 Watford Newcastle 0-1 Cambridge Peterborough 2-1 Bristol Rovers Port Vale 1-4 Brentford QPR 1-1 Rotherham (aet, 8-7 on pens) West Bromwich Albion 1-2 Brighton (aet) Wigan 3-2 Blackburn Birmingham 0-1 Plymouth (aet) Chelsea 5-1 Chesterfield Hull 2-3 Everton (aet) Swansea 2-3 Southampton (aet) Yeovil 1-3 AFC Bournemouth Luton 4-0 Harrogate Cardiff 2-1 Preston (aet) Charlton 0-1 Norwich Liverpool 4-1 Shrewsbury Stoke 2-0 Leyton Orient Tottenham 3-1 Morecambe West Ham 2-0 Leeds Wolves 3-0 Sheffield United Nottingham Forest 1-0 Arsenal

ended in an offside decision. Watkins also had a strike chalked off for the same reason, and De Gea had to turn aside a shot from Matty Cash. The away side continued to press and keep United pinned back as Watkins again took aim, this time going close with a low curler. Fresh legs from the bench did reinvigorate the Reds, and with Villa seeming to tire in the closing stages following their strong start to the second period, the hosts held on to set up a fourth-round meeting with Middlesbrough.

Villa thought they had found the equaliser when Ings bundled in from close range but a long VAR check ended in an offside decision

UNITED 1

SHOTS

39 18

SHOTS ON TARGET 4

10 CORNERS

6 21

FOULS

STARTING XI 39 McTominay 11 Greenwood 18 Fernandes 10 Rashford 21 Cavani

12 1 De Gea 20 Dalot 2 Lindelof 19 Varane 23 Shaw 17 Fred

ASTON VILLA

POSSESSION (%) 54

UNITED SUBS USED: van de Beek for Cavani 72’ •

Lingard for Fernandes 86’ • Elanga for Rashford 86’ YELLOW CARDS: Dalot, Shaw, Fred

VILLA SUBS USED: El Ghazi for Buendia 79’ • Philogene-Bidace for J Ramsey 86’ YELLOW CARDS: J Ramsey

STARTING XI 1 2 4 5 3 7

Martinez Cash Konsa Mings Targett McGinn

6 Luiz 41 J Ramsey 11 Watkins 20 Ings 10 Buendia

Left (top to bottom) Elanga fires in a cross as the Reds seek a second goal Below Lingard holds firm amid close attention from Targett and Cash

This win meant United have failed to progress past the FA Cup third-round stage just twice from the club’s last 37 attempts.

Manchester United 2020/21 Yearbook 15

PREMIER LEAGUE | MATCHDAY 20 SATURDAY 15 JANUARY 2022 | VILLA PARK | 5.30PM

ASTON VILLA 2 UNITED 2 J Ramsey 77, Coutinho 81

Fernandes 6, 67

Reds are pegged back following Bruno’s brace

double from Bruno Fernandes was cancelled out as Aston Villa fought from behind to hold United to a 2-2 draw at Villa Park. The Reds made the perfect start when a free-kick routine involving Alex Telles and Bruno Fernandes allowed the latter to strike from range with an effort Emiliano Martinez fumbled into his own net. Anthony Elanga then headed just wide from Fred’s cross, before Villa keeper Martinez was called into action to deny Telles from a free-kick, and at the other end David De Gea made a routine stop from a tame Ollie Watkins attempt. With the hosts starting to come back

POST-MATCH TABLE POS

PTS

5 6 7 8 9

20 18 20 20 20

8 3 3 2 0

35 33 32 31 28

Arsenal Tottenham UNITED Wolves Brighton

80 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

into the contest, De Gea also had to make saves from an Emiliano Buendia header and Lucas Digne’s powerful low drive before the break. Shots continued to rain in after the interval, with Elanga thwarted by Martinez and De Gea on hand to save from Jacob Ramsey. Buendia took aim from the edge of the box, while Elanga fired wide before Fernandes got his and United’s second. A misplaced pass from Morgan Sanson was seized on by Fred, who in turn played in Fernandes to fire home and double the advantage. Nemanja Matic almost faced a similar fate to Sanson moments later, but fortunately De Gea was on hand to sweep away his heavy backpass and avert disaster. With 13 minutes remaining, Villa did halve their deficit, with Ramsey picking up the ball in a tightly congested United penalty area, finding room to fire past De Gea. The home side’s comeback was complete shortly afterwards as Ramsey turned provider, squaring from the left wing for substitute and debutant Philippe Coutinho to tap in

A misplaced pass from Morgan Sanson was seized on by Fred, who in turn played in Fernandes to fire home and double the lead the equaliser. Coutinho then went close to grabbing a winner with three minutes left, picking up the ball on the edge of the area before tamely firing into De Gea’s palms. It was the final real chance of the contest as the sides each took a Premier League point.

MAN OF THE MATCH BRUNO FERNANDES Two strikes for the Reds’ no.18 took him to an impressive 55 goal involvements in 70 league games since his arrival from Sporting Lisbon in 2020.

Left (clockwise from far left) Cavani beats Hause to the ball; Dalot eludes Villa’s press; Varane on the alert Below Villa keeper Martinez fumbles Fernandes’s shot across his own goal line

ASTON VILLA

United’s unbeaten Premier League run away to Aston Villa now stands at 23 games, going back to August 1995.

13 9

POSSESSION (%) SHOTS

SHOTS ON TARGET

CORNERS 20

STARTING XI Martinez Cash Konsa Mings Digne Sanson

6 Luiz 41 J Ramsey 11 Watkins 20 Ings 10 Buendia

FOULS 13

8 1 2 4 5 27 8

UNITED

VILLA SUBS USED: Hause for Konsa 45’ • Coutinho for Sanson 68’ • Chukwuemeka for Ings 76’ YELLOW CARDS: Digne

UNITED SUBS USED: Sancho for Elanga 78’ • van de Beek for Fernandes 89’ • Lingard for Greenwood 89’ YELLOW CARDS: Matic, Fernandes

STARTING XI 1 De Gea 20 Dalot 2 Lindelof 19 Varane 27 Telles 17 Fred

31 Matic 18 Fernandes 11 Greenwood 21 Cavani 36 Elanga

Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 81

PREMIER LEAGUE | MATCHDAY 21 WEDNESDAY 19 JANUARY 2022 | BRENTFORD COMMUNITY STADIUM | 8PM

BRENTFORD 1 UNITED 3 Toney 85

Elanga 55, Greenwood 62, Rashford 77

Three second-half scorers seal west London win

nited’s first-ever Premier League meeting with Brentford ended in a vital 3-1 away victory thanks to three second-half strikes in the space of 22 minutes. The hosts started the first half with great intensity, and almost took the lead two minutes in when Mathias Jensen dragged his attempt narrowly wide. United responded to that early pressure, with Anthony Elanga’s looping header causing confusion between Jonas Lossl and the Bees’ backline, before they were able to clear the danger. After 13 minutes, De Gea produced an impressive save to deny Jensen, before Vitaly Janelt’s follow-up effort from the edge of the box was blocked well by a staunch United defence. Moments later, Alex Telles was on hand to deflect a Mads Bech Sorensen effort wide, while Christian Norgaard fired over the bar from inside the box. The Reds’ best first-half attempt came when Diogo Dalot unleashed a dangerous effort which flew just past the post, with De Gea again on hand

with a superb stop to deny Jensen and keep the game goalless at the end of the first period. There were big chances for both teams early in the second half. First, Cristiano Ronaldo’s header hit the bar, before Jensen was repelled by De Gea for the third time after a counterattack. But it was United who broke the deadlock, on 55 minutes, when Fred’s incisive forward ball found Elanga, who controlled it brilliantly before guiding a header into the net. Mason Greenwood doubled the lead just after the hour mark, slotting home from Bruno Fernandes’s unselfish pass, after he was released

POST-MATCH TABLE

MAN OF THE MATCH DAVID DE GEA Goals after the break earned the win, but it was the Spanish keeper’s first-half heroics – particularly when he denied Mathias Jensen – that built United the platform for victory.

82 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

in behind by a brilliant chest-pass from Ronaldo. Despite United’s clinical finishing, Brentford continued to threaten a reply and give the home fans hope. Mads Roerslev almost pulled a goal back but ended up slicing his effort over the bar. As the match entered the final stages substitute Marcus Rashford made the hosts pay for those missed chances, blasting into the roof of the net after being fed by Fernandes. Ivan Toney gave Brentford some late hope when he scrambled the ball home with five minutes remaining, but United controlled the closing stages to see out a fine win.

POS

PTS

5 6 7 8 9

19 20 21 20 21

4 8 5 2 0

36 35 35 31 29

Tottenham Arsenal UNITED Wolves Brighton

United broke the deadlock when Fred’s incisive ball found Elanga, who controlled it brilliantly before guiding a header into the net

BRENTFORD 49

SHOTS

SHOTS ON TARGET 7

CORNERS

6 27 7 19 17

Norgaard Janelt Canos Mbeumo Toney

Left (top to bottom) Elanga is congratulated by Rangnick; Ronaldo goes one-on-one with Mbeumo Below Rashford and friends salute goal number three of a satisfying night

39 18

FOULS 9

STARTING XI

9 6

49 Lossl 5 Pinnock 18 Jansson 29 Sorensen 30 Roerslev 8 Jensen

UNITED

POSSESSION (%) 44

BRENTFORD SUBS USED: Baptiste for Janelt 64’ • Henry for Canos 64’ • Wissa for Jensen 67’ YELLOW CARDS: None

UNITED SUBS USED: Rashford for Greenwood 71’ • Maguire for Ronaldo 71’ • Matic for McTominay 84’ YELLOW CARDS: None

STARTING XI 1 De Gea 20 Dalot 2 Lindelof 19 Varane 27 Telles 17 Fred

39 McTominay 11 Greenwood 18 Fernandes 36 Elanga 7 Ronaldo

Of the 49 teams United have ever played in the Premier League, Brentford became the 29th beaten by the Reds at the first attempt.

Manchester United 2020/21 Yearbook 15

PREMIER LEAGUE | MATCHDAY 22 SATURDAY 22 JANUARY 2022 | OLD TRAFFORD | 3PM

UNITED 1 WEST HAM UNITED 0 Rashford 90+3

Last-gasp Rashford strike sends home fans wild

arcus Rashford scored a dramatic stoppage-time winner against West Ham to shoot the Reds into the top four of the Premier League with a stirring 1-0 victory at Old Trafford. Bruno Fernandes had a lively start, pulling the strings in the middle of the park, before the visitors started to find their feet. Harry Maguire, returning from injury for the Reds, did well to snuff out danger from Jarrod Bowen and later the Reds’ no.5 put in a superb tackle on the dangerous Michail Antonio. Cristiano Ronaldo just failed to get on the end of a ferocious Fernandes cross before Diogo Dalot directed a header off target midway through the half. Ronaldo felt he was bundled over in the box by Kurt Zouma on 36 minutes but no penalty was awarded, with Scott McTominay then thwarting a West Ham chance late in the opening period. Goalkeeper Alphonse Areola was called upon for his first serious save early in the second half. A fortunate bounce put Fred through on goal, but his shot was pushed behind for a

POST-MATCH TABLE POS

PTS

2 3 4 5 6

21 23 22 23 19

37 28 6 10 4

45 44 38 37 36

Liverpool Chelsea UNITED West Ham Tottenham

84 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

corner. David Moyes’s Hammers hadn’t actually tested David De Gea seriously all match but Bowen came closest so far after 54 minutes when he slammed an effort into the side-netting of the Reds’ goal. Raphael Varane headed over and Anthony Elanga swept a shot wide as United pushed for the opener. As the game wore on it was starting to look as if a goal wouldn’t materialise, with only a hoofed Fernandes shot keeping the play out of the home half as the visitors probed in the closing minutes. At the other end, Tomas Soucek nodded past the far post, before De Gea had to turn aside Declan Rice’s deflected cross. But after weathering the storm, United struck with a classic stoppage-time winner that sent Old Trafford wild. Substitute Edinson Cavani picked out Rashford at the back post for a tap-in to clinch all three points. There was a nervous wait while VAR confirmed there was no offside, before another almighty home roar celebrated a gloriously dramatic ending.

Substitute Cavani picked out Rashford at the back post to clinch all three points. A huge home roar celebrated a dramatic ending

MAN OF THE MATCH MARCUS RASHFORD Ended his own personal scoring drought with the crucial winner – the eighth injury-time goal he’s netted for the Reds, and this was among the most memorable of them all.

162

David De Gea kept his 162nd clean sheet for United, putting him third on the all-time list behind Peter Schmeichel and Alex Stepney.

Left (top to bottom) Fred strides forth; Martial and Lingard celebrate; De Gea roars with delight at the win Above Rashford sprints away in delight after netting the late winner

UNITED

BACK TO CONTENTS

18 3

POSSESSION (%)

SHOTS SHOTS ON TARGET CORNERS

3 7

1 3

STARTING XI 17 Fred 11 Greenwood 18 Fernandes 36 Elanga 7 Ronaldo

41 10

FOULS 8

9 1 De Gea 20 Dalot 19 Varane 5 Maguire 27 Telles 39 McTominay

WEST HAM

UNITED SUBS USED: Rashford for Elanga 62’ • Cavani for Fred 82’ • Martial for Greenwood 82’ YELLOW CARDS: Maguire

WEST HAM SUBS USED: Fredericks for Coufal 70’ YELLOW CARDS: Rice

STARTING XI 13 Areola 5 Coufal 15 Dawson 4 Zouma 3 Cresswell 28 Soucek

41 Rice 20 Bowen 10 Lanzini 8 Fornals 9 Antonio

Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 85

FEBRUARY

Below Pogba in action against Southampton at Old Trafford, in what was our third successive 1-1 draw to kick things off in February

Agonising Cup exit on penalties is followed by a run of draws and wins in the league and in Europe, just as the competition starts to intensify in England’s top flight

nother month of ups and downs for the Reds, beginning with a tense penalty shoot-out loss to Middlesbrough in the FA Cup. While that defeat was tough to take, United weren’t the only side to suffer a surprise fourth-round exit, as Leicester lost to Championship side Nottingham Forest, while second-tier Bournemouth were beaten by Boreham Wood of the National League. Ralf Rangnick’s side then drew with Burnley and Southampton before useful wins over Brighton and Leeds, the latter a particularly enjoyable result at a hostile Elland Road, seeing out February with a solid stalemate in the Champions League at Atletico Madrid and another point against Watford. The title race was shaping into a two-horse race, with Manchester City top, six points ahead of Liverpool but having played a game more. The pair had begun to pull away from Chelsea in third, with United holding on to fourth spot. The Reds were closely pursued by West Ham, as well as Arsenal, Tottenham and West Ham, who all had at least one game in hand following the Covid-hit December schedule. It made the race for Champions League football even more intriguing and tough to predict as sides made up for lost time. At the other end of the table, struggling Leeds moved to arrest their poor form, sacking manager Marcelo Bielsa at the end of the month after a run of just one point from five games in February, in which time they also conceded 20 goals. 86 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

Bielsa’s replacement was American coach Jesse Marsch. The bottom three at this point were Norwich, Watford and Burnley, with Leeds hovering just above them, as were Everton. The Toffees were in serious danger of their 68-year top-flight streak coming to an end, but did manage to pick up a crucial win over the Yorkshire outfit. One side on the up was Newcastle, registering 10 points from a possible 12 in February to earn boss Eddie Howe the Manager of the Month award. It was a dramatic turnaround in form that would continue for the rest of the season. The first domestic cup final of the season was played at Wembley, as Liverpool and Chelsea contested the Carabao Cup final. After a goalless 90 minutes and extra-time period, a remarkable penalty shootout – reminiscent of United’s spot-kick duel with Villarreal in the Europa League final – saw every player score before Blues keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga blazed over to hand the Merseysiders the trophy.

WATCH! Click here to enjoy all the Goal of the Month contenders

PLAYER FOCUS ANTHONY ELANGA

Despite the agony of a shoot-out miss against Middlesbrough, the young Swede responded with two big goals, wrapping up the win at Leeds before a crucial Champions League leveller away to Atletico Madrid.

UNITED’S FEBRUARY RESULTS 04.02.22 FA Middlesbro’ 1 United 1* 08.02.22 PL Burnley 1 United 1 12.02.22 PL United 1 Southampton 1 15.02.22 PL United 2 Brighton 0 20.02.22 PL Leeds 2 United 4 23.02.22 CL Atletico 1 United 1 26.02.22 PL United 0 Watford 0 * Middlesbrough win 8-7 on penalties

END-OF-MONTH PL STANDINGS P GD PTS 1 Man City 27 47 66 2 Liverpool 26 50 60 3 Chelsea 25 31 50 27 10 47 4 UNITED 5 West Ham 27 12 45 6 Arsenal 24 11 45 7 Tottenham 25 3 42 8 Wolves 26 3 40 26 -3 35 9 Southampton 10 Brighton 26 -5 33 11 Crystal Palace 27 -1 30 12 Aston Villa 25 -4 30 13 Leicester 23 -6 27 25 -17 25 14 Newcastle 27 -17 24 15 Brentford 26 -31 23 16 Leeds 24 -13 22 17 Everton 24 -8 21 18 Burnley 19 Watford 26 -22 19 20 Norwich 26 -40 17

GOAL OF THE MONTH

CRISTIANO RONALDO V BRIGHTON After Scott McTominay had won back possession, Ronaldo took charge. As the Seagulls defenders bore down on him, the Portuguese returnee pressed forward, shifting the ball away

from the desperate lunge of Adam Webster before arrowing a powerful strike past helpless goalkeeper Robert Sanchez. “Not only an important one but an amazing goal,” said Rangnick afterwards. “I think, in the last weeks, that would be the best performance by him; it was very, very important for us.”

Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 87

FA CUP | FOURTH ROUND FRIDAY 4 FEBRUARY 2022 | OLD TRAFFORD | 8PM

UNITED 1 MIDDLESBROUGH 1 Sancho 25

Crooks 64 | Middlesbrough win 8-7 on penalties

Penalty pain against Boro spells dramatic Cup exit

alf Rangnick’s side were eliminated from the FA Cup after losing a nail-biting, 16-shot penalty shoot-out to Middlesbrough, which came following a 1-1 draw after extra-time at Old Trafford. Jadon Sancho almost put the Reds ahead within just two minutes, clipping an effort that looped above goalkeeper Joe Lumley and hit the crossbar, with Bruno Fernandes firing the rebound over. Cristiano Ronaldo’s audacious acrobatic effort stung the palms of Lumley, before a rare sight – Ronaldo uncharacteristically shot wide from the penalty spot after Paul Pogba had been fouled inside the box by Anfernee Dijksteel. Rangnick’s Reds did break the deadlock on 25 minutes, though, when Sancho was released down the left by Fernandes and fired low into the far corner. Marcus Rashford thought he had a second when he turned to fire into the net, but referee Anthony Taylor adjudged he had strayed offside, before Lumley brilliantly denied Ronaldo to keep it at 1-0. Despite United’s pressure, the visitors reminded a threat, as Folarin Balogun found space on the left after a counterattack but failed to trouble Dean Henderson. The start of the second period was more muted than the first, with the first chance coming after 54 minutes, when Sancho’s cross to the back post found Rashford, who could only fire over. A minute later, Rashford was involved again, but when he broke 88 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

down the right and pulled the ball back for Ronaldo, the Portuguese found the side netting. The visitors responded, and Henderson was forced to produce a strong save to deny Matt Crooks’s close-range effort from an Isaiah Jones lay-off. Just after the hour mark, Boro were level when Crooks finished into an empty net after Duncan Watmore had lofted the ball over Henderson, with the goal given despite claims of handball from many in Red. Rashford saw his strike saved well once more by Lumley, who almost gifted United a goal afterwards when

OTHER RESULTS: Chelsea 2-1 Plymouth (aet) Kidderminster 1-2 West Ham (aet) Crystal Palace 2-0 Hartlepool Everton 4-1 Brentford Huddersfield 1-0 Barnsley Manchester City 4- 1 Fulham Peterborough 2-0 QPR Southampton 2-1 Coventry (aet) Stoke 2-0 Wigan Wolves 0-1 Norwich Cambridge 0-3 Luton Tottenham 3-1 Brighton Liverpool 3-1 Cardiff Nottingham Forest 4-1 Leicester AFC Bournemouth 0-1 Boreham Wood

he presented possession to Fernandes, whose low strike came back off the post. Anthony Elanga was next to try his luck with a pair of headers, one going wide and the other well held by Lumley as extra-time loomed. Fred went close in the added 30 minutes while Henderson made a terrific close-range stop, but United couldn’t prevent the nerve-shredding eventuality of a shoot-out. And it was ultimately the visitors who triumphed on spot-kicks after seven United players had found the net, only for Elanga’s effort to fly agonisingly over Lumley’s crossbar.

Seven United players found the net in the shoot-out, only for Elanga’s effort to fly agonisingly over Lumley’s crossbar MAN OF THE MATCH JADON SANCHO Had already struck the woodwork before firing United in front with his maiden Old Trafford strike and was a danger going forward, before being subbed in extra-time.

Left Captain Maguire has a word with Henderson heading into the shoot-out Below The Munich Air Disaster is commemorated before kick-off ahead of the 64th anniversary on 6 February

Sancho’s strike took him to seven goals in his last eight domestic cup appearances in games played for United and Borussia Dortmund.

UNITED

POSSESSION (%)

39 18

SHOTS ON TARGET 3

CORNERS

14 39 McTominay 10 Rashford 18 Fernandes 25 Sancho 7 Ronaldo

FOULS

STARTING XI

7 7

26 Henderson 20 Dalot 19 Varane 5 Maguire 23 Shaw 6 Pogba

MIDDLESBROUGH

SHOTS

UNITED SUBS USED: Fred for Pogba 82’ • Elanga for Rashford 82’ • Jones for Varane 90’ • Mata for Sancho 100’ YELLOW CARDS: Pogba, Fred

MIDDLESBROUGH SUBS USED: Watmore for Balogun 62’ • Payero for Crooks 78’ • Peltier for Taylor 90’ • Connolly for Sporar 90’ • Bamba for Jones 118’ YELLOW CARDS: Tavernier

STARTING XI 1 2 6 17 35 25

Lumley Dijksteel Fry McNair Jones Crooks

16 7 3 11 47

Howson Tavernier Taylor Sporar Balogun

Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 89

PREMIER LEAGUE | MATCHDAY 23 TUESDAY 8 FEBRUARY 2022 | TURF MOOR | 8PM

BURNLEY 1 UNITED 1 Rodriguez 47

Pogba 18

Early dominance at Turf Moor only yields a point

he points were shared at Turf Moor as Sean Dyche’s tenacious Burnley side hit back for a 1-1 draw against the Reds. Marcus Rashford had an early chance for United, but Nick Pope was equal to his near-post shot and turned it behind. Raphael Varane thought he had scored his first goal for the Reds on 11 minutes, but his header was ruled out due to Harry Maguire being offside in the build-up. The opener did come when Paul Pogba rifled in a lethal finish from Luke Shaw’s cutback, the midfielder netting away to the Clarets for the second successive season.

POST-MATCH TABLE POS

PTS

3 4 5 6 7

24 24 23 21 20

30 11 6 8 2

47 40 39 36 36

Chelsea West Ham UNITED Arsenal Tottenham

90 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

The ball was in the Burnley net once more when Josh Brownhill turned Rashford’s pass into his own goal, but it was again chalked off after a very late flag for a foul committed in the build-up by Pogba. United were well on top, with Pope forced to save from Edinson Cavani, Bruno Fernandes and Rashford before the break, with his stop to keep out Cavani’s back-post header particularly impressive. In just the second minute after the break, Burnley were level. Jay Rodriguez was played in behind and as the defence raced back to catch him he tucked the ball away for 1-1. Wout Weghorst might have given Burnley the lead soon after, but thankfully David De Gea conjured up a wonderful stop at full stretch to keep out the shot. Dutchman Weghorst then flashed a chance into the side-netting, before Varane’s flick towards goal was deflected away by Ben Mee. Pushing for a winner, Ralf Rangnick introduced Cristiano Ronaldo from the bench, and it almost paid off as the Portuguese headed over. With the Reds piling

The opener came when Pogba rifled in a lethal finish from Shaw’s cutback, netting away to the Clarets for a second successive season on the pressure, Burnley began to sit deeper to defend their potential point as the half wore on. Maguire had an opportunity to snatch victory in the final seconds, but his header glanced wide and the visitors were ultimately held to a frustrating draw.

MAN OF THE MATCH JADON SANCHO Another impressive display from the England international, who proved a continuous threat down the left in the first half and saw plenty of joy when switching to the right after the break.

Pogba netted his third goal against Burnley, having only scored more often for United against West Ham (four goals).

Left (clockwise from bottom left) The away end offers vocal support; Pogba is hailed by his team-mates; Shaw takes aim Above Pope saves as Elanga closes in

BURNLEY 1

9 SHOTS ON TARGET CORNERS

STARTING XI 18 Westwood 8 Brownhill 20 Cornet 19 Rodriguez 9 Weghorst

39 18

FOULS 10

11 Pope Roberts Tarkowski Mee Pieters McNeil

3 2

1 14 5 6 23 11

SHOTS

UNITED

POSSESSION (%) 36

BURNLEY SUBS USED: Lennon for Cornet 69’ • Barnes for Rodriguez 88’

YELLOW CARDS: Pieters, Brownhill UNITED SUBS USED: Ronaldo for Cavani 68’ •

Lingard for McTominay 80’ • Elanga for Rashford 85’ YELLOW CARDS: Maguire

STARTING XI 1 De Gea 20 Dalot 19 Varane 5 Maguire 23 Shaw 6 Pogba

39 McTominay 10 Rashford 18 Fernandes 25 Sancho 21 Cavani

Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 91

PREMIER LEAGUE | MATCHDAY 24 SATURDAY 12 FEBRUARY 2022 | OLD TRAFFORD | 12.30PM

UNITED 1 SOUTHAMPTON 1 Sancho 21

Adams 48

Sancho scores again, only for Saints to level up

nited registered a second successive 1-1 Premier League draw as Southampton came from behind at Old Trafford. In a frantic opening, Cristiano Ronaldo rounded Saints goalkeeper Fraser Forster but couldn’t get enough pace on his effort, allowing Romain Perraud to scurry back and make the block. The visitors replied moments later as Che Adams attempted a difficult header in vain inside the six-yard box, with Harry Maguire on hand to block a follow-up shot. A breakaway charge then led to United having three-on-one, with Jadon Sancho choosing to go it alone and having a shot that was well saved by Forster’s leg. Sancho did continue his impressive recent form by breaking the deadlock on 21 minutes. Bruno Fernandes sent Marcus Rashford away, and he picked out Sancho to finish the job at the far post. Southampton came close with a well worked one-two on the edge of United’s area and Stuart Armstrong fired a low shot just wide. The same player had another opportunity

POST-MATCH TABLE POS

PTS

3 4 5 6 7

24 24 24 22 21

30 11 6 9 1

47 40 40 39 36

Chelsea West Ham UNITED Arsenal Tottenham

92 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

approaching half-time as his acrobatic half-volley forced a good save from David De Gea, who also dived to his left to deny Perraud. The final action of the half almost led to United’s second as Ronaldo set up Pogba to score, but the flag was already up for offside. Three minutes into the second half it was all square. Southampton took advantage of a slack Reds start to the half as Che Adams finished coolly with a shot in off the far post. Armando Broja drew a save from De Gea soon after, while Harry Maguire’s stabbed chance was hacked off the line by Forster. It was end-to-end stuff as Ronaldo’s half-volley and Diogo

Dalot’s fierce effort both required interventions from Forster. Armstrong fired into the East Stand before Broja wasted a good opportunity with a poor finish after forcing his way into the area. Ronaldo had a goal ruled out for offside as both sides pressed for the decisive strike, and Maguire went close again when his header was palmed away by a fabulous Forster save in stoppage time.

The deadlock was broken on 21 minutes, as Fernandes sent Rashford away and he picked out Sancho to finish at the far post MAN OF THE MATCH JADON SANCHO “The way he is playing right now, it is probably the best Jadon Sancho that Manchester United has seen so far,” Rangnick observed after another scoring contribution.

2018

Left (top to bottom) McTominay on the ball; Ronaldo locks horns with Stephens Below Walker-Peters is challenged by Fernandes

Sancho scored first in consecutive identical home results – the last time that happened was Romelu Lukaku in 2018 (2-0 wins v Brighton and Swansea).

UNITED

POSSESSION (%)

6 18

12 SHOTS ON TARGET

8 CORNERS

12 6 Pogba 10 Rashford 18 Fernandes 25 Sancho 7 Ronaldo

FOULS

STARTING XI

1 7

1 De Gea 20 Dalot 19 Varane 5 Maguire 23 Shaw 39 McTominay

SOUTHAMPTON

SHOTS

UNITED SUBS USED: Elanga for McTominay 75’ • Lingard for Rashford 82’

YELLOW CARDS: McTominay, Pogba, Rashford, Lingard SOUTHAMPTON SUBS USED: Stephens for Bednarek 45’ • Livramento for Elyounoussi 71’ • Diallo for Romeu 90+5’ YELLOW CARDS: None

STARTING XI 44 Forster 2 WalkerPeters 35 Bednarek 22 Salisu 15 Perraud

17 8 6 24 18 10

S Armstrong Ward-Prowse Romeu Elyounoussi Broja Adams

Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 93

PREMIER LEAGUE | MATCHDAY 25 TUESDAY 15 FEBRUARY 2022 | OLD TRAFFORD | 8.15PM

UNITED 2 BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION 0 Ronaldo 51, Fernandes 90+7

Portuguese duo strike to see off Seagulls’ threat

ristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes scored in spectacular style to ensure the Reds got back to winning ways with a 2-0 victory over Brighton. The visitors had the first big chance when Jakub Moder got in behind United lines, but his shot was cleanly gathered by David De Gea. Just a minute later, Jadon Sancho went racing down the left flank before firing off a shot that keeper Robert Sanchez saved, with Lewis Dunk deflecting Sancho’s attempt from the rebound behind. Moder went close shortly before the interval with a strong goalbound header that De Gea kept out with a flying one-handed stop, before Yves Bissouma shot wide. The breakthrough came six minutes into the second half. Scott McTominay caught Bissouma in possession and the ball rolled to Ronaldo, who skipped past a challenge and hammered in a long-range drive. Things went from bad to worse for Brighton when

Dunk brought down Anthony Elanga and, despite initially being booked, a look at the pitchside monitor prompted referee Peter Bankes to upgrade it to a red. Ronaldo looked set to grab his second goal just after the hour when he met a clipped Fernandes cross with his head, but Sanchez pushed the ball over his bar. An attempted clearance from Sanchez then fell neatly for Ronaldo, who unselfishly set up Fernandes, only for the Seagulls stopper to make amends with a save.

POST-MATCH TABLE POS

PTS

2 3 4 5 6

24 24 25 25 22

42 30 8 11 9

54 47 43 41 39

Liverpool Chelsea UNITED West Ham Arsenal

MAN OF THE MATCH CRISTIANO RONALDO Could have had a hat-trick and demonstrated his supreme scoring ability with a glorious – and crucial – opener to put the Reds on course for a morale-boosting win.

94 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

Substitute Paul Pogba had an effort blocked and Ronaldo headed wide while Brighton sent a reminder of the threat they still posed when Moder rattled the crossbar. More Reds chances came but Sanchez was again in the way, denying Fernandes and then Harry Maguire to keep his side in it. Old Trafford breathed a collective sigh of relief on 90 minutes when United old boy Danny Welbeck steered a free header over the bar. But any nerves were calmed in the dying seconds of stoppage time, as Fernandes broke away after a quick Pogba free-kick and made no mistake to wrap up the points.

McTominay caught Bissouma in possession and the ball rolled to Ronaldo, who skipped past a challenge and hammered in a drive

UNITED

POSSESSION (%)

17 18

19 SHOTS ON TARGET

7 CORNERS

Left (top to bottom) Maguire leads the Reds out; Fernandes roars in delight Below Fred skips past a challenge

8 13

10 15 9

8 17 Fred 36 Elanga 18 Fernandes 25 Sancho 7 Ronaldo

FOULS

STARTING XI

10 7

1 De Gea 20 Dalot 2 Lindelof 5 Maguire 23 Shaw 39 McTominay

BRIGHTON

SHOTS 5

UNITED SUBS USED: Pogba for Fred 73’ •

Rashford for Elanga 79’ • Telles for Sancho 80’

YELLOW CARDS: Shaw, McTominay, Fernandes BRIGHTON SUBS USED: Alzate for Gross 60’ •

Lamptey for Trossard 60’ • Welbeck for Maupay 70’ YELLOW CARDS: Mac Allister RED CARDS: Dunk

STARTING XI 1 Sanchez 34 Veltman 4 Webster 5 Dunk 3 Cucurella 8 Bissouma

13 10 15 11 9

Gross Mac Allister Moder Trossard Maupay

122

By finding the net in this game, it meant Ronaldo had scored against his 122nd different club opponent across Portugal, England, Spain and Italy.

Manchester United 2020/21 Yearbook 15

PREMIER LEAGUE | MATCHDAY 26 SUNDAY 20 FEBRUARY 2022 | ELLAND ROAD | 2PM

LEEDS UNITED 2 UNITED 4 Rodrigo 53, Raphinha 54

Maguire 34, Fernandes 45+5, Fred 70, Elanga 88

Hosts hit back, but can’t stop stirring Reds win

he visiting Reds survived a second-half scare to win 4-2 at Elland Road and secure a second successive Premier League victory. Leeds carved out the first real chance after five minutes as Mateusz Klich found the unmarked Jack Harrison, but he fired wide. Paul Pogba drove forward from the right and took aim shortly afterwards with a low strike gathered by Leeds keeper Illan Meslier. Adam Forshaw then troubled David De Gea, as the home side’s no.4 steadied himself before stinging the Spaniard’s palms with his shot. Pogba worked his magic down the left flank to get to the byline and

pick out Cristiano Ronaldo just before the half-hour mark, with our no.7 denied superbly by Meslier. Bruno Fernandes then tried his luck from the edge of the area, forcing the 21-year-old keeper to push his effort out for a corner. From the corner, United took the lead. Shaw’s out-swinging delivery was met by Harry Maguire, who powered home a header. Jadon Sancho shot off target but United got a second in first-half stoppage time, as Lindelof and Sancho linked up before the latter crossed for Fernandes to nod in. Seven minutes into the second period, the hosts pulled one back.

United got a second in first-half stoppage time, as Lindelof and Sancho linked up before the latter crossed for Fernandes to nod in

POST-MATCH TABLE POS

PTS

2 3 4 5 6

25 25 26 26 23

44 31 10 11 10

57 50 46 42 42

Liverpool Chelsea UNITED West Ham Arsenal

MAN OF THE MATCH JADON SANCHO His growing influence in the side continued as he laid on two assists – for Fernandes and Fred – as well as making 21 passes in the final third and recovering possession on nine occasions.

96 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

Rodrigo’s intended cross from the left evaded everyone and looped over De Gea into the net. Just 60 seconds later it was 2-2, as former Red Dan James beat Aaron Wan-Bissaka and picked out Raphinha sliding in at the far post. Leeds continued to press and Joe Gelhardt brought a smart save out of De Gea but it was the visitors who got the next goal. Shortly after coming on for Pogba, Fred galloped forward, played a neat one-two with Sancho and shot powerfully past Meslier. Efforts from Gelhardt and Klich were both kept out by De Gea as Leeds searched for another equaliser, but the Reds made sure of the points late on through Elanga. The teenager raced on to a smart pass from Fernandes to clinically slot in and seal a thrilling win.

2011

Left (top to bottom) Fred celebrates his goal with Elanga; Lindelof drives forward Below Maguire sprints towards the away fans after he nets United’s opening goal

LEEDS

This was our first game at Elland Road in front of fans since 2011 (a 3-0 League Cup win) – and it was 2003 when we were last here in the league in front of fans (a 1-0 win).

SHOTS

5 43

16 SHOTS ON TARGET CORNERS

STARTING XI 5 Koch 20 James 43 Klich 22 Harrison 19 Rodrigo

FOULS 19

13 Meslier Ayling Llorente Struijk Dallas Forshaw

6 3

1 2 14 21 15 4

UNITED

POSSESSION (%) 55

LEEDS SUBS USED: Firpo for Koch 31’ • Gelhardt for Llorente 45’ • Raphinha for Harrison 45’ YELLOW

CARDS: Ayling, Struijk, Forshaw, Firpo, Klich, Raphinha UNITED SUBS USED: Fred for Pogba 67’ •

Elanga for Lingard 67’ • Varane for Ronaldo 85’ YELLOW CARDS: Shaw, McTominay, Ronaldo

STARTING XI 1 De Gea 29 Wan-Bissaka 2 Lindelof 5 Maguire 23 Shaw 6 Pogba

39 McTominay 14 Lingard 18 Fernandes 25 Sancho 7 Ronaldo

Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 97

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE | ROUND OF 16 FIRST LEG WEDNESDAY 23 FEBRUARY 2022 | WANDA METROPOLITANO | 8PM

ATLETICO MADRID 1 UNITED 1 Felix 7

Elanga 80

Elanga’s late leveller offers hope in Round of 16 tie

nthony Elanga’s 80th-minute equaliser gave United a useful 1-1 draw away to Spanish title holders Atletico Madrid in the Champions League last 16. In a feverish atmosphere the home side started brightly, drawing Victor Lindelof into making an excellent sliding block to stop Jose Maria Gimenez shooting on goal. But Atletico were celebrating in the seventh minute when Renan Lodi recycled the ball after a corner was cleared, crossing for Joao Felix to head home off the post. Smart work from Marcus Rashford and Cristiano Ronaldo led to a chance for Bruno Fernandes,

but his shot was blocked. Ronaldo then dragged a shot wide from range before the hosts almost doubled their lead against the run of play, when Marcos Llorente’s header came back off the bar in the closing stages of the first half. Atletico again came out of the blocks quickly in the second 45. First Llorente tried one from range before Lindelof had to head a dangerous ball behind for a corner. United began to control the majority of the play once more but chances were at a premium, as Fernandes saw an effort blocked before Rashford fired over the bar. Meanwhile, Fred’s pass forward

MAN OF THE MATCH ANTHONY ELANGA Picked an ideal moment to net his first European goal when he calmly slotted past the imposing Oblak, meaning he had netted in consecutive United games for the first time.

OTHER RESULTS: Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 Real Madrid Sporting Lisbon 0-5 Man City Salzburg 1-1 Bayern Munich Internazionale 0-2 Liverpool Chelsea 2-0 Lille Villarreal 1-1 Juventus Benfica 2-2 Ajax

98 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

Substitute Elanga provided the perfect finishing touch. Bearing down on goal, he coolly dispatched a shot into the bottom corner almost caught out Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak, who found himself back-pedalling, but managed to keep hold of the ball without carrying it over the goal line. Into the final 15 minutes, the Reds had an opportunity when Angel Correa fouled Fred just outside the area; Ronaldo stepped up to strike the free-kick but missed the target. Substitute Elanga then provided the perfect finishing touch. Bearing down on goal after being sent clear by Fernandes, he coolly dispatched a shot into the bottom corner. Antoine Griezmann thought he had restored the Spanish side’s lead when he let fly in the box, but it crashed off the woodwork. Jesse Lingard was also denied by a save in stoppage time, with the tie left finely poised heading into the second leg at Old Trafford.

Left (bottom left to top right) United’s travelling support; De Gea and Oblak embrace after the final whistle Below The teams line up before kick-off on a noisy night in Madrid

ATLETICO

Aged 19 years and 302 days, Elanga became the youngest player ever to score for United in the Champions League knockout stages.

SHOTS

UNITED

POSSESSION (%) 37

SHOTS ON TARGET 12

1 CORNERS

STARTING XI 4 16 12 10 7

Kondogbia Herrera Renan Lodi Correa Felix

6 18

19 Oblak Savic Gimenez Mandava Vrsaljko Llorente

FOULS

13 15 2 23 24 14

ATLETICO SUBS USED: Lemar for Renan Lodi 76’ • Griezmann for Felix 76’ YELLOW CARDS: Gimenez, Mandava, Llorente, Herrera

UNITED SUBS USED: Wan-Bissaka for Lindelof 66’ • Matic for Pogba 66’ • Telles for Shaw 67’ • Elanga for Rashford 75’ • Lingard for Sancho 82’

YELLOW CARDS: Lindelof, Shaw, Telles, Fred, Rashford

STARTING XI 1 De Gea 2 Lindelof 19 Varane 5 Maguire 23 Shaw 17 Fred

6 Pogba 10 Rashford 18 Fernandes 25 Sancho 7 Ronaldo

Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 99

PREMIER LEAGUE | MATCHDAY 27 SATURDAY 26 FEBRUARY 2022 | OLD TRAFFORD | 3PM

UNITED 0 WATFORD 0 Missed chances mean only a point at Old Trafford

stubborn Watford side left Old Trafford with a Premier League point after holding United to a goalless draw. Ralf Rangnick’s team were on the front foot from the off and Cristiano Ronaldo almost gave the Reds the perfect start when he swept a right-footed effort against the post on four minutes. Stand-in skipper Bruno Fernandes, in his 50th United game, then had a shot that hit Ronaldo, and ex-Red keeper Ben Foster later got an arm to his close-range strike when a goal looked a certainty. Ronaldo had a goal ruled out for offside before Fernandes met Paul

Pogba’s cross, but volleyed wide. Fernandes headed off target and Alex Telles curled a free-kick inches wide while a penalty appeal for a coming-together between Anthony Elanga and Craig Cathcart was waved away as the sides went in level at half-time. Watford almost stunned the home support when Samir headed narrowly wide from a corner in the opening minute of the second period, before the Reds’ dominance on the offensive resumed. Elanga’s low left-footed attempt veered off target and Ronaldo had another penalty claim turned down after going over following a challenge

MAN OF THE MATCH ANTHONY ELANGA A second successive star-man prize for Elanga, who was a bright spark on the right of a front three despite not scoring, linking up well with his peers in some fluid movements.

POST-MATCH TABLE POS

PTS

2 3 4 5 6

26 25 27 24 26

50 31 10 11 11

60 50 47 45 42

Liverpool Chelsea UNITED Arsenal West Ham

100 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

Fernandes planted a long-range hit into the arms of Foster in stoppage time, while the Hornets also had a chance to snatch victory

from Hassane Kamara. Ronaldo and Fernandes continued to be frustrated in front of goal by a combination of blocks and Foster’s saves, with Aaron Wan-Bissaka also trying his luck with a header that went wide. Rangnick introduced Jadon Sancho from the bench and he almost produced a superb late winner, but his 90th-minute shot from 20 yards was inches too high. Fernandes planted a long-range hit into the arms of Foster in stoppage time, while the Hornets had a chance of their own to snatch victory when Ismaila Sarr whistled a powerful shot wide. The final whistle followed seconds later, with both sides forced to settle for a point on a frustrating and disappointing afternoon at the Theatre of Dreams.

BACK TO CONTENTS

United have six clean sheets from eight home Premier League meetings with Watford, who have also never led in any of those games.

Left (top to bottom) Wan-Bissaka holds off Sema; Telles fires in a cross Below Ronaldo tussles for the ball as the Reds seek a breakthrough

UNITED 1

SHOTS

SHOTS ON TARGET 2

3 CORNERS

4 7

FOULS

STARTING XI 17 Fred 36 Elanga 18 Fernandes 6 Pogba 7 Ronaldo

2 1 De Gea 29 Wan-Bissaka 2 Lindelof 19 Varane 27 Telles 31 Matic

WATFORD

POSSESSION (%) 67

UNITED SUBS USED: Sancho for Fred 62’ • Shaw for Telles 74’ • Rashford for Matic 74’ YELLOW CARDS: None

WATFORD SUBS USED: Kabasele for Ngakia 63’ • Sema for King 63’ • Kucka for Cleverley 80’ YELLOW CARDS: None

STARTING XI 1 2 15 22 14 19

Foster Ngakia Cathcart Samir Kamara Sissoko

6 8 23 25 7

Louza Cleverley Sarr Dennis King

Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 101

MARCH

Below United players join Ronaldo to hail his stunning first goal against Spurs in an entertaining encounter at Old Trafford

Disappointment in the derby and in Europe either side of an impressive home win over Tottenham. Meanwhile, there’s plenty of upheaval elsewhere

his was a quiet period for United, with just three first-team fixtures, and it began with disappointment as the Reds were beaten 4-1 away to Manchester City. The final game of the month – played as early as 15 March – was also a tough one to take, with Atletico Madrid edging a 1-0 triumph at Old Trafford to reach the Champions League quarter-finals and put an end to the Reds’ European adventure for 2021/22. However, sandwiched between them was a magical display from Cristiano Ronaldo, who hit a sensational hat-trick to clinch an exhilarating 3-2 win over Tottenham. The first of his three goals was voted Goal of the Month for both United and the Premier League. The title race was really heating up, as Liverpool’s victory at Arsenal put them just a single point behind leaders Manchester City with nine games remaining. And it wasn’t just the Premier League they were each contesting, being paired together in the FA Cup semi-finals and facing the prospect of also meeting in the Champions League final. Chelsea had fallen away from the top two but still sat five points ahead of the fourth-placed Gunners, with Spurs and United looking the two likeliest contenders for the final Champions League place ahead of West Ham and Wolves. As the football world showed support for Ukraine, following its invasion by Russia in late February, Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich announced he would be selling the club, with proceeds going to victims 102 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

of the war. Soon after, his assets were frozen by the UK government and business restrictions imposed. Chelsea were able to conclude the season on the pitch, but the future looked uncertain. It was still Norwich, Burnley and Watford making up the drop zone, with Everton, Leeds, Brentford and Newcastle still looking over their shoulders. The Bees earned crucial wins over fellow strugglers Norwich and Burnley, while Leeds also defeated the Canaries late on and Everton got a 99th-minute winner against Newcastle. But with clubs near the foot of the table having between eight and 11 games to play come the end of March, due to the many winter postponements, it still remained tough to get a true gauge of the battle for survival. There were notable moments at international level, too, as Anthony Elanga made his senior debut for Sweden and Bruno Fernandes’s brace helped Portugal beat North Macedonia 2-0 and qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

PLAYER FOCUS FRED

The Brazilian midfielder was as industrious as ever in the United engine room, and he played his part in Ronaldo’s stunner against Spurs with a deft flick, after some cheeky footwork to skilfully round a defender.

fford

UNITED’S MARCH RESULTS 06.03.22 PL Manchester City 4 United 1 12.03.22 PL United 3 Tottenham 2 15.03.22 CL United 0 Atletico Madrid 1 END-OF-MONTH PL STANDINGS P GD PTS 1 Man City 29 50 70 2 Liverpool 29 55 69 3 Chelsea 28 38 59 28 13 54 4 Arsenal 5 Tottenham 29 11 51 6 UNITED 29 8 50 7 West Ham 30 10 48 8 Wolves 30 5 46 9 Aston Villa 29 1 36 10 Leicester 27 -4 36 11 Southampton 29 -9 35 12 Crystal Palace 29 1 34 13 Brighton 29 -10 33 29 -17 31 14 Newcastle 30 -14 30 15 Brentford 16 Leeds 30 -33 29 27 -18 25 17 Everton 29 -26 22 18 Watford 19 Burnley 27 -16 21 29 -45 17 20 Norwich

WATCH! Click here to watch Ronaldo’s superb hat-trick v Spurs

GOAL OF THE MONTH CRISTIANO RONALDO V TOTTENHAM (1ST)

After latching on to Fred’s clever pass, Ronaldo took one touch to control and one to set the ball out of his feet, before producing a rasping rocket from around 25

yards out that was powered past Hugo Lloris in the visiting goal. It seems the only person who wasn’t completely blown away by this was the man himself, who later stated: “It would probably be in the first, let’s say, 20s, maybe [top] 10. I’ll have to check the goals I scored in my career, which is a few!”

Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 103

PREMIER LEAGUE | MATCHDAY 28 SUNDAY 6 MARCH 2022 | ETIHAD STADIUM | 4.30PM

MANCHESTER CITY 4 UNITED 1 De Bruyne 5, 28, Mahrez 68, 90+1

Sancho 22

Little to cheer in sobering afternoon at the Etihad

t was a tough afternoon to take in the Manchester derby as United were beaten 4-1 by local rivals City in the Premier League at the Etihad Stadium. In what was the 187th meeting between the two Manchester clubs, the hosts started brightly and took the lead inside five minutes when Bernardo Silva cut a ball back from the byline into the path of Kevin De Bruyne, who dispatched a low left-footed effort into the net. At the other end, Fred skipped past a Kyle Walker challenge in the box to go head-to-head with fellow Brazilian, goalkeeper Ederson, but his compatriot was off his line quickly to block the shot. De Bruyne then had a couple of chances as he sought a second goal for Pep Guardiola’s side, first having a shot blocked before seeing David De Gea come up with a save. The Reds were level, though, on 22 minutes after an incisive break. Paul Pogba played a delightful diagonal ball to Jadon Sancho, who dropped the shoulder, cut inside and exquisitely whipped the ball home past Ederson to make it 1-1.

POST-MATCH TABLE POS

PTS

3 4 5 6 7

26 25 28 28 25

35 12 7 11 3

53 48 47 45 42

Chelsea Arsenal UNITED West Ham Tottenham

104 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

Six minutes later, however, De Bruyne doubled his goal tally for the afternoon. Phil Foden saw a shot saved and in the scramble that followed the Belgian converted. City were denied another before the interval as De Gea saved a strike from Riyad Mahrez and then Harry Maguire made a critical challenge to halt De Bruyne on the counter. The Blues had more chances early in the second half, with De Bruyne closed down in the box and Bernardo Silva having a strike blocked by the Reds rearguard. City eventually extended their lead on 68 minutes through Mahrez, whose half-volley flicked off Maguire on its way to goal, deceiving De Gea.

The Reds were level after an incisive break. Pogba played a great ball to Sancho, who cut inside and exquisitely whipped the ball home

United substitute Marcus Rashford looked to reduce the deficit just after the restart, taking on three City players in the box but being prevented from shooting. De Gea saved impressively to keep out Joao Cancelo’s overhead kick but Mahrez finally grabbed City’s fourth in stoppage time when a tight offside call went in his favour having struck from close range.

This was the 50th Manchester derby in the Premier League, with United having won 24, drawn nine and lost 17.

Left (clockwise from bottom left) A minute’s applause for Ukraine; Sancho is congratulated on his goal; Fred tries to find a way through; no rest for De Gea in goal Above Rashford looks to carve out a chance

MAN CITY 31

24 SHOTS ON TARGET

STARTING XI Ederson Walker Stones Laporte Cancelo De Bruyne

16 Rodri 20 Silva 26 Mahrez 47 Foden 10 Grealish

10 CORNERS

FOULS 14

10 31 2 5 14 27 17

SHOTS

UNITED

POSSESSION (%) 69

MAN CITY SUBS USED:

Gundogan for De Bruyne 80’ YELLOW CARDS: None UNITED SUBS USED:

Lingard for Elanga 64’ • Rashford for Pogba 64’ YELLOW CARDS: Maguire

STARTING XI 1 De Gea 29 Wan-Bissaka 2 Lindelof 5 Maguire 27 Telles 39 McTominay

17 Fred 36 Elanga 6 Pogba 25 Sancho 18 Fernandes

Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 105

PREMIER LEAGUE | MATCHDAY 29 SATURDAY 12 MARCH 2022 | OLD TRAFFORD | 5.30PM

UNITED 3 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 2 Ronaldo 12, 38, 81

Kane 35 (pen), Maguire 72 (og)

Sublime Ronaldo hat-trick sees off Londoners

ristiano Ronaldo’s superb hat-trick sealed a 3-2 victory for Manchester United against Tottenham in a Premier League thriller at Old Trafford. The Portuguese star had an early snapshot smash against the arm of Eric Dier but appeals for a penalty were surprisingly waved away. The disappointment was brief, however, as an exquisite flick from Fred put Ronaldo in space around 30 yards out and he unleashed a trademark hit beyond the reach of Spurs goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.

POST-MATCH TABLE POS

PTS

2 3 4 5 6

28 27 29 25 28

53 37 8 12 11

66 56 50 48 45

Liverpool Chelsea UNITED Arsenal West Ham

106 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

Paul Pogba sold Rodrigo Bentancur a dummy and skidded his shot wide, with Tottenham’s response coming when Ben Davies rightly had a goal chalked off by the assistant referee’s flag. Heung-min Son picked out Dier at the far post from a corner, but the latter’s header was cleared off the line by the vigilant Diogo Dalot. The visitors levelled when Dejan Kulusevski’s cross hit Alex Telles on the arm in the penalty area, with Harry Kane crashing home the spot-kick that followed. Three minutes later there was more drama as Jadon Sancho crossed for Ronaldo to sidefoot home. Spurs furiously claimed Sancho had been offside, but the goal was confirmed by VAR. In the second half, Son’s right-foot snapshot zipped past David De Gea’s post, and Ronaldo’s stinger on the run was kept out by Lloris. The visitors equalised again on 72 minutes, when a cross from Sergio Reguilon was turned into his own net

Our no.7 still strived for his treble and completed it five minutes later, rising to head in a corner. He left the field to a standing ovation by the unfortunate Harry Maguire. Ronaldo answered the setback with another shot at pace but, once more, Lloris was equal to it and turned it aside for a corner. Our no.7 still strived for his treble, though, and completed it five minutes later, rising highest to head in a corner from Alex Telles. He later left the field to a standing ovation, with his scoring heroics having sealed an important triumph.

MAN OF THE MATCH CRISTIANO RONALDO Who else? Ronaldo’s second Reds hat-trick – coming 14 years after his first, against Newcastle in January 2008– was vital in sealing the points to continue the chase against our top-four rivals.

806

Ronaldo’s second moved him on to 806 competitive career strikes, overtaking Josef Bican to become FIFA’s all-time record goalscorer.

Left (clockwise from bottom left) Elanga receives instructions from Rangnick; Sancho eludes Doherty; Dalot is pursued by Son Above The United rearguard form a wall

UNITED

POSSESSION (%)

SHOTS

17 6

SHOTS ON TARGET 3

6 CORNERS

4 7

STARTING XI 17 Fred 10 Rashford 6 Pogba 25 Sancho 7 Ronaldo

FOULS

8 1 De Gea 20 Dalot 19 Varane 5 Maguire 27 Telles 31 Matic

TOTTENHAM

UNITED SUBS USED: Elanga for Rashford 68’ • Cavani for Matic 80’ • Lindelof for Ronaldo 83’ YELLOW CARDS: Fred, Pogba

TOTTENHAM SUBS USED: Lucas Moura for Kulusevski 78’ • Bergwijn for Davies 87’ • Winks for Bentancur 88’ YELLOW CARDS: Dier

STARTING XI 1 Lloris 4 Romero 15 Dier 33 Davies 2 Doherty 30 Bentancur

5 3 21 7 10

Hojbjerg Reguilon Kulusevski Son Kane

Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 107

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE | ROUND OF 16 SECOND LEG TUESDAY 15 MARCH 2022 | OLD TRAFFORD | 8PM

UNITED 0 ATLETICO MADRID 1 Lodi 41 (Atletico Madrid win 2-1 on aggregate)

La Liga champions stun Reds with aggregate win

nited’s Champions League journey came to an end at Old Trafford as Atletico Madrid snatched a 1-0 victory in a tense encounter. The match was only three minutes old when Anthony Elanga got his head to a Diogo Dalot cross and sent an opportunity just over, although Elanga was penalised for a foul on keeper Jan Oblak. United’s young Swedish forward went close again 10 minutes later with a shot that hit the face of Oblak and then the woodwork. Atletico demonstrated their counterattacking nous shortly afterwards and David De Gea needed to get a firm glove to keep

out a long-range attempt from midfielder Rodrigo De Paul. Bruno Fernandes had claims for a penalty waved away after a tangle with Jose Maria Gimenez, while a sweeping move from the visitors ended with Joao Felix finding the net before the goal was ruled offside. Four minutes before half-time, though, they did go ahead. Despite appeals for a foul on Elanga in the build-up, play continued, and the move ended with Renan Lodi heading in at the back post. Fernandes had a swerving low shot saved in response, and the second half almost began in perfect fashion when Elanga latched on to a

MAN OF THE MATCH FRED The Brazilian was at the heart of some well-crafted forward play from United in the first half, producing a handful of deft touches and driving runs in search of an early opener.

OTHER RESULTS: Bayern Munich 7-1 Salzburg (8-2 agg) Liverpool 0-1 Internazionale (2-1 agg) Man City 0-0 Sporting Lisbon (5-0 agg) Real Madrid 3-1 PSG (3-2 agg) Ajax 0-1 Benfica (2-3 agg) Juventus 0-3 Villarreal (1-4 agg) Lille 1-2 Chelsea (1-4 agg)

108 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

The second half almost began perfectly when Elanga latched on to a clever Fernandes backheel and drove a shot just past the post clever Fernandes backheel and drove a shot just past the post. Dalot’s deep delivery on the hour mark was met superbly on the volley by Jadon Sancho, whose shot skimmed the bar. It transpired he was in an offside position, however. It did fuel belief in the home crowd, but Atletico came close after 63 minutes when a Gimenez header flew just over from De Paul’s corner. As the clocked ticked down, a Fernandes free-kick just missed contact by both Ronaldo and Harry Maguire, Felix attempted to chip De Gea, and Raphael Varane’s header went into the arms of Oblak as the hosts’ frustration mounted. Dalot shot off target from distance and De Gea even went up for a late corner, but it was gathered by Oblak as United bowed agonisingly out of the competition.

BACK TO CONTENTS

Atletico became the eighth Spanish visitors to M16 in this competition, and the first new name on that list since Sevilla in 2018.

Left (top to bottom) Telles and Fernandes discuss options for a free-kick; Ronaldo attempts the spectacular Above Varane rises to head at goal late on

UNITED 1

SHOTS

39 18

14 39 McTominay 36 Elanga 18 Fernandes 25 Sancho 7 Ronaldo

CORNERS FOULS

STARTING XI

5 25

SHOTS ON TARGET

1 De Gea 20 Dalot 19 Varane 5 Maguire 27 Telles 17 Fred

ATLETICO

POSSESSION (%) 60

UNITED SUBS USED: Matic for McTominay 67’ •

Rashford for Elanga 67’ • Pogba for Fernandes 67’ • Cavani for Fred 75’ • Mata for Maguire 84’ YELLOW CARDS: Dalot, Matic

ATLETICO SUBS USED: Kondogbia for Koke 80’ • Felipe for Felix 90’ • Correa for Griezmann 90+3’ YELLOW CARDS: Herrera, De Paul

STARTING XI 13 15 2 23 16 14

Oblak Savic Gimenez Mandava Herrera Llorente

5 6 12 8 7

De Paul Koke Renan Lodi Griezmann Felix

Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 109

APRIL

Below The Reds take to the field to face Chelsea at Old Trafford in the month’s final fixture

United slip out of contention for the Champions League places while the relegation scrap intensifies, as the finishing line nears for the 2021/22 season

he Premier League was the sole focus for United in the penultimate month of the campaign, with the Reds playing six top-flight fixtures in the space of 27 days. A 1-1 draw with Leicester was followed by a disappointing defeat to struggling Everton, before another Cristiano Ronaldo masterclass – and hat-trick – clinched a 3-2 success against Norwich. More tough defeats on the road came next, against title chasers Liverpool and top-four rivals Arsenal, with the month ending at Old Trafford and a 1-1 draw against Chelsea in a game that had been moved due to the Blues’ involvement in the FA Cup final. One good bit of news was a contract extension for Bruno Fernandes, running through until June 2026 with the option to extend for a further year. “Even after two years, it still feels amazing to step out at Old Trafford, to hear the fans sing my song and to score in front of the Stretford End,” he said. “There is so much more that I want to achieve here, and I know that is the same for the rest of the squad and staff. More than anything, we want to give the fans the success that they deserve.” Away from Old Trafford, what turned out to be the final managerial change of the Premier League campaign came at Turf Moor, where the long-serving Sean Dyche was relieved of his duties with the Clarets four points from safety after 30 games played. The club’s Under-23s coach Mike Jackson was installed as caretaker, and by the end of April they had managed to climb out of 110 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

the bottom three, with Everton now in the drop zone. The Toffees had two games in hand on the teams around them but, sitting five points from safety, things were starting to get very tense at Goodison Park. In the title race, a top-two clash between Manchester City and Liverpool ended in a 2-2 draw, with City seeing out the month still in first place and a single point clear with four league games left for both clubs. United’s hopes of Champions League football for 2022/23 sadly looked to be fading, with Arsenal and Tottenham now five and three points ahead respectively, and both having played two fewer games. It looked likely to set up a crunch North London derby in May. One of the standout results of the month was Brentford’s 4-1 win at Chelsea, in which a star showing from the rejuvenated Christian Eriksen edged the Bees towards the top half of the table in what was proving an impressive debut Premier League campaign for Thomas Frank’s side.

PLAYER FOCUS DAVID DE GEA

By the month’s end, De Gea had made 121 Premier League stops – one short of his all-time season high, in 2018/19. The Spaniard’s saves were vital in picking up points against Leicester, Norwich and Chelsea.

WATCH! Click here to watch Ronaldo’s latest treble, v Norwich

UNITED’S APRIL RESULTS 02.04.22 PL United 1 Leicester 1 09.04.22 PL Everton 1 United 0 16.04.22 PL United 3 Norwich 2 19.04.22 PL Liverpool 4 United 0 23.04.22 PL Arsenal 3 United 1 28.04.22 PL United 1 Chelsea 1 END-OF-MONTH PL STANDINGS P GD PTS 1 Man City 34 63 83 2 Liverpool 34 64 82 3 Chelsea 33 40 66 33 12 60 4 Arsenal 5 Tottenham 33 18 58 6 UNITED 35 2 55 7 West Ham 34 8 52 8 Wolves 34 1 49 35 -8 44 9 Brighton 10 Newcastle 35 -16 43 11 Leicester 32 -4 42 12 Crystal Palace 34 3 41 13 Aston Villa 33 -2 40 34 -8 40 14 Brentford 35 -17 40 15 Southampton 16 Burnley 34 -15 34 17 Leeds 34 -34 34 32 -21 29 18 Everton 19 Watford 34 -37 22 34 -49 21 20 Norwich

GOAL OF THE MONTH

CRISTIANO RONALDO V NORWICH Another hat-trick and a third straight United Goal of the Month award for Ronaldo. With Norwich having levelled from 2-0 down and just under 15 minutes remaining, the no.7 stepped

up to drive a free-kick from around 25 yards out in off the post to clinch the three points while completing a 60th career treble. “It is unbelievable, his career... it’s crazy, he’s still making hat-tricks, scoring goals, helping the team,” said David De Gea. “He’s a legend and one of the best players in history.”

Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 111

PREMIER LEAGUE | MATCHDAY 30 SATURDAY 2 APRIL 2022 | OLD TRAFFORD | 5.30PM

UNITED 1 LEICESTER CITY 1 Fred 66

Iheanacho 63

Honours even after Foxes strike first blow in M16

he Reds were held to a 1-1 draw with Leicester in the Premier League at Old Trafford, as Fred’s equaliser cancelled out Kelechi Iheanacho’s opener shortly before. Harvey Barnes headed over from James Maddison’s free-kick after only two minutes and then fired wide after a slick move involving Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Iheanacho. Soon after, Paul Pogba’s header was collected by Kasper Schmeichel, who also denied Bruno Fernandes with an outstretched leg. Iheanacho shot narrowly wide, while Barnes again went close after being picked out at the back post by a deep cross from Maddison. For the hosts, Fernandes almost created an opportunity to break the deadlock, but Anthony Elanga and Jadon Sancho were unable to link up at the crucial moment at the end of the first half. It was Fernandes who had the first chance after the break, but his tame effort was kept out by Schmeichel. The game’s opening goal followed just after the hour mark, as Iheanacho headed home a pinpoint cross from Maddison, after

POST-MATCH TABLE POS

PTS

4 5 6 7 8

28 29 30 31 30

13 11 8 6 10

54 51 51 49 48

Arsenal Tottenham UNITED Wolves West Ham

112 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

Fernandes was stopped in his tracks while trying to latch on to a Fred ball. However, just seconds later, the Brazilian midfielder drew United level. After Schmeichel was only able to parry a shot from Fernandes, Fred was on hand to sweep in the rebound, much to the delight of the Old Trafford faithful. Iheanacho then latched on to a misplaced backpass but scooped his effort over the bar, before David De Gea wonderfully clawed out a header from Wesley Fofana. Maddison did have the ball in the United net with 10 minutes remaining when he beat De Gea at the near post, but VAR chalked the goal off after Iheanacho was found to have fouled Raphael Varane in the build-up. Sancho also had a chance to steal the points late on, but couldn’t get a clean connection in front of the Stretford End, screwing his effort off target. Then, in the dying seconds, Marcus Rashford seemed to have found an opening as he charged towards goal, only for Elanga to collide with him en route, resulting in Schmeichel gathering once more.

After Schmeichel was only able to parry a shot from Fernandes, Fred was on hand to sweep in the rebound, to the delight of the home fans

MAN OF THE MATCH FRED Another star-man prize after a typically energetic performance to mark his 100th Premier League appearance, with the Brazilian showing quick reactions to grab the goal (left).

Fred scored his fourth goal of the campaign, equalling the combined tally he’d managed across the previous three seasons.

Left (top to bottom) Fernandes in flight; Dalot shields possession; Pogba crosses into a packed penalty box Above Rashford congratulates Fred after our no.17 got the equaliser

UNITED 1

17 6

SHOTS ON TARGET 3

5 CORNERS

STARTING XI 17 Fred 36 Elanga 6 Pogba 25 Sancho 18 Fernandes

FOULS 6

13 1 De Gea 20 Dalot 5 Maguire 19 Varane 23 Shaw 39 McTominay

SHOTS

LEICESTER

POSSESSION (%) 54

UNITED SUBS USED: Telles for Shaw 45’ •

Rashford for McTominay 55’ • Matic for Pogba 75’ YELLOW CARDS: Shaw, McTominay

LEICESTER SUBS USED: Amartey for Evans 64’ •

Choudhury for Mendy 90+1’ • Daka for Iheanacho 90+2’ YELLOW CARDS: Fofana, Tielemans

STARTING XI 1 2 3 6 27 8

Schmeichel Justin Fofana Evans Castagne Tielemans

24 Mendy 10 Maddison 22 Dewsbury-Hall 7 Barnes 14 Iheanacho

Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 113

PREMIER LEAGUE | MATCHDAY 31 SATURDAY 9 APRIL 2022 | GOODISON PARK | 12.30PM

EVERTON 1 UNITED 0 Gordon 27

Fired-up Toffees score vital home win over Reds

anchester United fell to an eighth league defeat of the season at Goodison Park, as a pumped-up Everton secured a vital victory in their relegation battle. Marcus Rashford had two chances early in his 200th Premier League game but couldn’t capitalise. Errors in Everton’s defensive midfield area meant United had plenty of opportunities to carve out decent chances, but the Reds’ final balls couldn’t cut through. And then, from nothing, Frank Lampard’s side countered from the sustained United possession, and Anthony Gordon’s shot from the edge of the area deflected off Harry Maguire and past David De Gea into

POST-MATCH TABLE POS

5 6 7 8 9

Arsenal 30 West Ham 31 UNITED 31 Wolves 32 Crystal Palace 30

PTS

9 11 7 5 4

54 51 51 49 47

114 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

the net. Suddenly, the home crowd were full of confidence, and their team too. Michael Keane headed over, and then Richarlison’s shot was deflected over expertly by De Gea. When the sides returned to the pitch after the break, the Toffees carried the energy of Gordon’s goal into the early part of the second half. But as the hour mark approached, nerves re-emerged, and United began to gain a grip, with Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes enjoying plenty of possession – but without making a breakthrough. Everton remained dangerous on the rare occasions they ventured forward, with Lindelof doing well to intercept Gordon’s attempted set-up for Alex Iwobi. There was also a nervy moment when Gordon went down under a challenge from Alex Telles inside the United penalty area, until referee Jon Moss waved play on. Pogba then tested Jordan Pickford from distance, but the Everton goalkeeper was as solid and confident as he’d been all afternoon, doing well to hold on to the stinging low drive.

There was one big final chance when Maguire headed a cross into Ronaldo, but his shot was superbly parried by Pickford’s reflexes The pressure ramped right up on the hosts in the final 10 minutes, but the ball just wouldn’t fall for United inside the area, despite several bits of good build-up work from Jadon Sancho and Telles in particular. There was one big final chance when Maguire headed a cross into Cristiano Ronaldo, standing about 10 yards out, but his shot was superbly parried by Pickford’s reflexes.

MAN OF THE MATCH DAVID DE GEA The Spanish stopper was unlucky to be beaten by Gordon’s deflected effort, and showed his value when preventing Richarlison from putting Everton 2-0 up.

Rashford became the 25th player to reach 200 Premier League appearances for United, matching Ronaldo’s achievement from earlier in the season.

Left (clockwise from left) Pickford punches clear from Matic; Ronaldo surges forward; the two managers consider their options Above Lindelof heads clear for United

EVERTON 1

STARTING XI Pickford Coleman Keane Godfrey Mykolenko Allan

SHOTS 12

7 SHOTS ON TARGET

8 Delph 17 Iwobi 24 Gordon 9 Calvert-Lewin 7 Richarlison

3 CORNERS

FOULS 10

4 1 23 5 22 19 6

UNITED

POSSESSION (%) 32

EVERTON SUBS USED: Gray for Calvert-Lewin 71’ • Doucoure for Delph 84’

YELLOW CARDS: Pickford, Gordon UNITED SUBS USED: Pogba for Fred 36’ •

Mata for Matic 64’ • Elanga for Rashford 64’ YELLOW CARDS: Pogba, Ronaldo

STARTING XI 1 De Gea 29 Wan-Bissaka 2 Lindelof 5 Maguire 27 Telles 17 Fred

31 Matic 25 Sancho 18 Fernandes 10 Rashford 7 Ronaldo

Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 115

PREMIER LEAGUE | MATCHDAY 32 SATURDAY 16 APRIL 2022 | OLD TRAFFORD | 3PM

UNITED 3 NORWICH CITY 2 Ronaldo 7, 32, 76

Dowell 45+1, Pukki 52

Lethal Ronaldo grabs three goals and three points

nother Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick at Old Trafford helped United see off a brave Norwich effort in a 3-2 Premier League victory. In a lively start, Teemu Pukki had a decent attempt saved by David De Gea, Anthony Elanga’s overhead kick was held by Tim Krul, and Ronaldo also saw a shot stopped. Slack Canaries defending helped United create the opening goal on seven minutes. Elanga robbed Ben Gibson and squared to Ronaldo for an easy right-footed finish. Ronaldo added a second shortly after the half-hour mark. Jesse Lingard’s close-range snapshot cannoned behind off Krul for a

corner, from which Alex Telles found the no.7 to head home. Ronaldo was enjoying the day and the crowd rose in anticipation when he attempted a spectacular bicycle kick in the 39th minute, but his effort went flying high into the East Stand. Norwich got a goal back with a rare attack in first-half stoppage time, when Pukki’s cross to the back post was met with a firm header by the unmarked Kieran Dowell to halve the deficit. That galvanised the visitors and they were level soon after the break. Dowell returned the favour when he slipped in Pukki, who converted with a low right-foot shot.

MAN OF THE MATCH CRISTIANO RONALDO Another MOTM showing from Cristiano, who clinched another landmark as he notched the 60th hat-trick of his glittering and goal-packed career – half of which came after turning 30.

POST-MATCH TABLE POS

PTS

3 4 5 6 7

30 32 32 31 32

41 18 8 8 9

62 57 54 54 51

Chelsea Tottenham UNITED Arsenal West Ham

116 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

Inevitably, it was Ronaldo who made the difference, as a rocket of a free-kick arrowed home in front of the Stretford End

United were shell-shocked and almost went behind four minutes later when it took a stretched arm from De Gea to tip a low drive from Milot Rashica wide of the post. The Telles-Ronaldo corner combo almost got the Reds back in front on the hour, but the latter’s strong header was straight at Krul. Norwich’s confidence was high and Dowell tried a long-range chip that sailed just over De Gea’s bar. But, inevitably, it was Ronaldo who made the difference in the end, as a venomous rocket of a free-kick from more than 30 yards arrowed home in front of the Stretford End with 76 minutes on the clock. Bruno Fernandes almost grabbed a fourth when his low stinger deflected wide off Krul’s knee, but United saw out the match without too much undue concern.

1960

Left (top to bottom) Maguire intercepts the ball; Matic challenges Giannoulis Below Ronaldo leads the charge towards the fans after his spectacular winner

Cristiano Ronaldo became the first Red to score league hat-tricks in back-to-back home games since Alex Dawson in 1960.

UNITED 1

SHOTS 2

20 SHOTS ON TARGET

STARTING XI 6 Pogba 14 Lingard 36 Elanga 7 Ronaldo 25 Sancho

9 CORNERS

FOULS 6

8 1 De Gea 20 Dalot 2 Lindelof 5 Maguire 27 Telles 18 Fernandes

NORWICH

POSSESSION (%) 61

UNITED SUBS USED: Matic for Lingard 63’ • Rashford for Telles 74’ • Mata for Pogba 74’ YELLOW CARDS: None

NORWICH SUBS USED: Gilmour for McLean 73’ • Placheta for Dowell 74’ • Rowe for Lees-Melou 82’ YELLOW CARDS: None

STARTING XI 1 Krul 3 Byram 5 Hanley 4 Gibson 30 Giannoulis 16 Normann

23 McLean 10 Dowell 20 Lees-Melou 17 Rashica 22 Pukki

Manchester United 2021/21 Yearbook 117

PREMIER LEAGUE | MATCHDAY 33 TUESDAY 19 APRIL 2022 | ANFIELD | 8PM

LIVERPOOL 4 UNITED 0 Diaz 5, Salah 22, 85, Mane 68

It’s misery on Merseyside as hosts ease to victory

thoroughly dispiriting night for United ended in a 4-0 Premier League defeat to Merseyside rivals and title challengers Liverpool. The hosts made a fast start and broke the deadlock after just five minutes. A quick break saw Sadio Mane play in Mohamed Salah, who teed up Luis Diaz to convert from close range in the centre of the box. Rivalry was put to one side on seven minutes, however, when a minute’s applause took place to pay respects to Cristiano Ronaldo and his partner following the tragic passing of their new-born baby boy. Paul Pogba’s evening then came to an early end after just 10 minutes

of play, as he limped off appearing to have an issue with his right leg. Jesse Lingard came on in his place. Liverpool doubled their lead shortly before the midway point in the half when Salah burst through the backline to latch on to a pass from Mane and strike into the corner. David De Gea made an excellent save from Mane shortly afterwards, but the striker was flagged offside – as was Diaz when he had the ball in the United net on 35 minutes. United manager Ralf Rangnick made a tactical change at the interval, bringing on Jadon Sancho for Phil Jones and changing shape to return to a back four. Anthony Elanga was part of a bright move early on in the second period for United, which forced a corner down the right flank, but Liverpool were able to deal with the danger from the set play. A strong clearance also followed after Lingard won a free-kick on the same side of the pitch, having been

fouled by Andrew Robertson. Alisson was called into action to save from Sancho, before making a double stop to deny Marcus Rashford and Elanga, The flag went up against the pair, but replays showed both had been onside. Despite the positive spell, Mane then hit United with a sucker-punch on 68 minutes. A break led by Robertson then saw Diaz find the Senegalese forward to make it 3-0. Hannibal was introduced for fellow Academy product Elanga as United’s third substitute, but moments later Salah lifted a ball into the net for Liverpool’s fourth goal.

POST-MATCH TABLE POS

PTS

4 5 6 7 8

32 31 33 33 32

18 8 4 9 5

57 54 54 52 49

Tottenham Arsenal UNITED West Ham Wolves

Ralf Rangnick made a tactical change at the interval, bringing on Sancho for Jones and changing shape to return to a back four 118 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

LIVERPOOL 1

UNITED

POSSESSION (%) 28

SHOTS 4

SHOTS ON TARGET 1

5 CORNERS

STARTING XI 14 3 6 11 10 23

Henderson Fabinho Thiago Salah Mane Diaz

Left (clockwise from bottom left) Fernandes under pressure from Henderson; the Reds line up; Hannibal made an impression in the closing stages Below Sancho tries to find a way through

36 10

FOULS 6

3 1 Alisson 66 AlexanderArnold 32 Matip 4 van Dijk 26 Robertson

LIVERPOOL SUBS USED: Jota for Diaz 70’ • Keita for Thiago 80’ • Milner for Fabinho 86’ YELLOW CARDS: Keita

UNITED SUBS USED: Lingard for Pogba 10’ •

Sancho for Jones 45’ • Hannibal for Elanga 84’ YELLOW CARDS: Fernandes, Hannibal

STARTING XI 1 De Gea 2 Lindelof 4 Jones 5 Maguire 29 Wan-Bissaka 6 Pogba

31 Matic 20 Dalot 18 Fernandes 36 Elanga 10 Rashford

This is only the fifth time Liverpool have completed a Premier League double over United, in 30 attempts.

Manchester United 2020/21 Yearbook 15

PREMIER LEAGUE | MATCHDAY 34 SATURDAY 23 APRIL 2022 | EMIRATES STADIUM | 12.30PM

ARSENAL 3 UNITED 1 Tavares 3, Saka 32 (pen), Xhaka 70

Ronaldo 34

Stirring fightback can’t prevent defeat in London

rsenal struck a key blow in the race for a top-four finish with a 3-1 Premier League victory over United at the Emirates Stadium. The Gunners grabbed an early lead through full-back Nuno Tavares. David De Gea saved to deny Bukayo Saka, but Tavares was quickest to react and tap in the opener. United almost grabbed a quick equaliser when Bruno Fernandes and Cristiano Ronaldo combined to set Anthony Elanga free on the counterattack, but keeper Aaron Ramsdale denied the young Swede. Scott McTominay couldn’t steer in his header from the resulting corner, before the midfielder

collected Ramsdale’s short clearance and set up Fernandes, only for Gabriel to make the block. No spot-kick was awarded when Ben White appeared to handle the ball in his own area but, as play continued, Diogo Dalot’s curling effort thumped off the crossbar. De Gea saved from Eddie Nketiah before the Arsenal forward found the net from Saka’s lay-off, but VAR ruled it out for offside. However, a check on the monitor showed Saka had been fouled in the build-up, and referee Craig Pawson gave a penalty, which Saka duly dispatched. Within seconds of the restart, though, good work down the left

Ronaldo had the ball in the Arsenal net on the hour mark for a second time, but VAR confirmed a marginal offside call to deny him a brace

POST-MATCH TABLE POS

PTS

4 5 6 7 8

33 33 34 33 32

12 18 2 9 5

60 58 54 52 49

Arsenal Tottenham UNITED West Ham Wolves

MAN OF THE MATCH CRISTIANO RONALDO Temporarily got United back in the contest with an expert finish from Matic’s cross and was only denied a second by a tight offside call. Also created a decent opening for Elanga.

120 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

from Jadon Sancho led to Nemanja Matic crossing for Ronaldo to convert his 100th Premier League goal, and give United real hope. In the second half, a Tavares handball led to a penalty for the Reds and a chance to draw level, but Fernandes hit the post from 12 yards. Ronaldo then had the ball in the Arsenal net on the hour mark for the second time, but VAR confirmed a marginal offside call to deny the Portugal forward a brace. Dalot was played in behind the Gunners’ backline via Ronaldo on 63 minutes, but his shot was pushed against the woodwork by Ramsdale. But such pressure proved in vain, as in Arsenal’s first real attack in the second half, midfielder Granit Xhaka got the ball 25 yards out and rifled it past De Gea to put the seal on the win for Mikel Arteta’s side.

100

Left (top to bottom) Mata shoots; McTominay pursues Tavares Below Ronaldo takes aim in the box

Ronaldo became the fourth player to net 100 Premier League goals for United, after Wayne Rooney, Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes.

ARSENAL 32

SHOTS

34 8

14 SHOTS ON TARGET CORNERS

34 Xhaka 7 Saka 8 Odegaard 10 Smith Rowe 30 Nketiah

STARTING XI

FOULS

32 Ramsdale 17 Soares 4 White 6 Gabriel 20 Tavares 25 Elneny

UNITED

POSSESSION (%) 55

ARSENAL SUBS USED: Martinelli for Smith Rowe 64’ • Holding for Saka 74’ • Tomiyasu for Soares 90+1’ YELLOW CARDS: Tavares, Elneny, Xhaka

UNITED SUBS USED: Rashford for Matic 77’ •

Lingard for Elanga 77’ • Mata for Fernandes 84’

YELLOW CARDS: Lindelof, Telles, Fernandes, Ronaldo

STARTING XI 1 De Gea 20 Dalot 2 Lindelof 19 Varane 27 Telles 39 McTominay

31 Matic 36 Elanga 18 Fernandes 25 Sancho 7 Ronaldo

Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 121

PREMIER LEAGUE | MATCHDAY 35 THURSDAY 28 APRIL 2022 | OLD TRAFFORD | 7.45PM

UNITED 1 CHELSEA 1 Ronaldo 62

Alonso 60

Points shared at home as Reds battle back

ristiano Ronaldo crashed in a second-half equaliser against Chelsea to earn United a point at Old Trafford in the Premier League The visitors made a slick start, with only a weak Bruno Fernandes header and Ronaldo’s miscued, acrobatic over-the-shoulder attempt disrupting their rhythm. As a result, the Londoners were able to dictate the tempo and dominate possession. This led to several big moments for David De Gea, who first double-fisted away a piledriver from Reece James. The Spaniard then took a Kai Havertz shot from close range full in the chest after N’Golo Kante had put the German in after 28 minutes.

POST-MATCH TABLE POS

PTS

4 5 6 7 8

33 33 35 34 33

12 18 2 8 4

60 58 55 52 49

Arsenal Tottenham UNITED West Ham Wolves

122 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

The two had combined previously in a dangerous combination that saw Havertz fire into the side-netting. The game was mainly being played out in United’s half and, after 36 minutes, Havertz again headed point-blank at De Gea from another James cross. There were close chances for both teams at the start of the second half with Nemanja Matic’s lashed low cross zipping through all the bodies. Similarly, a Mason Mount drilled centre saw Timo Werner inches away from a connection. Chelsea looked most threatening and it was no surprise when the goal finally came. James’s cross was headed on by Havertz, and it deflected perfectly for Alonso to shoot, with the defender’s volleyed execution giving De Gea no chance. Just two minutes later, United hit back as Matic chipped a gorgeous ball over Chelsea’s defence and Ronaldo took a sublime touch before smashing in the equaliser. Ronaldo then came close to putting United ahead in the 78th minute but his near-post blast was kept out by Edouard Mendy.

United hit back as Matic chipped a gorgeous ball over Chelsea’s defence and Ronaldo took a sublime touch before smashing into the net Chelsea were a whisker away from regaining the lead in the 80th minute when the ever-dangerous James curled a shot that had De Gea beaten but hit the upright. There was a senior debut for Academy product Alejandro Garnacho as he came on in added time to replace Anthony Elanga but there were no further chances of note and the game ended all square.

MAN OF THE MATCH CRISTIANO RONALDO Heads could easily have dropped after Chelsea’s opener, but Ronaldo’s lightning response ensured the Reds took a point from the game thanks to another moment of goalscoring genius.

BACK TO CONTENTS

United are now unbeaten in nine Premier League meetings with Chelsea (W3 D6), since a 1-0 away defeat in November 2017.

Left (bottom left) Fernandes faces Rudiger; (above left) former team-mates Lindelof and Lukaku embrace after the final whistle Below Rashford dribbles through

UNITED 1

31 18

3 CORNERS

19 11

FOULS

9 31 Matic 36 Elanga 18 Fernandes 10 Rashford 7 Ronaldo

STARTING XI

SHOTS ON TARGET

1 De Gea 20 Dalot 2 Lindelof 19 Varane 27 Telles 39 McTominay

SHOTS

CHELSEA

POSSESSION (%) 35

UNITED SUBS USED: Jones for Matic 79’ •

Mata for Rashford 79’ • Garnacho for Elanga 90+1’ YELLOW CARDS: None

CHELSEA SUBS USED: Lukaku for Havertz 70’ •

Pulisic for Werner 71’ • Loftus-Cheek for Kante 82’ YELLOW CARDS: Rudiger

STARTING XI 16 Mendy 28 Azpilicueta 6 Thiago Silva 2 Rudiger 24 James 5 Jorginho

7 Kante 3 Alonso 19 Mount 11 Werner 29 Havertz

Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 123

MAY

Below Victory over Brentford was the highlight of the month for the Reds, in what would prove to be our final points of the Premier League campaign

The unveiling of a new manager offers fresh hope for Reds towards the end of a turbulent season, while there’s final-day drama at both ends of the top flight

“I

think this club has a great history and now let’s make a future. Work hard, 100 per cent committed, and then I am sure we will get success.” Those were the words of Erik ten Hag, speaking in his first United press conference after the Reds had signed off a tough campaign. The Dutchman was already looking to the future, following the three May league games to conclude 2021/22. The Reds’ final Old Trafford outing ended in a 3-0 triumph over Brentford, which included fond home farewells for some of the players set to move on in the summer. That was followed by two away defeats, against Brighton and Crystal Palace, as the Reds finished sixth – not what had been hoped for back in August, but now with a new manager and a new vision, the rebuilding work could begin in earnest. It was Manchester City who clinched league title glory in a dramatic final-day climax. Knowing any slip-up at home to Aston Villa could allow Liverpool to overtake them, Pep Guardiola’s team were 2-0 down with 14 minutes remaining. But in a stunning turnaround, with three goals in the space of five minutes, City came back and sealed a fourth league crown in five seasons to end Liverpool’s hopes of an unprecedented quadruple, despite the Merseysiders beating Wolves. That wasn’t the only outcome that went to the wire. Everton made sure of their safety with a similarly thrilling recovery from 2-0 down against Crystal Palace, meaning either Burnley or Leeds would be relegated 124 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

alongside Watford and Norwich. In the end, it was Leeds who survived, grabbing a late winner at Brentford, while Burnley lost to Newcastle, ending their six-year top-flight tenure. Tottenham edged out rivals Arsenal for the final Champions League spot, behind Chelsea in third, while West Ham’s loss to Brighton meant they had to settle for the Europa Conference League, with United taking a Europa League place. Promoted were Fulham, Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest. While Liverpool suffered another title heartbreak, they did have some measure of consolation in the FA Cup final, defeating Chelsea on penalties after a goalless draw – just as they had done in the Carabao Cup final in February. But their hopes of Champions League glory were dashed after a 1-0 defeat to Real Madrid in Paris. Earlier in May, Eintracht Frankfurt lifted the Europa League trophy after beating Rangers on penalties, while Roma overcame Feyenoord 1-0 in the inaugural Europa Conference League final.

PLAYER FOCUS JUAN MATA

Fan favourite Mata said goodbye to Old Trafford after eight-and-a-half years. He played all three games in May, and almost picked up an assist against Brentford, setting up Ronaldo for a strike that was ruled offside.

WATCH!

Click here to watch all the goals from the win v Brentford

UNITED’S MAY RESULTS 02.05.22 PL United 3 Brentford 0 07.05.22 PL Brighton 4 United 0 22.05.22 PL Crystal Palace 1 United 0 FINAL PL STANDINGS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

GOAL OF THE MONTH

BRUNO FERNANDES V BRENTFORD The Reds’ opening goal of the month was dispatched in style by United’s no.18, with just nine minutes on the clock at Old Trafford. It was Fernandes’s compatriot Diogo Dalot who

Man City Liverpool Chelsea Tottenham Arsenal UNITED West Ham Leicester Brighton Wolves Newcastle Crystal Palace Brentford Aston Villa Southampton Everton Leeds Burnley Watford Norwich

P 38 38 38 38 38 38 38 38 38 38 38 38 38 38 38 38 38 38 38 38

GD PTS 73 93 68 92 43 74 29 71 13 69 0 58 9 56 3 52 -2 51 -5 51 -18 49 4 48 -8 46 -2 45 -24 40 -23 39 -37 38 -19 35 -43 23 -61 22

began the attack, setting Anthony Elanga free on the right with a precise lobbed pass. Elanga wasted little time cutting the ball back into the box, where the onrushing Bruno slammed it past goalkeeper David Raya with a superb first-time volley. A slick move that kick-started a good night’s work for the home side.

Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 125

PREMIER LEAGUE | MATCHDAY 36 MONDAY 2 MAY 2022 | OLD TRAFFORD | 8PM

UNITED 3 BRENTFORD 0 Fernandes 9, Ronaldo 61 (pen), Varane 72

Home season ends with three goals to celebrate

alf Rangnick’s side delivered an emphatic farewell to the 2021/22 Old Trafford home season with a 3-0 win against Brentford. It was almost a nightmare start for United, though, when Alex Telles had to block off a great chance for Bryan Mbeumo after only 10 seconds. United soon conjured up a glorious opportunity at the other end when Diogo Dalot picked out Cristiano Ronaldo, who took the ball on his chest but slipped as he was ready to convert. Dalot then found Anthony Elanga behind the Brentford defence, with the Swedish forward playing over a cross that was on a plate for Bruno

Fernandes to power home for the opening goal. Brentford had chances with headers from Mbeumo and Ivan Toney, while Ronaldo fired a free-kick at keeper David Raya, before having a penalty appeal waved away and setting up Juan Mata to shoot wide. The Reds pair linked up again for what looked like a Ronaldo goal to make it 2-0 after 44 minutes, when Mata crossed for him to slot in, but VAR checked for offside and the effort was ruled out. United were back straight on the attack in the second half and Dalot clipped a deflected shot that hit the bar, although Ronaldo was ruled

MAN OF THE MATCH CRISTIANO RONALDO A lively conclusion to this season back in front of the Old Trafford fans, with his disallowed strike failing to discourage him as he eventually registered emphatically from the spot.

POST-MATCH TABLE POS

PTS

4 5 6 7 8

34 34 36 35 34

13 20 5 7 1

63 61 58 52 49

Arsenal Tottenham UNITED West Ham Wolves

126 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

Dalot found Elanga behind the Brentford defence, with the Swede firing over a cross that was on a plate for Fernandes to power in

offside in the build-up. Nemanja Matic dinked a cheeky pass over to Fernandes, who zipped a right-foot shot a whisker wide, before David De Gea was alert to deny both Christian Eriksen and Toney. The second goal finally came just after the hour. The impressive Dalot sent Ronaldo scampering down the right, with the latter felled in the box by Rico Henry. Ronaldo struck a venomous spot-kick for 2-0. On 71 minutes, Matic received a standing ovation as he left the Old Trafford field for the final time as a United player, and moments later Raphael Varane volleyed in his first Reds goal, from a corner. Edinson Cavani came on for what turned out to also be his last home game for the club, while Phil Jones replaced Juan Mata in an emotional exit for the Spaniard, who applauded all four sides of the stadium.

Left (top to bottom) Rashford embraces Fernandes at the final whistle; Matic on the ball for United Below Varane celebrates his goal, scored with 72 minutes on the clock

UNITED

Bruno Fernandes netted his 50th United goal in his 124th club appearance since joining from Sporting Lisbon in January 2020.

POSSESSION (%)

31 8

9 SHOTS ON TARGET CORNERS

FOULS 6

STARTING XI 1 De Gea 20 Dalot 2 Lindelof 19 Varane 27 Telles 39 McTominay

BRENTFORD

SHOTS

31 Matic 36 Elanga 8 Mata 18 Fernandes 7 Ronaldo

UNITED SUBS USED: Fred for Matic 71’ • Cavani for Elanga 75’ • Jones for Mata 75’ YELLOW CARDS: Matic

BRENTFORD SUBS USED: Dasilva for Janelt 71’ • Jensen for Norgaard 71’ • Wissa for Mbeumo 76’ YELLOW CARDS: None

STARTING XI 1 Raya 30 Roerslev 20 Ajer 18 Jansson 29 Sorensen 3 Henry

27 6 21 17 19

Janelt Norgaard Eriksen Toney Mbeumo

Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 127

PREMIER LEAGUE | MATCHDAY 37 SATURDAY 7 MAY 2022 | AMEX STADIUM | 5.30PM

BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION 4 UNITED 0 Caicedo 15, Cucurella 49, Gross 57, Trossard 60

Rough day on the road in penultimate fixture

nited’s penultimate outing of the season ended in a heavy 4-0 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League. The home side were on the front foot from 15 minutes in, when Graham Potter’s side took the lead. Moises Caicedo’s effort found the bottom corner from the edge of the area after the ball flew through a sea of bodies. Cristiano Ronaldo blasted over from a free-kick as the Reds struggled to muster a response. Three minutes before the interval, a long ball over United’s backline caused problems for Raphael Varane who failed to deal with it, but thankfully Danny Welbeck’s chipped effort sailed over the crossbar with David De Gea stranded. Soon after play had resumed, Brighton added a second. Leandro Trossard did well to retain possession on the left byline, as Marc Cucurella slammed home to double the lead. Moments later, the Seagulls had a third. Cucurella and Trossard combined to set up Pascal Gross, who danced past a challenge before slotting into the corner. Things went from bad to worse on the hour mark. Welbeck’s clipped effort was heading in before Diogo Dalot’s intervention, only for the attempted clearance to go in off the chest of Trossard from close range. Still the Reds struggled to hit back. Juan Mata crossed invitingly for substitute Edinson Cavani with 128 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

25 minutes remaining, but Robert Sanchez leapt into action in the Brighton goal to deny the Uruguayan forward a consolation goal. It was nearly five when Alexis Mac Allister and Gross linked up, but the former eventually bundled the ball against the post and wide under pressure from Dalot. Bruno Fernandes then took aim from the edge of the area, stinging the palms of the home side’s keeper once again. The Reds were still pressing forward despite the scoreline, and Harry Maguire was

the next to test goalkeeper Sanchez with a strong header. United looked to have got a goal back when Cavani tapped in seconds later, but the flag had already gone up for offside. Welbeck fired inches wide from range for Brighton as they went in search of a fifth late on, but there were to be no further goals.

POST-MATCH TABLE POS

PTS

4 5 6 7 8

34 35 37 35 35

13 20 1 7 1

63 62 58 52 50

Arsenal Tottenham UNITED West Ham Wolves

Mata crossed invitingly for substitute Cavani, but Sanchez leapt into action to deny the Uruguayan forward a consolation goal

BRIGHTON 1

SHOTS

SHOTS ON TARGET 11

6 CORNERS

25 11 13 10 18

Caicedo Trossard Gross Mac Allister Welbeck

Left (top to bottom) Ronaldo and team-mates line up a set piece; Cavani heads goalwards; Fred clears Above Fernandes looks for options in the middle of the park

FOULS

STARTING XI

13 1 Sanchez 34 Veltman 5 Dunk 3 Cucurella 20 March 8 Bissouma

UNITED

POSSESSION (%) 42

BRIGHTON SUBS USED: Webster for Mac Allister 67’ • Lamptey for March 76’ • Maupay for Trossard 83’ YELLOW CARDS: None

UNITED SUBS USED: Cavani for Matic 45’ • Fred for Elanga 45’ • Maguire for Mata 70’ YELLOW CARDS: Dalot, Ronaldo

STARTING XI 1 De Gea 20 Dalot 2 Lindelof 19 Varane 27 Telles 39 McTominay

31 Matic 36 Elanga 8 Mata 18 Fernandes 7 Ronaldo

189

Nemanja Matic made his 189th and final Reds appearance, having also scored four goals since making his debut in August 2017.

Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 129

PREMIER LEAGUE | MATCHDAY 38 SUNDAY 22 MAY 2022 | SELHURST PARK | 4PM

CRYSTAL PALACE 1 UNITED 0 Zaha 37

Young Reds impress despite defeat on final day

he Reds were beaten 1-0 by Crystal Palace on the final day of the Premier League season, with incoming manager Erik ten Hag watching from the stands. The Reds made a positive start, with Edinson Cavani having a shot blocked on eight minutes. The ball dropped to Hannibal, making his full debut, but the offside flag went up. Shortly before the quarter-hour mark, Bruno Fernandes’s deflected strike fell kindly for Cavani, but Vicente Guaita managed to claw the effort away from the net. A smart United break, spearheaded by Anthony Elanga, then ended with a chance flashing across goal as Fernandes was

POST-MATCH TABLE POS

PTS

4 5 6 7 8

38 38 38 38 38

29 13 0 9 3

71 69 58 56 52

Tottenham Arsenal UNITED West Ham Leicester

130 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

unable to divert the ball into the net at the far post. David De Gea was forced into a couple of smart saves from the Palace left, first from Wilfried Zaha and then Jeffrey Schlupp, but the Spaniard dealt with both efforts comfortably. However, shortly afterwards, it was Zaha who came out on top, as he pounced on a stray Fernandes pass, danced around the edge of the penalty area and picked out the bottom corner to make it 1-0. At the start of the second period, Cavani won an early free-kick in Palace territory. Fernandes took aim from 30 yards, but wasn’t able to beat the keeper. Joel Ward put in an expertly timed tackle to deny Hannibal, while at the other end, Zaha was continuing to cause problems, dragging a shot wide. Teenager Hannibal was set up by Fred and tried a shot from outside the area, but Guaita tipped the ball behind and away from danger. Substitute Juan Mata’s curling ball towards Fred in the box was cut out by Joachim Andersen, who

Teenager Hannibal was set up by Fred and tried a shot from outside the area, but Guaita tipped the ball behind and away from danger almost headed the ball into his own net, but it dropped just over. The resulting set-play saw Scott McTominay left with a free header at the back post, but he could only direct his effort right at Guaita. United’s late penalty appeal was denied when Cavani went down in the box, before Elanga flashed a delivery across the six-yard box and McTominay shot high and wide.

MAN OF THE MATCH HANNIBAL An impressive showing on the youngster’s first start. He pressed Palace into mistakes, drew a save from Guaita and was full of energy before being subbed just after the hour mark.

BACK TO CONTENTS

Left Garnacho joins the action late on; McTominay shoots; new boss Ten Hag watches from the stands at Selhurst Park Above Fernandes and Fred applaud the travelling fans after the final whistle

PALACE

The Reds had not lost a game away to Crystal Palace since May 1991 prior to this result – a run of 13 matches.

UNITED

POSSESSION (%) 62

SHOTS 2

6 SHOTS ON TARGET

3 CORNERS

STARTING XI Guaita Clyne Andersen Ward Mitchell Gallagher

12 Hughes 15 Schlupp 49 Rak-Sakyi 22 Edouard 11 Zaha

FOULS

13 17 16 2 3 23

PALACE SUBS USED: Kouyate for Rak-Sakyi 67’ • Eze for Edouard 79’ • McArthur for Hughes 83’ YELLOW CARDS: Hughes, Edouard

UNITED SUBS USED: Mata for Hannibal 62’ • Shoretire for Fred 75’ • Garnacho for Dalot 79’

YELLOW CARDS: Dalot, Lindelof, Fernandes, Hannibal

STARTING XI 1 De Gea 20 Dalot 2 Lindelof 5 Maguire 27 Telles 39 McTominay

17 Fred 36 Elanga 18 Fernandes 46 Hannibal 21 Cavani

Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 131

MEN’S TEAM: PROFILES & STATISTICS A closer look at the first-team regulars throughout 2021/22, as well as other squad members and those out on loan

1 DAVID DE GEA

(All statistics correct up to 04 July 2022. Substitute appearances in brackets. ‘Other’ includes Community Shield, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup)

Position Goalkeeper Born Madrid, Spain, 07.11.90 Signed from Atletico Madrid, 29.06.11 United debut v Manchester City, 07.08.11 Previous clubs Atletico Madrid UNITED RECORD: Premier League 377 games FA Cup 22 games League Cup 14 games Europe 70 games Other 4 games Total 487 games INTERNATIONAL RECORD: 45 caps for Spain

Throughout his 11th season as the club’s no.1, Manchester United had yet more cause to give thanks to having David De Gea between the sticks. Superb performances early on in the campaign, against Wolves (pictured) and Villarreal in particular, solidified his grip on the goalkeeper’s position, which Dean Henderson had threatened to take in the early months of 2021. Back to his best after a couple of good but – by his high standards – not outstanding years, De Gea would go on to play every minute for United in the top flight, making 124 saves in the process. Some were truly breathtaking, but all of them were important in what was a difficult season for the Reds. United’s Player of the Month on three consecutive occasions during the winter, De Gea received what he felt was overdue recognition when claiming the Premier League’s equivalent award in January, saying:

“I think I’ve been at a consistently high level over a good number of years now and just maybe I could have even won another one before now!” Over the course of the season, he moved up 11 places to 11th in our all-time appearances list and overtook the great Peter Schmeichel in terms of Premier League clean sheets. Further records and awards no doubt await and the esteem with which David is held in the United dressing room is clear: he added a fourth Players’ Player of the Year accolade to his individual collection at the end of the season.

26 DEAN HENDERSON Such was the fine form of David De Gea in 2021/22, Henderson was restricted to just three appearances: one in the Champions League, one in the League Cup and one in the FA Cup. The Academy graduate has had to show patience throughout his time with the club – as demonstrated by his competitive first-team debut for the Reds coming at the age of 23 – and that patience was required again last term. With Henderson recovering from injury, De Gea got the nod for the opening games of the campaign and rediscovered his best form. It meant Dean was not in first-team action until the visit of West Ham in the Carabao Cup. He could do little to prevent the visitors’ goal in a 0-1 defeat but made two impressive late saves as the Reds chased an equaliser: first denying Mark Noble one-v-one, then keeping out a low near-post shot from Jarrod 134 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

Bowen. His next outing was in a youthful XI in our final Champions League group game, against Young Boys – Dean being kept busy prior to being replaced on 68 minutes by Tom Heaton, to make his Reds debut aged 35. Dean’s next game, against Middlesbrough (pictured) in the FA Cup, was to be his last of the season – a stinging penalty shoot-out loss. Understandably, Henderson will want more regular action in 2022/23, and on 2 July he joined Premier League newcomers Nottingham Forest on a season-long loan.

Position Goalkeeper Born Whitehaven, England, 12.03.97 Signed from Trainee United debut v Luton Town, 22.09.20 Previous clubs Stockport County (loan), Grimsby Town (loan), Shrewsbury Town (loan), Sheffield United (loan) UNITED RECORD: Premier League 12 (1) games FA Cup 5 games League Cup 5 games Europe 6 games Other 0 games Total 28 (1) games INTERNATIONAL RECORD: 1 cap for England

2 VICTOR LINDELOF

Position Defender Born Vasteras, Sweden, 17.07.94 Signed from Benfica, 14.06.17 United debut v Real Madrid, 08.08.17 Previous clubs Vasteras SK, Benfica UNITED RECORD: Premier League 132 (7) games, 3 goals FA Cup 15 games, 0 goals League Cup 9 games, 0 goals Europe 31 (1) games, 0 goals Other 1 game, 0 goals Total 188 (8) games, 3 goals

Lindelof’s 2021/22 campaign got off to a flyer in the opening match, against Leeds, his sublime assist for Bruno Fernandes’s hat-trick goal one of the highlights of that outstanding 5-1 win over our old rivals. Competition for places in the heart of the United defence was ramped up a notch with the arrival of Raphael Varane in August – the Frenchman paraded in front of the crowd before that match against Leeds – but the Swede embraced the challenge and still played the majority of games, featuring in 28 of our 38 Premier League matches.

INTERNATIONAL RECORD: 52 caps for Sweden, 3 goals

Reflecting on the season, Victor said: “I’ve played quite a few games and that’s been quite good for my body – I was struggling last season with my back so it’s been good to play a lot of games this season. I’m not happy with the season overall because we want to be performing better and winning games. We want to make the fans happy; we know it’s been frustrating for them so we want to thank them all for their support and then next season we have a new manager coming in and we will perform better and do our best to compete for trophies.” Away from Manchester, Victor was thrilled this season to be named Sweden captain (pictured) and he celebrated his first match as skipper with a 2-1 win over Spain in a World Cup qualifier in Stockholm in September. He also led his side to the World Cup play-offs, in which Poland denied him a spot in this year’s finals.

3 ERIC BAILLY The Ivorian appeared in only seven matches in 2021/22, as injury and international call-ups once again denied him a consistent run in the starting XI. Raphael Varane being added to the quota of centre-backs meant that under both Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick, Bailly was mainly restricted to the bench. His first outing of the campaign was in United’s Carabao Cup exit to West Ham, with his next game two months later in our 2-2 Champions League game at Atalanta – playing as one of three centre-backs. His first league outing came in our 0-2 defeat to Manchester City, but our no.3 was in more impressive form in his next league game as United picked up a 1-1 draw at Chelsea. He then provided a calm head at the back in a youthful line-up against Young Boys in our final Champions League group game, before appearing as a

sub in our 1-0 league win at Norwich a few days later. Eric’s final outing of the season came late in December, in our 3-1 victory over Burnley (pictured), and he then jetted off to take part in the Africa Cup of Nations. He played in three of Ivory Coast’s four games before their last-16 exit. Back at United, he was restricted to a place on the bench, but the arrival of Erik ten Hag means that Bailly, like all the players, has a clean slate. And with a contract that has two years to run he’ll feel he has something to prove to the Reds faithful.

Position Defender Born Bingerville, Ivory Coast, 12.04.94 Signed from Villarreal, 08.06.16 United debut v Leicester City, 07.08.16 Previous clubs Espanyol, Villarreal UNITED RECORD: Premier League 57 (13) games, 1 goal FA Cup 6 (1) games, 0 goals League Cup 6 games, 0 goals Europe 29 games, 0 goals Other 1 game, 0 goals Total 99 (14) games, 1 goal INTERNATIONAL RECORD: 46 caps for Ivory Coast, 2 goals

Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 135

5 HARRY MAGUIRE

Position Defender Born Sheffield, England, 05.03.93 Signed from Leicester City, 05.08.19 United debut v Chelsea, 11.08.19 Previous clubs Sheffield United, Hull City, Wigan Athletic (loan), Leicester City UNITED RECORD: Premier League 100 (2) games, 4 goals FA Cup 9 (1) games, 2 goals League Cup 6 games, 0 goals Europe 26 games, 1 goal Other 0 games Total 141 (3) games, 7 goals INTERNATIONAL RECORD: 46 caps for England, 7 goals

Maguire’s third season at the heart of the United defence proved to be a challenging one, but with Erik ten Hag incoming and a reset at the club forthcoming, he will look forward to the clean slate a new season brings and an opportunity to help deliver the success he so desperately craves. He played in 30 of the 38 Premier League games in 2021/22 – fewer than he had managed in the previous two campaigns – with niggling knee, calf and chest problems keeping him out of a few matches over the course of the season, plus a one-match suspension for a red card he received in the defeat to Watford which proved to be Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s last game in charge. Arguably the high point of his season was scoring the opening goal in United’s 4-2 win over Leeds at Elland Road (pictured), a particularly sweet moment for the Sheffield lad. Through the season his centre-back cohort switched

between regular partner Victor Lindelof and the experienced newcomer Raphael Varane, with those two preferred by Ralf Rangnick for the matches against Arsenal and Brighton towards the end of the season. Maguire ended the season by being called up for England’s Nations League matches, a sign of the support shown to him by Gareth Southgate through the season, with the England manager stating: “He has got us to a World Cup semi-final and a Euros final so there’s no doubt he’s more than capable of playing at the highest level.”

19 RAPHAEL VARANE As introductions go, Varane’s was pretty special as he was presented to the crowd before the win over Leeds United in August. The French World Cup winner received a rapturous reception and looked a million dollars as he surveyed his new surroundings. A debut followed, and a clean sheet, in a 1-0 win at Wolves but there was a sense he’d have to adapt to the helter-skelter nature of the Premier League and he admitted his body needed to get used to the physicality of the division. Hence, a couple of injury lay-offs affected his availability, most notably when hurt during the draw at Atalanta in the Champions League in November and not returning until after Christmas. Some VAR intervention eventually chalked off his first goal, in the game at Burnley, but he did get on the scoresheet with what turned out to be our final strike 136 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

of the season (pictured). When converting a corner by Alex Telles, it sealed a 3-0 victory over Brentford in our last home game. Yet Varane was purchased primarily for his defensive qualities and he showed them in abundance with a cool head and ability to spot danger. The class he displayed so consistently at Real Madrid has never been in doubt and he usually exudes authority. It might not have been his finest season but, considering the upheaval he’s faced, there is every reason to expect much more next time around.

Position Defender Born Lille, France 25.04.93 Signed from Real Madrid, 14.08.21 United debut v Wolverhampton Wanderers, 29.08.21 Previous clubs Lens, Real Madrid UNITED RECORD: Premier League 20 (2) games, 1 goal FA Cup 2 games, 0 goals League Cup 0 games Europe 4 (1) games, 0 goals Other 0 games Total 26 (3) games, 1 goal INTERNATIONAL RECORD: 86 caps for France, 5 goals

20 DIOGO DALOT

Position Defender Born Braga, Portugal, 18.03.99 Signed from Porto, 06.06.18 United debut v Young Boys, 19.09.18 Previous clubs Porto, AC Milan (loan) UNITED RECORD: Premier League 32 (12) games, 0 goals FA Cup 7 (1) games, 1 goal League Cup 3 games, 0 goals Europe 7 (3) games, 0 goals Other 0 games Total 49 (16) games, 1 goal

After a season’s development in Serie A with AC Milan, Dalot returned to Manchester ahead of 2021/22 and was keen to make his mark at Old Trafford. The young full-back had already featured in the senior and Under-21 editions of the European Championship for Portugal over the summer of 2021, making his debut for the former, but remained as lively and energetic as ever in pre-season. Diogo set out his intentions for a successful term with a friendly goal against Everton but had to be patient for any regular opportunities outside of the cup

INTERNATIONAL RECORD: 5 caps for Portugal, 0 goals

competitions early in the season. He impressed in his first Premier League start of the campaign, against Arsenal in December (pictured), and never looked back, going on to become a regular for Ralf Rangnick on the right side of defence. The Braga-born defender started 11 of the interim manager’s first 12 matches, with attacking full-backs highly important to the German’s system. Despite being asked to play a key role in attack, Dalot also showed his qualities regularly at the other end of the pitch. “That’s part of my job – being a full-back, you are defending first,” said Diogo as he looked back on 2021/22. “So, you have to defend well, then join the team on attacks, and this season has been really good for me to do this.” Our no.20 would go on to feature in more games than in any of his previous United terms, playing 30 times in all competitions.

23 LUKE SHAW Shaw passed the milestone of 200 appearances for United in a campaign that began brightly enough, following his stellar 2020/21 season and England heroics at the Euros. He played the full 90 minutes in each of our opening five league games as United topped the table in September and notched an assist for Cristiano Ronaldo as we memorably thrashed Newcastle (pictured) 4-1 on the day the Portuguese superstar returned to United action. That was one of five goals Shaw would create in 2021/22 and even during a disappointing campaign for the club as a whole, he was just one assist short of the mark he set last term. Injury and illness frustrated Luke as the season went on and, in April, after experiencing complications with the leg he broke while playing for United in 2015, he had an operation forcing him to sit

out the Reds’ run-in. That followed concussion and Covid-related issues during the winter which limited Luke from really putting together a similar run of games and performances to those that had so caught the eye last year. As he proved following that grim night in Eindhoven seven years ago, he’s a fighter, and it’d be foolish to write off Shaw in the coming months and years. He still has time on his side and, like the rest of the squad, will be raring to impress as a new era under Erik ten Hag awaits.

Position Defender Born Kingston-upon-Thames, England, 12.07.95 Signed from Southampton, 27.06.14 United debut v West Ham United, 27.09.14 Previous clubs Southampton UNITED RECORD: Premier League 135 (13) games, 2 goals FA Cup 17 (3) games, 1 goal League Cup 6 (3) games, 0 goals Europe 34 (1) games, 0 goals Other 1 game, 0 goals Total 193 (20) games, 3 goals INTERNATIONAL RECORD: 21 caps for England, 2 goals

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27 ALEX TELLES

Position Defender Born Caxias do Sul, Brazil, 15.12.92 Signed from Porto, 05.10.20 United debut v Paris Saint-Germain, 20.10.20 Previous clubs Juventude, Gremio, Galatasaray, Internazionale (loan), Porto UNITED RECORD: Premier League 26 (4) games, 0 goals FA Cup 3 games, 0 goals League Cup 2 games, 0 goals Europe 11 (4) games, 1 goal Other 0 games Total 42 (8) games, 1 goal INTERNATIONAL RECORD: 6 caps for Brazil, 0 goals

Having joined the Reds at the very end of the extended summer transfer window during 2020/21, Telles had an undulating first year at the club; his time heavily punctuated by injury and illness, while the unwavering form of England international Luke Shaw was also a barrier to greater involvement. In the second half of his first full season with United, the Brazilian defender stepped up to become a regular under temporary managers Michael Carrick and Ralf Rangnick. The show-stealing moment of Alex’s campaign, however, came while he was in and out of the reckoning under the reign of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, when he cracked home a spectacular first goal for the club against Villarreal (celebration pictured). The Reds trailed Unai Emery’s side with half an hour to go at Old Trafford, only for Telles to stunningly restore parity with a first-time 20-yard volley from Bruno Fernandes’s clipped free-kick.

The bulk of the Brazilian’s 26 outings came after the turn of the year, and he demonstrated his worth not only defensively, but with a flurry of late-season assists from set-pieces, crossing for Cristiano Ronaldo to net against Spurs and Norwich, plus teeing up Raphael Varane’s maiden effort for the club in the Reds’ home finale against Brentford. Now assimilated to life at United, Telles admitted: “The more you play, the more comfortable you feel and that you’re truly part of the team. I am in a good moment; now it’s about helping the team try to win every game.”

29 AARON WAN-BISSAKA Harry Maguire was the only outfield player to make more starts than Wan-Bissaka during the two seasons that preceded 2021/22, which indicates just how central to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s United the obdurate right-back was. But this season proved a challenging one for the south Londoner, especially after the Norwegian departed in October. Just seven of his 25 starts this term came under Ole’s replacement, Ralf Rangnick, which was perhaps a reflection of the German’s desire to implement a 4-2-2-2 system that demanded a different approach from the full-backs. Diogo Dalot found greater favour as the season progressed, and the regular adjustments in formation and personnel were a test for heavily rotated players like Wan-Bissaka. But he produced good displays in the 3-1 win over Burnley in December 138 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

(pictured) and in February’s 4-2 win at Leeds – where the wet conditions offered him ample opportunities to make use of his slide-tackling abilities. Earlier in the season, when United were briefly managed by Michael Carrick, Aaron also played solidly in the pivotal 2-0 away win at Villarreal that secured qualification in Europe. It was the defender’s trickiest season since joining from Crystal Palace in 2019, but he’ll hope to quickly earn Erik ten Hag’s trust and reclaim his first-team place ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

Position Defender Born Croydon, England, 26.11.97 Signed from Crystal Palace, 29.06.19 United debut v Chelsea, 11.08.19 Previous clubs Crystal Palace UNITED RECORD: Premier League 88 (1) games, 2 goals FA Cup 5 games, 0 goals League Cup 6 games, 0 goals Europe 25 (1) games, 0 goals Other 0 games Total 124 (2) games, 2 goals INTERNATIONAL RECORD: England U20s-U21s

6 PAUL POGBA

Position Midfielder Born Lagny-sur-Marne, France, 15.03.93 Signed from Juventus, 09.08.16 United debut v Leeds United, 20.09.11 Previous clubs Le Havre (youth), Manchester United, Juventus UNITED RECORD: Premier League 138 (19) games, 29 goals FA Cup 10 (3) games, 1 goal League Cup 8 (4) games, 2 goals Europe 38 (12) games, 7 goals Other 1 game, 0 goals Total 195 (38) games, 39 goals

A player of dizzying creative ability, Pogba began his final season as a United player in red-hot form, by serving up an incredible four assists against Leeds (pictured). By the time United had completed four matches, that total stood at seven. It was Pogba at something close to his best, displaying a creative consistency that put him far ahead of every other player in the Premier League at that stage of the season. However, as United embarked on a difficult run through September and October, a hamstring injury and a two-game suspension for a red card

INTERNATIONAL RECORD: 91 caps for France, 11 goals

soon brought his 2021/22 to a disappointing halt. Between the draw with Atalanta in November and the FA Cup tie with Middlesbrough on 4 February, Pogba was absent. By the time he returned, the campaign had lost its early promise, and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had been replaced by Ralf Rangnick. Pogba did score his only goal of the season under the German, in a draw at Burnley, but he failed to relocate that early-season form. He did add to that assist tally, against Brighton and Manchester City, but, like many of his team-mates, Pogba struggled to turn around his own form amid the team’s difficulties following the Champions League exit to Atletico Madrid. In April, a calf injury brought his second spell with United to a premature end. On 1 June, it was announced that the French World Cup winner would depart the club upon the expiry of his contract at the end of that month.

8 JUAN MATA One of the most popular players of the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era, Mata waved goodbye to United in May after over eight years of dedicated service. It was a frustrating term for the creative no.8, who played just 12 times, but Mata was at least able to leave Old Trafford with a glorious display in the 3-0 win over Brentford in May (pictured). It was a special evening, as he rolled back the years and stewarded the Reds to a fluent victory in front of an appreciative crowd. It was the farewell Mata deserved, given his unstinting professionalism and loyalty, and provided some cheer at the end of a challenging 2021/22. Juan had signed a one-year extension the previous summer, after a harrowing 2020/21. “I signed first because I love the club, second because I hoped I could give much more on the pitch than I ended up doing, and third

because last season was horrible for me, for many reasons, especially because of the passing of my mum,” he explained. Although Juan played just three times before the turn of the year after signing that deal, he did feature more in the season’s final months, and fans were able to enjoy final glimpses of the 2010 World Cup winner, whose playmaking guile always offered hope. His star turn in the Brentford game left Rangnick purring that Juan had “played like a magician”, and the no.8 leaves the club as a hugely admired individual.

Position Midfielder Born Burgos, Spain, 28.04.88 Signed from Chelsea, 25.01.14 United debut v Cardiff City, 28.01.14 Previous clubs Real Oviedo (youth), Real Madrid Castilla, Valencia, Chelsea UNITED RECORD: Premier League 149 (47) games, 34 goals FA Cup 18 (5) games, 6 goals League Cup 10 (2) games, 5 goals Europe 36 (17) games, 6 goals Other 0 (1) game, 0 goals Total 213 (72) games, 51 goals INTERNATIONAL RECORD: 41 caps for Spain, 10 goals

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14 JESSE LINGARD

Position Midfielder Born Warrington, England, 15.12.92 Signed from Trainee United debut v Swansea City, 16.08.14 Previous clubs Leicester City (loan), Birmingham City (loan), Brighton (loan), Derby County (loan), West Ham United (loan) UNITED RECORD: Premier League 88 (61) games, 20 goals FA Cup 16 (7) games, 6 goals League Cup 12 (4) games, 4 goals Europe 25 (17) games, 4 goals Other 2 games, 1 goal Total 143 (89) games, 35 goals INTERNATIONAL RECORD: 32 caps for England, 6 goals

The Warrington-born player’s final season as a Red was a bittersweet one, bringing to a close over 20 years at the club. Jesse joined in 2001, and has become a real success story for the Academy, playing over 200 games for the club and helping us lift four trophies. But 2021/22 provided a low-key climax to his United career, offering up just 22 appearances. He’d have hoped for more opportunities, upon returning from a highly effective loan spell with West Ham, but the signings of Cristiano Ronaldo and Jadon Sancho significantly increased the competition for attacking places. Hopes of a similar loan move in January 2022 were also dashed, as Ralf Rangnick decided to keep him close, due to a combination of injuries, absences and moves for other players. Nevertheless, there were still bright spots in Jesse’s final term. He scored a gorgeous goal in the 4-1 win over Newcastle in August,

and also found a dramatic late winner upon his return to West Ham in September (pictured). However, our early exit in the Carabao Cup limited his opportunities to start games, and 18 of his 22 appearances came from the bench. With United struggling for form, it was hard for many players to make a big impact, let alone subs. But Lingard leaves with his head held high, as one of the club’s outstanding youth products in the 21st century. Fans will forever cherish memories of his FA Cup-winning goal in 2016, and another cool cup-final effort in 2017’s League Cup final win v Southampton.

17 FRED On the opening day of the campaign, Fred served notice that 2021/22 – on a personal level – was one that he was going to make the most of. The goal he swept in against Leeds (pictured), arriving in the box to meet Paul Pogba’s cross, not only put the seal on a memorable 5-1 win, but also showcased a player eager to add attacking output to the undisputed industry and effervescence of his midfield endeavours. Apart from a bout of Covid in February and an injury that wiped out most of his April, Fred was largely a fixture in the team, missing only a minority of matches he was available for as he worked alongside regular midfield cohorts Scott McTominay and Nemanja Matic, and at times Paul Pogba – all of whom will have been glad to have the Brazilian ball of energy alongside them. The tale of the tape shows what a good season 140 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

it was for Fred: two fan-voted Man of the Match awards, twice runner-up in the club’s Player of the Month poll, a couple of crackers on the Goal of the Season shortlist – and, the biggest overall endorsement of his campaign, third in the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Season vote, behind only Cristiano Ronaldo and David De Gea – a badge of respect showing how much fans appreciated Fred’s efforts during a journey through sometimes choppy waters. “I think it’s been my best season here,” Fred reflected in spring. “I’ve grown more.”

Position Midfielder Born Belo Horizonte, Brazil, 05.03.93 Signed from Shakhtar Donetsk, 21.06.18 United debut v Leicester City, 10.08.18 Previous clubs Internacional, Shakhtar Donetsk UNITED RECORD: Premier League 87 (17) games, 6 goals FA Cup 8 (4) games, 0 goals League Cup 7 (1) games, 0 goals Europe 29 (4) games, 2 goals Other 0 games Total 131 (26) games, 8 goals INTERNATIONAL RECORD: 27 caps for Brazil, 0 goals

18 BRUNO FERNANDES

Position Midfielder Born Maia, Portugal, 08.09.1994 Signed from Sporting Libson, 30.01.2020 United debut v Wolves, 01.02.2020 Previous clubs Novara, Udinese, Sampdoria, Sporting Lisbon UNITED RECORD: Premier League 84 (3) games, 36 goals FA Cup 5 (3) games, 2 goals League Cup 2 (2) games, 0 goals Europe 24 (3) games, 12 goals Other 0 games Total 115 (11) games, 50 goals

Some acts are hard to follow. Bruno’s hat-trick against Leeds in week one was breathtaking. Over the season, he couldn’t quite replicate that achievement, or the same scale of imperious brilliance we saw in the previous two campaigns, but it showed again what this man can do as creator-in-chief to a team in top form. He followed that less than a month later with a 25-yarder in another crushing home win, this time over Newcastle, but after that, like the United team as a whole, he had setbacks – he won’t want to recall the uncharacteristic missed penalty

INTERNATIONAL RECORD: 46 caps for Portugal, 8 goals

in the dying seconds of the loss to Villa in September, or striking the post with another spot-kick at Arsenal in April. Yet while Fernandes had challenging periods along with his team-mates, he also played a notable role in breathing life back into the Reds when we were on the back foot. It was his free-kick that made the Alex Telles equaliser to begin the comeback against Villarreal. His sumptuous pass set up Marcus Rashford’s lifeline at 2-0 down to Atalanta, kickstarting the comeback, before assisting Harry Maguire’s equaliser and building momentum for our winner. Bruno made the opener in the moraleboosting 3-0 win over Spurs, and hit back-to-back strikes in the wins against Brighton (pictured) and Leeds in February. Bruno will be fully intent in driving forward a side determined to hit the heights again in 2022/23.

31 NEMANJA MATIC Nemanja can look back on his final season as a United player knowing that – as throughout his Reds career – he never let his team-mates or managers down, and conducted himself with class, even in the most challenging campaign of his five at the club. Across his 32 outings in all competitions Nemanja was true to his trademark qualities: professional diligence, ever-ready attitude, selfless work-rate – and of course that touch of ball-playing quality he brought to the more workaday aspects of the defensive midfield screening role. For individual stardust applied to his team-first brief, look no further than his assist for Cristiano Ronaldo against Chelsea in April (pictured), flipped ingeniously over the defence in an uncanny impersonation of Bruno Fernandes – well, Nemanja was once a no.10, and never lost the skill and

vision that role required. “It has been a huge honour and a privilege to play for this great club,” he said in a statement on 17 April announcing that his time as a Red would end at the season’s close. “A big thank you to the fans for their unwavering support.” In his final interview he had further gracious words – and a message of solidarity for the fans. “I tried to be a Manchester United player not only on the pitch but outside the pitch. I know what this badge means to our supporters, United will come back, for sure.”

Position Midfielder Born Sabac, Serbia, 01.08.88 Signed from Chelsea, 31.07.17 United debut v Real Madrid, 08.08.17 Previous clubs Kolubara, Kosice, Chelsea, Vitesse (loan), Benfica, Chelsea UNITED RECORD: Premier League 109 (19) games, 2 goals FA Cup 13 (2) games, 1 goal League Cup 6 (2) games, 1 goal Europe 23 (14) games, 0 goals Other 1 game, 0 goals Total 152 (37) games, 4 goals INTERNATIONAL RECORD: 48 caps for Serbia, 2 goals

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39 SCOTT McTOMINAY

Position Midfielder Born Lancaster, England, 08.12.96 Signed from Trainee United debut v Arsenal, 07.05.17 Previous clubs None UNITED RECORD: Premier League 89 (31) games, 11 goals FA Cup 10 (4) games, 3 goals League Cup 5 (1) games, 1 goal Europe 24 (6) games, 1 goal Other 0 games Total 128 (42) games, 16 goals INTERNATIONAL RECORD: 34 caps for Scotland, 1 goal

The Scotland international was admirably honest when admitting to the Reds’ disappointment and frustration at some of the results in 2021/22. “If you give a team like that all the time in the world in the second half, you’re going to get punished,” he said after the defeat to Manchester City in March. Yet that reflects the fact Scott refused to let his head drop even when the cause looked hopeless. That pride in the shirt bore fruit on many other occasions when he ended up on the winning side. His industrious display at Spurs in the 3-0 win in October (pictured), for instance, mirrored the whole team’s determination to bounce back from the loss to Liverpool the previous weekend. The towering no.39 also seems to have a habit of scoring in the opening minutes of games – remember his brace within the first 10 minutes at home to Leeds in December 2020? He was at it again

at the turn of the year, curling in an early stunner to give the Reds the lead in the 3-1 win over Burnley on 30 December, in a Man of the Match display. Then, once again after just eight minutes, he headed home what proved to be the winner against Villa at home in the FA Cup, 11 days later. More often, Scott proved one of those players whose importance to the side might not catch the eye so often, but which is sorely missed in his absence. We look forward to his steely determination and quiet class proving an integral part of Erik ten Hag’s revitalised United squad.

7 CRISTIANO RONALDO “It was like Caesar entering Rome after victory,” observed Sir Alex Ferguson, reliving the scenes which surrounded Ronaldo’s second Reds debut. “I came, I saw, I conquered – we could have had a million people in there.” September’s victory over Newcastle was a surreal affair, held in the daze of euphoria and nostalgia which had prevailed since Ronaldo’s return to M16 from Juventus a fortnight earlier, signing on for a second stint at the club where he made his name between 2003-09. When he marked his second bow with the first and second goals in our 4-1 win over the Magpies, hopes were high that Ronaldo would be the headline act in a glorious campaign for the Reds. In the event, that proved only half true. By season’s end, he’d notched 24 goals in 38 games, top-scoring within the United ranks and also picking up a spate of 142 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

awards – two Premier League Player of the Month awards and four in-house equivalents (pictured), plus his first-ever divisional Goal of the Month honour for his blockbusting opener against Spurs in March. That cracker set the no.7 on course for a hat-trick that day, a feat he repeated v Norwich in our next home outing to underline his perennial brilliance. By season’s end, the Madeira-born forward had moved into the Reds’ all-time top 50 list for appearances, while only 13 players have ever scored more goals for the club.

Position Forward Born Madeira, Portugal, 05.02.85 Signed from Juventus, 31.08.21 United debut v Bolton Wanderers, 16.08.03 Previous clubs Sporting Lisbon, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus UNITED RECORD: Premier League 184 (42) games, 102 goals FA Cup 24 (3) games, 13 goals League Cup 10 (2) games, 4 goals Europe 58 (4) games, 22 goals Other 3 games, 1 goal Total 279 (51) games, 142 goals INTERNATIONAL RECORD: 189 caps for Portugal, 117 goals

10 MARCUS RASHFORD

Position Forward Born Manchester, England, 31.10.97 Signed from Trainee United debut v Midtjylland, 25.02.2016 Previous clubs None UNITED RECORD: Premier League 147 (57) games, 59 goals FA Cup 17 (8) games, 7 goals League Cup 10 (6) games, 8 goals Europe 39 (17) games, 19 goals Other 0 (2) games, 0 goals Total 213 (90) games, 93 goals

After playing through the pain barrier in the latter part of 2020/21 and at the delayed Euros, a shoulder operation kept one of United’s finest homegrown products out of the starting line-up for the opening two months of the new season. However, once fit again he wasted no time getting back on the scoresheet as three goals in four games in October proved. Two of those came off the bench, while Rashford’s first start of the season saw him pull one back for the Reds against Atalanta at 2-0 down, setting up a memorable victory. He wouldn’t find the net

INTERNATIONAL RECORD: 46 caps for England, 12 goals

again in 2021, but Marcus was back in the goals again in January, netting United’s third in our first ever visit to the Brentford Community Stadium (pictured), and a few days later his alertness and eye for a chance helped him get on the end of Edinson Cavani’s cross and tap in to seal a dramatic late win over West Ham, triggering an outpouring of joy from the fans. After that, alas, our no.10 went on a 15-game run in all competitions without scoring, and he will surely hope that the new regime and playing style suits him better and facilitates a return to form for the man who celebrated his 200th Premier League appearance for United, and 300th overall, in 2021/22. Speaking as preparation for the new campaign began, Marcus stated: “We just need to put all our energy into next season and try to win trophies. All the energy is going in the right direction.”

21 EDINSON CAVANI The latest campaign proved to be Cavani’s second and final one in a United shirt and he will be the first to admit it did not go to plan. Injury issues blighted his spell at Old Trafford but at least he was able to appear in the final few games of the season to bid farewell to the fans who continued to chant his name. There was no goal to celebrate with them, despite a couple of near misses, meaning he could not add to his tally of two for 2021/22. Both came on the road, a beautifully taken effort in the 3-0 win at Tottenham in October, and an equaliser at Newcastle (pictured) soon after Christmas, when coming on at half-time. The Spurs victory did show how effectively he could work with Cristiano Ronaldo in attack but a lack of continuity cost the Uruguayan over the course of the term. He did play a big part in the

dramatic last-minute triumph against West Ham in January, sparking a memorable Old Trafford celebration, when collecting an Anthony Martial pass and crossing for Marcus Rashford to tap home. As he raced away to greet the crowd, his face etched with emotion and joy, it illustrated the passion and character that resonated so much with the fans during his time here. Unfortunately, the fitness problems deprived United fans of seeing more of Edi but he leaves with everybody’s sincere best wishes and will be missed.

Position Forward Born Salto, Uruguay, 14.02.87 Signed from Paris Saint-Germain, 05.10.20 United debut v Chelsea, 24.10.20 Previous clubs Danubio, Palermo, Napoli, Paris Saint-Germain UNITED RECORD: Premier League 20 (21) games, 12 goals FA Cup 2 (2) games, 0 goals League Cup 1 game, 1 goal Europe 6 (7) games, 6 goals Other 0 games Total 29 (30) games, 19 goals INTERNATIONAL RECORD: 133 caps for Uruguay, 58 goals

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25 JADON SANCHO

Position Forward Born London, England, 25.03.00 Signed from Borussia Dortmund, 23.07.21 United debut v Leeds United, 14.08.21 Previous clubs Watford (youth), Manchester City (youth), Borussia Dortmund UNITED RECORD: Premier League 20 (9) games, 3 goals FA Cup 1 game, 1 goal League Cup 1 game, 0 goals Europe 5 (2) games, 1 goal Other 0 games Total 27 (11) games, 5 goals INTERNATIONAL RECORD: 23 caps for England, 3 goals

“I can see the development that’s going on here and I want to be a part of it, especially because it’s such an iconic club and being part of it is kind of a dream come true,” explained Sancho upon completing his move to United in July, and less than a month later, the exciting young winger was given a warm Old Trafford welcome upon his debut in our season opener against Leeds. A natural period of transition to his new surroundings followed but the young talent – who turned 22 in March – continued to show glimpses of his true potential. “He’s training really well and looking really sharp,” team-mate Luke Shaw insisted. “He just hasn’t had that bit of luck that sometimes you need for your first goal or first assist. But I’ve got no doubt in my mind, it’s coming.” And indeed, it did. Jadon found the target in November’s European trip to Villarreal and backed it up with his first Premier League strike, at

Chelsea, just five days later. But it was in the new year when his United career really began to take off. A string of impressive performances in February, which included his first Old Trafford goals and a Man of the Match performance at Leeds, saw him named United’s Player of the Month (pictured). Sancho continued to kick on in the weeks that followed, which included scoring on his first trip back to Manchester City, where he featured in their Academy, and there is now plenty of promise about the player he can become under Erik ten Hag in the years ahead.

36 ANTHONY ELANGA From a personal perspective, 2021/22 was a season of real progress for Elanga. The homegrown product was on fire in the summer friendlies and attracted huge interest from clubs seeking to sign him on loan. The decision to stay put instead reaped dividends, after an injury setback, and Ralf Rangnick’s appointment helped him build on his one senior outing of the campaign – against West Ham in the Carabao Cup. Elanga featured in Rangnick’s first game in charge, against Crystal Palace, and became a regular under the German, finishing with 27 appearances. The highlight was the assured finish at Atletico Madrid in the Champions League that proved he has the calmness of character for the biggest of stages. He also scored in wins at Brentford and Leeds and exerted influence at various stages of the term, causing defences 144 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

problems with his pace and press, as showcased when teeing up Cristiano Ronaldo’s opener against Norwich in April. Ronaldo allowed his young colleague to join in his iconic celebration (pictured) and there is much respect for the dedication and commitment that’s got the Sweden international this far. When entrusted to make his debut for his country in the World Cup play-offs, it spoke volumes about his mentality. With so much focus and determination already evident in the 20-year-old, he’ll surely only continue to develop.

Position Forward Born Malmo, Sweden 27.04.02 Signed from Trainee United debut v Leicester City, 11.05.21 Previous clubs None UNITED RECORD: Premier League 16 (7) games, 3 goals FA Cup 0 (2) games, 0 goals League Cup 0 (1) game, 0 goals Europe 2 (1) games, 1 goal Other 0 games Total 18 (11) games, 4 goals INTERNATIONAL RECORD: 5 caps for Sweden, 1 goal

Savage makes his debut, and it came on the Champions League stage

SQUAD MEMBERS The remaining Reds to play for the first team

A long-awaited moment for Heaton came in December

Hannibal shows his strength away to Palace

Iqbal joined Savage on the pitch against Young Boys

United’s rich history of blooding homegrown young talents prevailed again in the 2021/22 season, with Academy graduates stepping up to senior level. Three of those bows came against Young Boys on matchday six of the Champions League, as 17-year-old Charlie Savage and 18-year-old Zidane Iqbal were introduced by Ralf Rangnick as second-half substitutes alongside goalkeeper Tom Heaton who, at 35, completed a journey which began when he first joined the Reds in 2002. After returning to his boyhood club via a free transfer from Aston Villa, Heaton said: “To wear the home shirt for my competitive debut was a brilliant moment. I loved every minute of it.” Teenager Shola Shoretire, who made his bow earlier in 2021 against Newcastle, also picked up his first Champions League minutes for the club against the Swiss champions, while Ivory Coast starlet Amad made his solitary start of 2021/22 before later joining Rangers on loan for the second half of the campaign. The new year began with Phil Jones making his first appearance since January 2020 when he started against Wolves at Old Trafford. The long-serving defender admitted: “I was just so ready to play, and it was emotional because it was the first time my girls could watch me. For them to be there with my wife, to see me playing, made it a great occasion.” Jones later also appeared in the Reds’ league loss at Anfield, a game in which Hannibal clocked up his first minutes of 2021/22 with a combative substitute appearance. The Tunisia international played his way into a starting berth for our final game, at Crystal Palace, and was later joined on the pitch by Shoretire and Alejandro Garnacho, who caught the eye in the Reds’ FA Youth Cup triumph and made his senior debut against Chelsea in April. Elsewhere, Anthony Martial (11 apps, 1 goal), Teden Mengi (1 app), Donny van de Beek (14 apps, 1 goal) and Daniel James (2 apps), all lined up for the Reds ahead of their loan/permanent moves, while Mason Greenwood played 24 games, scoring six goals before his suspension from first-team duties in January. Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 145

Below Garner bagged some important goals for Forest in the second tier Above Pellistri warms up for Alaves; Levitt on national duty with Wales

Several Reds headed out on loan spells throughout 2021/22 – for the younger players, the aim was to gain some valuable experience in a different environment, while for others it was about picking up first-team action at the top level. Of those loanees, it was perhaps young midfielder James Garner who impressed most, featuring as a key figure as Nottingham Forest were promoted back to the top flight for the first time in 23 years. Garner made 49 appearances across all competitions for Forest, including their play-off success over Huddersfield, scoring four goals. James, who turned 21 in March, also helped Forest reach the FA Cup quarter-finals with a run that included wins over Arsenal and Leicester. “Jimmy has been a really strong performer for us,” Forest manager Steve Cooper said in February. “I think he’s found another level. He’s in a good place. He’s really caught the eye in training with his application and his attitude. He’s a real winner.” It was fellow midfielder Andreas Pereira who saw the most action on his temporary switch away from Old Trafford, having netted seven times

Above left Garner shone helping Nottingham Forest get promoted Left Andreas was a regular for Flamengo in the Brazilian top flight

LOANEES Numerous Reds impressed for other clubs, both in the UK and overseas 146 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

in 52 games for Flamengo as of 30 June 2022, with the current Brazilian season continuing over summer. Two high-profile squad members were loaned out in January, including another midfielder. Donny van de Beek played seven times as Everton secured Premier League survival, getting his first goal for the Toffees on the final day against Arsenal. Anthony Martial was also on the move, heading to Sevilla in Spain, where he made 12 appearances and scored once – in the Europa League with what turned out to be the decisive goal in the competition’s knockout round play-off, to help his side reach the last 16. Full-back Brandon Williams had a year of regular Premier League football with Norwich City, racking up 29 games across all competitions. He was unfortunately unable to help the Canaries beat the drop, but gained plenty of vital experience, and was one of the team’s more consistent performers. “Brandon has been excellent all season,” team-mate Adam Idah said after having been set up by Williams to score against Everton in January. “We spoke before the game and he said he’s going to give me an assist, so it worked out well.” As for Dean Smith, who took over as Norwich boss in November, he described Williams as “a very coachable player”. North of the border in Scotland, Amad was at Rangers from the

Below left van de Beek scores for Everton; Martial in Sevilla’s colours Bottom Amad (left of picture) with Rangers ahead of the Europa League final Below Williams impressed at full-back in a difficult season for relegated Norwich

Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 147

midway point of the campaign. The Ivorian had an immediate impact with a goal on his debut and finished with three goals in 13 games, also getting his hands on silverware when he started in the 2-0 Scottish Cup final victory over Hearts. Amad was joined in Scotland by Dylan Levitt, with the Welsh youngster turning out regularly for Dundee United. Six strikes in 29 games included helping them to a highest league finish since 2014, with fourth place also ensuring Europa Conference League football. On 8 July 2022 it was confirmed he would join Dundee United on a permanent deal. Further afield, Facundo Pellistri had a second stint with Alaves, after half a season there in 2020/21. He played 29 times in a tough campaign for the side who, having beat the drop last time around, on this occasion finished bottom of La Liga. Like Pellistri, Axel Tuanzebe ended the season abroad, with two appearances for Napoli. Earlier in the season the defender had played nine times for Aston Villa (his third switch there), with Ethan Laird another to turn out for two clubs in 2021/22: Swansea City and 148 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

Above Levitt (left of picture) finds the target for Dundee United against Celtic Above right Galbraith on the ball at Doncaster; Tuanzebe with Napoli Below Pellistri played 23 times in La Liga for Alaves during the season Bottom Laird played for Swansea then helped Bournemouth win promotion

Bournemouth, achieving promotion to the Premier League with the latter. Also at Championship level was Di’Shon Bernard, with 28 matches in Hull City’s backline, and Tahith Chong, scorer of one goal in 20 games for Birmingham City. Chong was joined at St Andrews in January by Teden Mengi, who played 10 times himself. Midfielder Ethan Galbraith managed 36 games and a goal for Doncaster Rovers, but couldn’t prevent relegation to League Two. In that division, Nathan Bishop played every game for Mansfield Town, including their play-off final loss to Port Vale. Matej Kovar kept four clean sheets in six League One games for Burton Albion, and Will Fish played two games for National League winners Stockport County.

MOVING ON... Those who departed United on a permanent basis Alongside Edinson Cavani, Jesse Lingard, Juan Mata, Nemanja Matic and Paul Pogba, who all left the club this summer at the end of their respective contracts, a number of others departed at various points across 2021/22. In August 2021, Daniel James completed a move to Leeds after two full seasons at Old Trafford, during which time he scored nine goals in 74 games, including once against his future employers. “I always wore the Manchester United shirt with honour and pride,” said James. “Thank you to everyone at the club who I have worked with over the last two years – through this experience I have grown not only as a player but a person. It’s been a privilege to share a dressing room with the boys.” Goalkeeper Lee Grant announced his retirement from the game at the age of 39 in May 2022, noting: “Fulfilling a boyhood dream of playing for Manchester United was something I thought was out of reach, so to have achieved that fills me with great pride and emotion.” Paul McShane, who arrived to feature for the Under-23s as well as working in a coaching capacity, also retired from playing, but will continue in his role as a coach with the club’s Professional Development Phase (covering the U18-U23 age group).

Left Welsh international James left United for Leeds in August 2021 Above Grant retired in May after achieving his “dream” to play for the Reds Below (left to right) Forward Mellor, full-back Devine (pictured on loan at Walsall) and goalkeeper Woolston were among those to leave the club this summer

D’Mani Mellor, whose sole first-team appearance came against Astana in the Europa League in 2019 – a selection that ensured he featured in every age group for United – was also moving on. The Manchester-born forward played three times on loan with Salford City before announcing he would depart Old Trafford upon the expiry of his contract. Full-back youngster Reece Devine was also released. Although he never featured competitively for the Reds, he did make a combined

18 appearances across loans with St Johnstone and Walsall in 2021/22. Other players leaving in 2022 were young goalkeeper Paul Woolston, who was sadly forced to retire due to injury at the age of 23, plus wingers Dillon Hoogewerf (to Borussia Monchengladbach) and Connor Stanley (to Bolton Wanderers). The club would like to thank all departing players for their efforts and wish them the very best of luck for the future.

Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 149

MEN’S TEAM: RESULTS AND LINE-UPS 2021/22 SEASON COMP

DATE

OPPOSITION

SCORE

ATT

LINE-UP

Leeds United (H) Southampton (A) Wolverhampton Wanderers (A)

5-1 1-1 1-0

72,732 29,485 30,621

De Gea De Gea De Gea

Wan-Bissaka Wan-Bissaka Wan-Bissaka

Lindelof Lindelof Varane

Maguire Maguire Maguire

Shaw Shaw Shaw

McTominay Fred Pogba

Fred 1 Matic Fred

Newcastle United (H) Young Boys (A) (MD1) West Ham United (A) West Ham United (H) Aston Villa (H) Villarreal (H) (MD2)

4-1 1-2 2-1 0-1 0-1 2-1

72,732 31,120 59,958 72,568 72,922 73,130

De Gea De Gea De Gea Henderson De Gea De Gea

Wan-Bissaka Wan-Bissaka Wan-Bissaka Dalot Wan-Bissaka Dalot

Varane Lindelof Varane Bailly Varane Lindelof

Maguire Maguire Maguire Lindelof Maguire Varane

Shaw Shaw Shaw Telles Shaw Telles 1

Pogba van de Beek McTominay van de Beek McTominay Pogba

Matic Fred Fred Matic Fred McTominay

Everton (H) Leicester City (A) Atalanta (H) (MD3) Liverpool (H) Tottenham Hotspur (A)

1-1 2-4 3-2 0-5 3-0

73,128 32,219 72,279 73,088 60,356

De Gea De Gea De Gea De Gea De Gea

Wan-Bissaka Wan-Bissaka Wan-Bissaka Wan-Bissaka Lindelof

Lindelof Lindelof Lindelof Lindelof Varane

Varane Maguire Maguire 1 Maguire Maguire

Shaw Shaw Shaw Shaw Wan-Bissaka

McTominay Pogba McTominay McTominay McTominay

Fred Matic Fred Fred Fred

Atalanta (A) (MD4) Manchester City (H) Watford (A) Villarreal (A) (MD5) Chelsea (A)

2-2 0-2 1-4 2-0 1-1

14,443 73,086 21,087 20,875 40,041

De Gea De Gea De Gea De Gea De Gea

Bailly Bailly Wan-Bissaka Wan-Bissaka Wan-Bissaka

Varane Lindelof Lindelof Lindelof Lindelof

Maguire Maguire Maguire Maguire Bailly

Wan-Bissaka Wan-Bissaka Shaw Telles Telles

Pogba Fernandes McTominay Fred McTominay

McTominay McTominay Matic McTominay Matic

Arsenal (H) Crystal Palace (H) Young Boys (H) (MD6) Norwich City (A) Newcastle United (A) Burnley (H)

3-2 1-0 1-1 1-0 1-1 3-1 x

73,123 73,172 73,156 27,066 52,178 73,121

De Gea De Gea Henderson De Gea De Gea De Gea

Dalot Dalot Wan-Bissaka Dalot Dalot Wan-Bissaka

Lindelof Lindelof Bailly Lindelof Varane Bailly

Maguire Maguire Matic Maguire Maguire Maguire

Telles Telles Shaw Telles Telles Shaw

McTominay McTominay van de Beek McTominay McTominay McTominay 1

Fred Fred 1 Amad Fred Fred Matic

Wolverhampton Wanderers (H) Aston Villa (H) (R3) Aston Villa (A) Brentford (A) West Ham United (H)

0-1 1-0 2-2 3-1 1-0

73,045 72,911 41,968 17,094 73,130

De Gea De Gea De Gea De Gea De Gea

Wan-Bissaka Dalot Dalot Dalot Dalot

Jones Lindelof Lindelof Lindelof Varane

Varane Varane Varane Varane Maguire

Shaw Shaw Telles Telles Telles

McTominay Fred Fred Fred McTominay

Matic McTominay 1 Matic McTominay Fred

Fri 4 Tue 8 Sat 12 Tue 15 Sun 20 Wed 23 Sat 26

Middlesbrough (H) (R4) Burnley (A) Southampton (H) Brighton & Hove Albion (H) Leeds United (A) Atletico Madrid (A) (R16, 1st leg) Watford (H)

1-1 *↓ 1-1 1-1 2-0 4-2 1-1 0-0

71,871 21,233 73,084 73,012 36,715 63,273 73,152

Henderson De Gea De Gea De Gea De Gea De Gea De Gea

Dalot Dalot Dalot Dalot Wan-Bissaka Lindelof Wan-Bissaka

Varane Varane Varane Lindelof Lindelof Varane Lindelof

Maguire Maguire Maguire Maguire Maguire 1 Maguire Varane

Shaw Shaw Shaw Shaw Shaw Shaw Telles

Pogba Pogba 1 McTominay McTominay Pogba Fred Matic

McTominay McTominay Pogba Fred McTominay Pogba Fred

Sun 6 Sat 12 Tue 15

Manchester City (A) Tottenham Hotspur (H) Atletico Madrid (H) (R16, 2nd leg)

1-4 3-2 0-1

53,165 73,458 73,008

De Gea De Gea De Gea

Wan-Bissaka Dalot Dalot

Lindelof Varane Varane

Maguire Maguire Maguire

Telles Telles Telles

McTominay Matic Fred

Fred Fred McTominay

Sat 2 Sat 9 Sat 16 Tue 19 Sat 23 Thu 28

Leicester City (H) Everton (A) Norwich City (H) Liverpool (A) Arsenal (A) Chelsea (H)

1-1 0-1 3-2 0-4 1-3 1-1

73,444 39,080 73,381 52,686 60,223 73,564

De Gea De Gea De Gea De Gea De Gea De Gea

Dalot Wan-Bissaka Dalot Lindelof Dalot Dalot

Maguire Lindelof Maguire Jones Lindelof Lindelof

Varane Maguire Lindelof Maguire Varane Varane

Shaw Telles Telles Wan-Bissaka Telles Telles

McTominay Fred Fernandes Pogba McTominay McTominay

Fred 1 Matic Pogba Matic Matic Matic

Brentford (H) Brighton & Hove Albion (A) Crystal Palace (A)

3-0 0-4 0-1

73,482 31,637 25,434

De Gea De Gea De Gea

Dalot Dalot Dalot

Lindelof Lindelof Lindelof

Varane 1 Varane Maguire

Telles Telles Telles

McTominay McTominay McTominay

Matic Matic Fred

AUGUST PL PL PL

Sat 14 Sun 22 Sun 29

SEPTEMBER PL UCL PL LC PL UCL

Sat 11 Tue 14 Sun 19 Wed 22 Sat 25 Wed 29

OCTOBER PL PL UCL PL PL

Sat 2 Sat 16 Wed 20 Sun 24 Sat 30

NOVEMBER UCL PL PL UCL PL

Tue 2 Sat 6 Sat 20 Tue 23 Sun 28

DECEMBER PL PL UCL PL PL PL

Thu 2 Sun 5 Wed 8 Sat 11 Mon 27 Thu 30

JANUARY PL FA PL PL PL

Mon 3 Mon 10 Sat 15 Wed 19 Sat 22

FEBRUARY FA PL PL PL PL UCL PL

MARCH PL PL UCL

APRIL PL PL PL PL PL PL

MAY MAY PL PL PL

Mon 2 Sat 7 Sun 22

150 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

KEY:

PL – Premier League

Scorers Bold

First sub

FA – Emirates FA Cup

Penalty (underlined)

Second sub

Red card

LC – Carabao Cup

x Own goal

Third sub

United score listed first

UCL – UEFA Champions League

* After extra-time

Fourth sub

↓ Won/lost on pens

Yellow card

Fifth sub

↓

USED SUBSTITUTES James Greenwood 1 James

Fernandes 3 Fernandes Fernandes

Pogba Pogba Sancho

Greenwood 1 Martial Greenwood 1

Matic Sancho Cavani

Sancho McTominay Martial

Martial Lingard Dalot

– – –

Greenwood Sancho Greenwood Mata Greenwood Greenwood

Fernandes 1 Fernandes Fernandes Lingard Fernandes Fernandes

Sancho Pogba Pogba Sancho Pogba Sancho

Ronaldo 2 Ronaldo 1 Ronaldo 1 Martial Ronaldo Ronaldo 1

Lingard 1 Dalot Sancho Greenwood Dalot Matic

van de Beek Varane Lingard 1 Fernandes Lindelof Cavani

Martial Lingard Matic Elanga Cavani Fred

– Matic – – – Lingard

– Martial – – – –

Greenwood Greenwood 1 Greenwood Greenwood Shaw

Fernandes Fernandes Fernandes Fernandes Fernandes

Martial 1 Sancho Rashford 1 Rashford Cavani 1

Cavani Ronaldo Ronaldo 1 Ronaldo Ronaldo 1

Sancho Rashford 1 Pogba Pogba Rashford 1

Ronaldo Lingard Cavani Cavani Matic

Pogba McTominay Sancho Dalot Lingard

– – Matic – –

– – – – –

Shaw Fred Sancho Sancho 1 Fred

Fernandes Shaw Fernandes van de Beek Fernandes

Rashford Greenwood Rashford Martial Sancho 1

Ronaldo 2 Ronaldo Ronaldo Ronaldo 1 Rashford

Greenwood Sancho van de Beek 1 Fernandes Ronaldo

Matic Rashford Martial Rashford Lingard

Cavani Telles Dalot Matic van de Beek

Sancho van de Beek Lingard Mata –

van de Beek – – – –

Rashford Fernandes Mata Sancho Rashford Greenwood

Fernandes 1 Sancho Lingard Fernandes Fernandes Sancho

Sancho Ronaldo Elanga Ronaldo 1 Greenwood Cavani

Ronaldo 2(1) Rashford Greenwood 1 Rashford Ronaldo Ronaldo 1

Lingard Greenwood Mengi Greenwood Sancho Varane

Martial Elanga Heaton Bailly Cavani 1 Dalot

van de Beek van de Beek Shoretire van de Beek Matic Fred

– – Iqbal – – –

– – Savage – – –

Greenwood Greenwood Fernandes 2 Greenwood 1 Greenwood

Sancho Fernandes Greenwood Fernandes Fernandes

Cavani Rashford Cavani Elanga 1 Elanga

Ronaldo Cavani Elanga Ronaldo Ronaldo

Fernandes van de Beek Sancho Rashford 1 Rashford 1

Rashford Lingard van de Beek Maguire Cavani

Elanga Elanga Lingard Matic Martial

– – – – –

Rashford Rashford Rashford Elanga Lingard Rashford Elanga

Fernandes Fernandes Fernandes Fernandes 1 Fernandes 1 Fernandes Fernandes

Sancho 1 Sancho Sancho 1 Sancho Sancho Sancho Pogba

Ronaldo Cavani Ronaldo Ronaldo 1 Ronaldo Ronaldo Ronaldo

Fred Ronaldo Elanga Pogba Fred 1 Wan-Bissaka Sancho

Elanga Lingard Lingard Rashford Elanga 1 Matic Shaw

Jones Elanga – Telles Varane Telles Rashford

Mata – – – – Elanga 1 –

– – – – – Lingard –

Elanga Rashford Elanga

Pogba Pogba Fernandes

Sancho 1 Sancho Sancho

Fernandes Ronaldo 3 Ronaldo

Rashford Elanga Pogba

Lingard Cavani Matic

– Lindelof Rashford

– – Cavani

– – Mata

Elanga Sancho Lingard Dalot Elanga Elanga

Pogba Fernandes Elanga Fernandes Fernandes Fernandes

Sancho Rashford Ronaldo 3 Elanga Sancho Rashford

Fernandes Ronaldo Sancho Rashford Ronaldo 1 Ronaldo 1

Telles Pogba Matic Lingard Lingard Jones

Rashford Elanga Rashford Sancho Rashford Mata

Matic Mata Mata Hannibal Mata Garnacho

– – – – – –

Elanga Elanga Elanga

Mata Mata Fernandes

Fernandes 1 Fernandes Hannibal

Ronaldo 1 Ronaldo Cavani

Fred Fred Mata

Cavani Cavani Shoretire

Jones Maguire Garnacho

– – –

Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 151

APPEARANCES, GOALS & ’21/22 PL STATISTICS PREMIER LEAGUE FINAL TABLE

PLAYER

LEAGUE

FA CUP

APP

GLS

APP

GLS

Eric BAILLY

3(1)

Edinson CAVANI

7(8)

Diogo DALOT

AMAD

LEAGUE CUP

EUROPE

TOTAL

APP

GLS

APP

GLS

APP

GLS

6(1)

0(4)

8(12)

19(5)

2(1)

24(6)

0 0

Anthony ELANGA

14(7)

0(2)

0(1)

2(1)

16(11)

Bruno FERNANDES

35(1)

0(1)

6(1)

43(3)

David DE GEA

FRED

24(4)

1(1)

5(1)

30(6)

Alejandro GARNACHO

0(2)

Mason GREENWOOD

16(2)

0(1)

3(1)

20(4)

1(1)

0 0

Team

Man City

38 29 6 3 99 26 +73 93

Tom HEATON

0(1)

Liverpool

38 28 8 2 94 26 +68 92

Dean HENDERSON

Chelsea

38 21 11 6 76 33 +43 74

Zidane IQBAL

0(1)

Tottenham Hotspur 38 22 5 11 69 40 +29 71

Daniel JAMES

Arsenal

38 22 3 13 61 48 +13 69

Phil JONES

2(2)

0(1)

2(3)

UNITED

38 16 10 12 57 57

Victor LINDELOF

26(2)

33(2)

West Ham United

38 16 8 14 60 51

Jesse LINGARD

2(14)

0(1)

1(3)

4(18)

Leicester City

38 14 10 14 62 59 +3

Harry MAGUIRE

28(2)

35(2)

Brighton

38 12 15 11 42 44

-2

Anthony MARTIAL

2(6)

1(1)

4(7)

38 15 6 17 38 43

-5

Juan MATA

2(5)

0(1)

1(2)

4(8)

0 0

10 Wolves

W D L GF GA GD Pts

UNITED APPEARANCES AND GOALS FOR 2021/22 SEASON

HANNIBAL

Newcastle United

38 13 10 15 44 62 -18

Nemanja MATIC

16(7)

1(7)

18(14)

Crystal Palace

Scott McTOMINAY

28(2)

35(2)

Brentford

38 13

7 18 48 56

-8

Teden MENGI

0(1)

Aston Villa

38 13 6 19 52 54

-2

Paul POGBA

16(4)

4(2)

21(6)

Southampton

9 13 16 43 67 -24 40

Marcus RASHFORD

13(12)

3(2)

18(14)

5 24

11 15 12 50 46

16 Everton

6 21 43 66 -23 39

Cristiano RONALDO

27(3)

35(3)

Leeds United

11 18 42 79 -37

Jadon SANCHO

20(9)

5(2)

27(11)

Burnley (R)

7 14 17 34 53 -19

Charlie SAVAGE

0(1)

19 Watford (R)

5 27 34 77 -43 23

Luke SHAW

19(1)

26(1)

20 Norwich City (R)

7 26 23 84 -61

Shola SHORETIRE

0(1)

0(2)

0 1

PREMIER LEAGUE TOP GOALSCORERS Player

Club

Gls

Mohamed Salah

Liverpool

Heung-min Son

Tottenham Hotspur

Cristiano Ronaldo

Manchester United

Harry Kane

Tottenham Hotspur

Sadio Mane

Liverpool

Kevin De Bruyne

Manchester City

Diogo Jota

Liverpool

Jamie Vardy

Leicester City

Wilfried Zaha

Crystal Palace

Raheem Sterling

Manchester City

Alex TELLES

18(3)

3(1)

22(4)

Donny VAN DE BEEK

0(8)

0(1)

3(1)

4(10)

Raphael VARANE

20(2)

4(1)

26(3)

5(1)

25(1)

Aaron WAN-BISSAKA

UNITED TEAM STATS (ALL COMPETITIONS)

PREMIER LEAGUE TOP ASSISTS

Played: 49 Wins: 20

Player

Club

Gls

Mohamed Salah

Liverpool

Trent Alexander-Arnold

Liverpool

Jarrod Bowen

West Ham United

Player

Date

Biggest crowd (home):

Mason Mount

Chelsea

Jadon Sancho

14.08.21

73,564 v Chelsea (28.04.22)

Harvey Barnes

Leicester City

Raphael Varane

29.08.21

Biggest crowd (away):

Andrew Robertson

Liverpool

Tom Heaton

08.12.21

63,273 v Atletico Madrid (23.02.22)

Paul Pogba

Manchester United

Charlie Savage

08.12.21

Longest unbeaten run:

Reece James

Chelsea

Zidane Iqbal

08.12.21

8 games (23.11.21-30.12.21)

Harry Kane

Tottenham Hotspur

Alejandro Garnacho

28.04.22

* including penalties defeat

152 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

Draws: 13

▶

Losses: 16* Biggest win: 5-1 v Leeds United (H, 14.08.21)

▶

UNITED FIRST-TEAM DEBUTS

UNITED CAREER STATISTICS

BREAKDOWN OF 71 GOALS

BACK TO CONTENTS

LEAGUE

Cristiano Ronaldo

Bruno Fernandes

▶

Gls

Mason Greenwood

Marcus Rashford

Jadon Sancho

EUROPE

OTHERS

TOTAL

APP

GLS

APP

GLS

APP

GLS

APP

GLS

APP

2(1)

0(1)

1(4)

3(6)

57(13)

6(1)

99(14)

GLS

Di’Shon Bernard

Edinson Cavani

20(21)

2(2)

6(7)

29(30)

19 0

Tahith Chong

Player

LEAGUE CUP

GLS

Amad Eric Bailly

FA CUP

APP

Diogo Dalot

0(5)

1(2)

2(5)

4(12)

32(12)

7(1)

7(3)

49(16)

377

487

David De Gea Anthony Elanga

16(7)

0(2)

0(1)

2(1)

18(11)

Bruno Fernandes

84(3)

5(3)

2(2)

24(3)

115(11)

50 0

Will Fish

0(1)

87(17)

8(4)

7(1)

29(4)

131(26)

Ethan Galbraith

0(1)

0(2)

0(1)

3(1)

3(4)

0(1)

1(1)

Fred

James Garner

Anthony Elanga

Lee Grant

Edinson Cavani

Alejandro Garnacho

0(2)

Jesse Lingard

Mason Greenwood

50(33)

8(2)

5(3)

20(8)

83(46)

Harry Maguire

Hannibal

1(2)

Scott McTominay

Tom Heaton

0(1)

Anthony Martial

Dean Henderson

Paul Pogba

Zidane Iqbal

Alex Telles

Phil Jones

Donny van de Beek

Ethan Laird

Raphael Varane

Own goals

BREAKDOWN OF 59 ASSISTS Player

Assists

12(1)

28(1)

0(1)

152(17)

11(4)

10(2)

24(7)

1(1)

198(31)

1(1)

0 0

Victor Lindelof

Dylan Levitt

132(7)

31(1)

188(8)

Jesse Lingard

88(61)

16(7)

12(4)

25(17)

143(89)

Harry Maguire

100(2)

9(1)

141(3)

Anthony Martial

133(42)

16(9)

10(6)

37(15)

197(72)

79 51

Juan Mata

149(47)

18(5)

10(2)

36(17)

0(1)

213(72)

Nemanja Matic

109(19)

13(2)

6(2)

23(14)

152(37)

Scott McTominay

89(31)

10(4)

5(1)

24(6)

128(42)

Bruno Fernandes

D’Mani Mellor

0(1)

Paul Pogba

Teden Mengi

0(2)

Fred

Andreas Pereira

24(21)

3(6)

5(3)

4(9)

36(39)

Luke Shaw

Paul Pogba

138(19)

10(3)

8(4)

38(12)

195(38)

Nemanja Matic

Marcus Rashford

147(57)

17(8)

10(6)

39(17)

0(2)

213(90) 93

Alex Telles

Cristiano Ronaldo

184(42) 102

24(3)

10(2)

58(4)

279(51) 142

Cristiano Ronaldo

Jadon Sancho

20(9)

5(2)

27(11)

Jadon Sancho

Charlie Savage

0(1)

Edinson Cavani

Luke Shaw

135(13)

17(3)

6(3)

34(1)

193(20)

Anthony Elanga

Shola Shoretire

0(3)

0(2)

0(5)

Mason Greenwood

Alex Telles

26(4)

11(4)

42(8)

Victor Lindelof

Axel Tuanzebe

10(9)

1(1)

6(6)

21(16)

Marcus Rashford

Jesse Lingard

Scott McTominay

Raphael Varane

Donny van de Beek

4(23)

4(1)

7(6)

19(31)

Raphael Varane

20(2)

4(1)

26(3)

Aaron Wan-Bissaka

88(1)

25(1)

124(2)

Brandon Williams

13(8)

4(4)

5(2)

8(6)

30(20)

UNITED GOAL STATS WHEN UNITED’S 71 GOALS WERE SCORED

(ALL COMPETITIONS)

TOP SCORERS (U18s) Player

Gls

Total goals scored: 71

Manni Norkett

Time

Gls

Average goals scored per game: 1.45

Alejandro Garnacho

0-9 mins

Total goals conceded: 69

Joe Hugill

10-19 mins

Average goals conceded per game: 1.41

Ethan Ennis

20-29 mins

Clean sheets: 10 (all De Gea)

Charlie McNeill

30-39 mins

Hat-tricks: 3 (Ronaldo 2, Fernandes 1)

40-49 mins

Doubles: 4 (Ronaldo 3, Fernandes 1)

50-59 mins

Penalties scored (not inc shoot-outs):

60-69 mins

3 (all Ronaldo)

Player

70-79 mins

Penalties missed (not inc shoot-outs):

Charlie McNeill

80-89 mins

3 (Fernandes 2, Ronaldo 1)

D’Mani Mellor

90+ mins

Shola Shoretire

TOP SCORERS (U23s/U19s) Gls

Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 153

(Players on the club’s books at end of 2021/22 season)

PLAYER

UNITED WOMEN

The 2021/22 season was certainly an eventful one for Marc Skinner’s side, as they savoured the return of fans – which included one glorious afternoon at a sunny Old Trafford – while setting their sights high in the Women’s Super League...

s ng

HEAD COACH

MARC SKINNER The United Women boss reflects on his first term in charge, before looking ahead with real positivity

“W

hen I first came to Manchester United, there was a lot to take in. This was the only job in football that would have convinced me to uproot my family from Orlando and move halfway across the world to come back to England, so naturally there were a lot of emotions swirling around. Moving back from the States, joining such a huge club, learning about the players and the league gave me a lot to think about, but one thing struck me quite early on… everyone here just talks about the Champions League. It had become this mountain for everyone to climb, this magical competition where qualification was the be-all and end-all. Whoever I spoke to, there was a fixation on getting into the Champions League.

156 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

Although the club is still very young, getting into the Champions League felt like it was becoming something of an obsession. Having now finished fourth and gone to the wire before just missing out on the Champions League again, I dare say a lot of people are still thinking about it. But the question that I’ve been asking more and more is this: isn’t that being disrespectful to ourselves? Don’t we owe ourselves more than just thinking about finishing in the top three? Everybody who wears this badge is very fortunate to represent a club with a magnificent history, but also a very, very bright future. Everyone knows that Casey Stoney did a great job here before I came in. I think the beauty of Casey being the first

manager of Manchester United Women was that she got to build it from its inception. When I took over I inherited a really good squad. That much was clear in advance. While there was a little bit of disappointment at coming so close to the Champions League and missing out in 2020/21, the main thing I could sense from the group was the hunger in them. As a coach you always want to put your stamp on a place and grow things organically, so I also felt we could adapt things, change things and progress to being a really competitive group against the teams who have historically been top of the WSL. They’ve spent a hell of a lot of money, but why can’t we compete with them? There were a

HEAD COACH

WATCH!

Click here to see 10 fine team goals from United Women last season

“THE QUESTION I’VE BEEN ASKING MORE AND MORE IS THIS: DON’T WE OWE OURSELVES MORE THAN JUST THINKING ABOUT FINISHING IN THE TOP THREE?”

Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 157

HEAD COACH

lot of good foundations and we’ve managed to move in the direction we wanted to, while still retaining the identity around the team. Even though I knew what the WSL was all about, coming back from two years in America meant that I had to pick up the different styles we’d be up against. In the States, every game presents different challenges because of logistical aspects like six-hour flights to away games, different weather systems and so on, but in England it’s more about the different playing styles you’re facing. Some play direct, some keep possession, teams like Chelsea are very good on the counterattack, so I just felt that when I came in, I wanted to move this group towards a place where they could control the ball and concede fewer chances. It was clear to see that we had the ability to do so. There are some wonderful players here. What struck me just as much as the group’s ability, though, was just how together they are. Every time I speak to other coaches, agents or players, they often talk about how tight-knit this group is. As a coach, obviously you love to put that kind of thing out in

Marc poses for photos with young Reds after the final home game of the season in May Top: The boss knows the importance of his backroom staff to the Reds’ success

158 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

the media, but I genuinely mean it. These players like each other and that’s not that common. In a lot of places you find players who put up with each other professionally, but these players truly like each other. For me, I loved coming into this environment; it gives you a lot of energy and when you lose, you lose together and I think that’s a real sign of a really special team. Then there’s the fanbase. Wow. Believe it or not, because I still had connections at Birmingham, even when I was living in Orlando I had people telling me how loud the United fans were. That’s what I want to be part of: I want to be part of a group that gets pushed by their fans as well as pushing them. Those fans have been able to feel the start of their team, rather than just following their parents or being drawn in by success. The drive and stimulus that this team has with the fans is unique.

There’s a spirit of Man United that you have to be aware of as a coach before you can take it in your own direction. Of course, we want to win and expect to win, but the spirit of United is to never say die and I think the fans harbour that every time you play. I’m still learning that, but it’s exciting to learn every time I get out on the field because I’m thinking: we can be braver here, my players have to keep going, and I find it exciting because I know what the next phase of this team’s development looks like. Even with friendlies, we’ve probably only played 30 games together, so the excitement of showing our fans the next stage in this team’s development is really building. Obviously, coming fourth two seasons in a row means everybody wants to keep moving up. That builds pressure and expectation which, to me, are good things. They have to be. They’re not easy to turn into positives because you can’t just say you like pressure and expectation – they’re things that you learn to like. The better you get at something, the more pressure you’ll face because people expect you to do things better, to win more, to improve. My job as head coach is to set the direction for this team; to set that pressure is acceptable and it’s something you should live with if you want to be a top performer. It’s experiential. We all have to learn from setbacks, know what they felt like, isolate moments and their feeling, then use that feeling as something they don’t want to experience again and work out how we ensure that. Our biggest tool, regardless of what our bodies can do, is our brains. People sometimes get a bit bored with how I talk about psychology, but it is absolutely everything. I want to stop people losing sight of the most important thing – the moment you’re in. Absorb the pressure in the moment you’re in, play the game in the moment you’re in and what follows will be the result you deserve. Last season, we had a couple of good results where we weren’t our clinical selves but we found a way to win. It wasn’t pretty against Brighton in April, for example, but we got the result and the psyche our team is developing is to absorb the pressure

HEAD COACH

to win, accept it and enjoy it. That, for me, is a choice. I’m a big believer in choice. I still get nervous before games because you can only control as much as you control, but I think you need to use that nervous energy to drive yourself forward and keep working towards your targets. When I went to Orlando, I spoke about being a team that wanted to win the league and we finished rock bottom in year one. We flipped it round and when I left, the team was in the top three. For us, the next development is to not actually care what our opponents do. That might sound disrespectful, but it’s not. I see it the other way. I think it’s a mark of respect to acknowledge that other teams will play how they will play, but we choose to remain completely true to our approach. We’ve taken big steps in the right direction and I

love the feeling I get coming into work every day. In all honesty, this is by far the best team I could be at, for my family, for my career, but also for how I feel. I’m a big feelings person. I walked virtually straight into work after coming back from Orlando and at the end of the season I was probably near exhaustion, but I didn’t feel it because of the way this team and the fans made me feel. It does not feel like a job. People might question that in a couple of years if I’m completely grey, but right now the pressures of the job make me feel alive and that’s

“RIGHT NOW THE PRESSURES OF THE JOB MAKE ME FEEL ALIVE AND THAT’S ALL YOU CAN EVER WANT FROM A CAREER”

The spirit and unity within this United squad is truly special and rare to see, insists the head coach Top: Showing his appreciation during February’s away game against Arsenal in the Women’s Super League

all you can ever want from a career. Of course, all of us wanted to finish higher than fourth in the league last season, but that’s gone now. I don’t believe in wallowing for too long because I don’t think it helps anyone or achieves anything. Note the feeling, store it for future reference but definitely don’t wallow. Take what you need, move forward and look to the future. In that future, I don’t want us to be fixating on qualifying for the Champions League. Shouldn’t we now be thinking about the league and winning the whole thing? We have a debt to ourselves to do everything we can to win every single game. If we do that, then you start to live out the rhetoric that surrounds those who win a title: you look step-by-step, game-by-game and go from one focus point to the next. Don’t think about climbing the mountain, just look at the next step you have to take, then take it. Once we do that, we’ll move closer to success. Could we do it? A perfect WSL season has never been done, which tells you how hard it is, but we’re capable of beating any team and we owe it to ourselves to think that way.

”

BACK TO CONTENTS

Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 159

NEW ERA. BIG AIMS United Women entered 2021/22 with changes in the dugout and on the pitch, and the group would ultimately come agonisingly close to achieving their WSL ambitions

he 2021/22 campaign was the start of a new era for Manchester United Women. Having been at the helm for the first three years of the club’s existence, Casey Stoney chose to step aside, with former Birmingham City manager Marc Skinner taking the hotseat. “It’s an exciting opportunity to lead the team into what will be another competitive WSL season,” Skinner said upon his arrival. “I want us to achieve success together and our aim is to give the fans a team they can continue to be proud of.” 160 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

“OUR AIM IS TO GIVE THE FANS A TEAM THEY CAN CONTINUE TO BE PROUD OF”

– MARC SKINNER FOLLOWING HIS APPOINTMENT

UNITED WOMEN

There were changes to the first-team squad, too. Some big names who had been with the side from day one departed, with Jess Sigsworth, Amy Turner and Lauren James joining Leicester, Orlando Pride and Chelsea respectively. Abbie McManus also moved to the Foxes, Jane Ross signed for Rangers, and US duo Christen Press and Tobin Heath headed to Angel City and Arsenal. Goalkeeping pair Emily Ramsey and Fran Bentley penned season-long loan deals with Birmingham and Bristol City. Coming the other way were five new faces, all signing in the space of

eight days in late July 2021. First to arrive was Norway international midfielder Vilde Boe Risa, from Sandviken, swiftly followed by Lionesses-capped defender Hannah Blundell from Chelsea and goalkeeper Sophie Baggaley from Bristol City. The new recruits were completed by another defensive option, Aoife Mannion from Manchester rivals City, and former West Ham forward Martha Thomas, a full Scotland international. An unbeaten pre-season schedule followed, as victories over Aston Villa and Rangers were bookended by draws against

Liverpool and Brighton, leaving the Reds well prepared for the opening competitive clash at home to Reading in early September, as Leigh Sports Village prepared to welcome back fans after a 583-day wait due to Covid-19 restrictions. It was also a fixture that would go down in history as the first-ever WSL game to be shown live on Sky Sports. ‘We understand the magnitude of what we’re doing here long-term, and in the now we’re looking to begin as we mean to go on by making a positive start to our season,’ wrote Skinner in his programme notes, and a positive start is exactly what the

Manchester United 2020/21 Yearbook 161

UNITED WOMEN

new boss got. In 2020/21, a 2-0 home loss to the Royals had been a damaging blow in the ultimately unsuccessful bid for Champions League football, but this time the scoreline was reversed, with Kirsty Hanson and Ona Batlle striking either side of half-time to clinch three points. The latter opened her scoring account for United in style, lashing an unstoppable hit into the top corner from just inside the area. A victory, a delighted Reds crowd and debuts for all four of the new outfield signings – not bad at all. Nine days later it was a Premier League setting for the first away day of the campaign, as 4,473 fans were in attendance at the King Power Stadium for newly promoted Leicester v United. Things got off to an unfortunate start, as Millie Turner, who had so rarely missed a minute of first-team action in the team’s brief history up until this point, was forced off through injury. It was the beginning of a frustrating campaign for the centre-back, who would not play again until December. But the players were able to shrug off the disappointment with another win. Having set up both goals against Reading, Ella Toone continued her impressive start by opening the scoring in the closing stages of the first half with a stunning long-range strike. After the interval, Turner’s replacement, Maria Thorisdottir, got her first goal for the club, and although ex-Red McManus pulled one back, Thomas also broke her United duck with a stabbed effort. Two games, two wins – the first time the side had done so to kick off a WSL campaign since promotion in 2019. It was the perfect preparation for a big early test, with Chelsea – the reigning WSL and Continental Cup champions, as well as runners-up in the 2021 Champions League final – visiting Leigh. It proved to be a sobering afternoon. There was the positive of Alessia Russo getting her first goal since returning from a lengthy spell on the sidelines that had kept her out of so much of the previous campaign, but it was a fleeting bright spark in a 6-1 defeat. “Maybe we were slightly naive going into the game,” skipper Katie Zelem later 194 Manchester 162 ManchesterUnited United2021/22 2020/21Yearbook Yearbook

“CREDIT TO THE GIRLS... LEADING UP TO CHRISTMAS, WE HAVE STARTED TO HIT FORM, AND IT’S SHOWING” – ALESSIA RUSSO

reflected. “We’ve still got quite a young squad, and we know we’ve got things to work on. For us, there are a lot of things we can learn from it. Chelsea are a level above the opposition we’ve faced so far, so now we know where we need to be at.” A quick response was required, and it was Blundell who inspired it, laying on both goals in a 2-0 win at Skinner’s former club, Birmingham. Leah Galton and Toone were on the

scoresheet, ahead of a challenging run that would result in four straight draws across all competitions. First up, Lucy Staniforth’s first league goal and a composed finish from Russo, both in the space of three minutes, helped overturn a 1-0 deficit against the 10 players of City in the derby at Leigh, only for the visitors to hit back with an equaliser, ensuring the spoils were shared. Then, the Continental Cup campaign began away to Durham – the only team who had taken points off the Reds during the 2018/19 Championship triumph, with a win and a draw. It was honours even again, on this occasion, despite United twice leading, through Ivana Ferreira Fuso and Toone. The hosts got a late leveller, but a 5-3 shootout win for United ensured a bonus point in the group stage. A pair of disappointing 1-1 draws at Tottenham and Everton, who both snatched a point late on, was followed by a morale-boosting derby win in the Continental Cup. City took the lead, but Ferreira Fuso and Batlle both found the net to turn the game on its head, with the result going a long way towards securing a place in the knockout stages. But the joy of that win was tempered by two more tough losses, first to league leaders Arsenal in the WSL and then on penalties against Leicester in the Continental Cup. With just one win in normal time in the previous seven outings, a turnaround in fortunes was very much required to get the season back on track. “We’ve got to look after each other, be ready and focused and get as many players as possible fit and raring to go,” the boss noted ahead of the final three matches of the calendar year. “They are three important games. We need to be aggressive and take the points.” The players took heed of their manager’s words with an excellent end to 2021. After winning 2-0 at Brighton, United defeated Everton by the same scoreline to assure a quarter-final spot in the Continental Cup, before

UNITED WOMEN

The Continental Cup win at Arsenal was one of the standout results in United Women’s short history

Batlle’s beauty against Reading made for a perfect start in the WSL

taking apart Aston Villa 5-0 on home turf to finish December sitting in fourth place in the WSL table, and just two points behind the final European spot, at that point occupied by Spurs. “It’s huge,” said Thomas, one of the scorers against Villa, on the upturn in form. “It’s momentum going into the Christmas break. It’s good to go away with smiles and come back energised. We’ve had a bit of an up-and-down season but we can really kick on now into the new year. It was a big effort from everyone and we’re buzzing.” The fine displays in December earned Player and Manager of the Month Awards for Toone (who bagged a brace against Villa) and Skinner, with the boss keen for more

Monthly WSL awards came Skinner and Toone’s way

of the same joy on the pitch in the near future: “For all the people who talk about momentum and the break now – momentum is what you create of it. We have to have the mentality that we want to create that. Where we’ve left it here, we pick up now in 2022 and give absolutely everything. I’m thrilled with the players and can’t wait for the new year.” He was right to be excited, as the Reds picked up exactly where things had been left after the break with another 5-0 win, this time over Birmingham. Perhaps the finest win of the season followed when Russo nodded in late on to seal a superb 1-0 success away to Arsenal in the Continental Cup quarter-finals. “It feels amazing,” explained the matchwinner at full-time. “Playing

Irish defender Caldwell was one of three mid-season arrivals

The FA Cup campaign began at lower-league Bridgwater

Arsenal away, we always know the challenge it holds. I think we were really locked-on tonight. Credit to the girls; we’ve been working so hard in training. Just after Christmas, and leading up to Christmas, we’ve really started to hit form, and it’s showing.” The wins kept on coming: Champions League rivals Spurs were dispatched 3-0 in the WSL, before a 2-0 triumph away to Bridgwater United in the FA Cup, in which Karna Solskjaer – daughter of club legend Ole Gunnar – made her debut as a late substitute. That made it seven successive victories, all achieved without conceding a goal. There were also three new recruits, who all arrived on deadline day, with a defender and midfielder in Republic of Ireland and England Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 163

UNITED WOMEN UNITED WOMEN

internationals Diane Caldwell and Jade Moore joining on free transfers, and 2021 Danish Player of the Year Signe Bruun coming in from Lyon, with the forward penning a loan deal until the end of the campaign. Another strong showing in January led to a second straight Manager of the Month prize for Skinner, while Galton (pictured below, alongside Boe Risa) took the players’ prize. However, the winning run sadly came to an end against Chelsea in the Continental Cup semi-finals. Russo again headed in against Arsenal for a 1-1 league draw, but back-to-back derby defeats came next, in the WSL and FA Cup. Nonetheless, United began March still well in contention for a first-ever Champions League qualification, and got back to winning ways in the 4-0 defeat of Leicester, before another useful three points at the Madejski Stadium against Reading. An injury-hit Reds side conceded an stoppage-time equaliser away to West Ham, before another big landmark to add to the history books, as Everton visited Old Trafford for United Women’s first game in front of fans at the Theatre of Dreams. The 20,241-strong crowd saw an early setback when the Toffees broke the deadlock, but were left smiling at full-time as Russo’s brace of headers and a Zelem spot-kick ensured more celebrations on a momentous day. “Honestly, amazing,” Skinner told MUTV post-match. “I just felt it was like a season’s game that – we were behind, we get back into it and we take the lead, dictate the game and in front of our fans it couldn’t have meant more than that today. I’m expelling a little bit of emotion right now because that was a

“THE FIRE HAS BEEN LIT AND NOW IT’S TIME TO WORK” – SKINNER ON 2022/23

164 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

wonderful feeling. Now you feel every moment, feel every goosebump on your neck and the people here today and just absorb it. Hopefully today we’ve gone a way to changing women’s football and now I just want to see those fans returning.” The supporters who did return for the next outing, at home to Brighton, would have been cheering again thanks to Galton’s second-half winner, as Toone became the first player to reach a century of games for United Women. “Every game in this shirt is really special, so to get 100 is amazing,” she said of the special day. “I’m really proud.” That result, ahead of the season’s last international break, meant United went into the final three games in third place, three points ahead of Manchester City, who had a game in hand. With the Reds having a better goal difference by three, it meant that Champions League destiny was in the team’s hands, and three more victories could well clinch European football. Unfortunately, as with the previous campaign, the Reds would be denied in that quest in the last few matches. A goalless draw at Villa

passed the advantage to City, and although a 3-0 win against West Ham guaranteed a final-day decider, it proved to be one step too far. It couldn’t have been a much tougher ask, as United required victory away to Chelsea, as well as hoping for Reading to gain an unlikely win against City. Despite a commendable effort, with Thomas and Toone on target for a 2-1 half-time lead, the Blues roared back for a 4-2 win that clinched their third successive WSL title in the process. “I felt that Chelsea were scared in the first half,” said Skinner. “What a great statement from us that is. In the second half, they had the quality. They were sharper than us and that’s something we can’t excuse, but I was proud of the girls. It’s a great marker for us to step forward for next season. “We want to do better than we have done this season. We have done really well and dominated a lot of games. But now when we play these [top three] teams, we want to make sure we’re in a better position. “The fire has been lit and now it’s time to work. We will work, we will work tirelessly, and we will drive and drive and drive for success, until we have nothing left.” Zelem was also optimistic for the future, as the captain looked back on another year of progression for the club: “No matter what the result today, I know that throughout the season we’ve given everything. “I think you could see in glimpses of that performance that we are a team to be reckoned with. There are lots of positives to build on for next year. This season has been hugely positive [in terms of] growth,” said Zelem. “We’ve had new players, a new manager and a lot of changes. “From our first game of the season to the last you can see how much we’ve grown as individuals, but more importantly as a team. I think that’s so important going into next season. We want to be lifting trophies, we want to be

UNITED WOMEN

“THE FIRE HAS BEEN LIT AND NOW IT’S TIME TO WORK”

Captain Katie Zelem fires home from the penalty spot to give the Reds a 2-1 lead against Everton at Old Trafford in March

– SKINNER ON 2022/23

WATCH! Click here to enjoy highlights from the Reds’ Old Trafford win v Everton

Thomas scores in the final home game, against West Ham

fighting for titles, so [watching Chelsea lift the WSL title] gives us the fire we want.” Signing off with a message for the ever-incredible supporters, who once again spurred the Reds on in force from the first game until the last, Zelem added: “I just want to say a huge thank you. Our fans travel home and away for us and it’s like having an extra player. We are so appreciative of how much they do for us; we can’t thank them enough.” Skinner paid his own tribute to the United faithful: “I love the fans; I love the energy they bring. The players will match that, and the club will continue to match that. We have a very special group of people that support us, and we are going to give

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Captain Zelem is proud of the Reds’ progress in 2021/22

absolutely everything going forward to match, to drive and to push everything we have to get success. “The fans have been magnificent and there’s just so much positivity around us. There are [so many] positives to build on and give us that springboard going into next season.” In the end, there will understandably be a tinge of regret that the Reds once again came so close to Champions League football, only to miss out at the last. But as captain and manager pointed out, there are so many positives at a team going from strength to strength. It was a third straight WSL season that ended in a fourth-place finish, meaning only Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City – the established

The Everton win brought thousands of inspired young fans to see United

‘big three’ in England’s women football – have ever finished ahead of the Reds in the top flight. The club’s best Continental Cup run was also matched, with a third semi-final appearance in four attempts so far. As of the end of June 2022, the average age among players to make at least one competitive appearance in 2021/22 (excluding departed players Solskjaer, Caldwell and Martha Harris) was 25 – highlighting this is still a young group approaching their peak years. But with a core group of key figures who have racked up big numbers for games played, and a host of senior internationals, there’s plenty of reasons for optimism in the coming years. Bring on 2022/23! ● Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 165

UNITED WOMEN

WOMEN’S TEAM PROFILES & STATS The individual stories of the 2021/22 season for each of Skinner’s Reds A total of 25 Reds wore the shirt for United Women across the 30 fixtures played in 2021/22, with forward Alessia Russo the only player to feature in every game

– 23 times as a starter, and seven times as a substitute – while she also finished top of the team’s scoring charts with 11. Head coach Marc Skinner regularly used the two cup

competitions to provide starting berths for some of his younger squad members, such as Ivana Ferreira Fuso and Carrie Jones, while opportunities came knocking for others

27 MARY EARPS

32 SOPHIE BAGGALEY

The stopper was again an ever-present in the WSL, having now featured in every one of the club’s 58 top-flight fixtures – the only player to do so. Earps kept 11 clean sheets across all competitions in 2021/22, and as of the end of the campaign has managed 43 WSL shut-outs across her career, a total unmatched by any other keeper. Perhaps her finest run of 2021/22 was a five-game spell without conceding either side of Christmas, as her side won each match. For England, she let in just one goal across eight caps in 2021/22 .

Having joined from Bristol City in July 2021, Baggaley was given the chance to make the step up, and performed solidly in her six games – all coming in the run to the Continental Cup semis. Highlights included appearing in a memorable 2-1 comeback derby win, as well as clean sheets at Everton and Arsenal – the latter in a 1-0 win that must rank among the finest in United’s short history. There was the disappointment of a red card against Chelsea in the semis, but Baggaley has otherwise proven she can figure as a reliable deputy to Earps.

Position Goalkeeper DOB 07/03/1993 Nationality English Previous clubs Leicester City, Nottingham Forest, Doncaster Rovers Belles, Coventry City (loan), Birmingham City, Bristol City, Reading, Wolfsburg

166 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

in the Women’s Super League as a result of injuries. Elsewhere, five young talents – all aged 21 or younger – enjoyed worthwhile loan spells away from the club.

Position Goalkeeper DOB 29/11/1996 Nationality English Previous clubs Birmingham City, Bristol City (loan), Bristol City

UNITED WOMEN

2 MARTHA HARRIS

3 MARIA THORISDOTTIR

Harris was unfortunate to go through a difficult campaign of injuries, restricting her to a single appearance – away to Durham in the Continental Cup – before the turn of the year. While games were tough to come by due to the fine form of her fellow full-backs, she did come on as a sub at Bridgwater in the FA Cup and Leicester in the WSL, as well as being named in the squad for the last 13 games of the season. One of the ‘originals’ to have been with the Reds since day one in 2018, Martha’s popularity shone through after she announced her departure in June.

Now in her first full season, after joining from Chelsea in January 2021, Maria became a regular and consistent member of the back four. Given her first chance when she replaced the injured Millie Turner after 15 minutes away to Leicester, Maria made an almost immediate impact when she opened her scoring account early in the second half. With Turner facing an extended spell on the sidelines, the no.3 established herself as a dependable member of the defence, missing just three games across the entirety of the campaign. She also won her 50th Norway cap in September.

Position Defender DOB 19/08/1994 Nationality English Previous clubs Lincoln Ladies, Liverpool

5 AOIFE MANNION

6 HANNAH BLUNDELL

Making the move across Manchester from City to United can be tough, but the popular centre-back quickly became a key part of the side, playing every minute of each of the first 19 games across all competitions, up to and including the League Cup defeat to Chelsea. Mannion’s season was unfortunately cut short by an ACL injury, meaning she would not feature again, but she was quickly looking forward to getting back to action, saying: “I’m determined more than ever to return to the team… and can’t wait to pull on the red shirt again.”

Other than December’s home win over Aston Villa, Blundell played in every United game in 2021/22, and proved to be a useful threat going forward as she chipped in with five WSL assists – a tally bettered for the Reds only by Ella Toone. Birmingham were on the wrong end of her creative prowess more than most, as she set up both Leah Galton and Toone to net away to the Blues in October – when Hannah was also among the nominees for WSL Player of the Month – before later laying one on for Alessia Russo in the return meeting in January.

Position Defender DOB 24/09/1995 Nationality English Previous clubs Aston Villa, Birmingham City, Manchester City

Position Defender DOB 05/06/1993 Nationality Norwegian Previous clubs Klepp, Chelsea

Position Defender DOB 25/05/1994 Nationality English Previous clubs Chelsea

Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 167

UNITED WOMEN

15 DIANE CALDWELL

17 ONA BATLLE

January signing Caldwell quickly struck her fellow Reds with her passionate approach, having been a diehard Red all her life. “It’s something I’ve always dreamt of – I’ll wear that badge with so much pride”, she said upon her arrival, and she was soon wearing it on the pitch. Making her debut in an impressive 1-1 draw away to Arsenal, the Ireland international played six games in all, including in important wins over Leicester and Reading. “She fights and defends with her heart,” noted Maria Thorisdottir. Diane departed the club when her contract concluded at the end of June.

Having been named the club’s Player of the Year in her debut campaign, Batlle was once again an impressive performer, getting her first United goal with a stunning long-range hit in the season-opener against Reading and showing great tenacity to also get a winner against Manchester City in the Continental Cup. She missed just one WSL game and also got four assists, including one to set up Alessia Russo v Everton at Old Trafford in March. Defensively, Ona won 42 tackles and made 57 blocks – both the fourth-highest totals in the WSL.

Position Midfielder DOB 11/09/1988 Nationality Irish Previous clubs Balbriggan FC, Raheny United, Hofstra Pride, Hudson Valley Quickstrike, Albany Alleycats, Thor/KA, Avaldsnes IL, FC Koln, SC Sand, North Carolina Courage

20 KIRSTY SMITH

21 MILLIE TURNER

Injuries disrupted the start of the season for Smith, but she returned in style to help seal a superb 2-1 win over Manchester City in the Continental Cup. “I’ve worked really hard with the physios to get me back in shape,” she said afterwards. And the Scot soon had more to celebrate, starting four of five games across Christmas and New Year, all of which ended in wins, with not a single goal conceded. Competition and further knocks meant she didn’t play again in 2021/22, but Smith was a part of the final three matchday squads.

It was a different kind of campaign for Turner. Having previously rarely missed a game as a mainstay at the heart of the defence, an injury picked up in the second game of the season, away to Leicester, kept her out until early December, at which point she began to re-establish herself as a crucial part of the side. She made six consecutive starts before an issue with an artery in her neck in January meant she’d miss the remainder of the term. A vocal presence on the pitch and in the dressing room, she’ll be hoping for more luck come 2022/23.

Position Defender DOB 06/01/1994 Nationality Scottish Previous clubs Hibernian

168 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

Position Defender DOB 10/06/1999 Nationality Spanish Previous clubs Barcelona B, Madrid CFF, Levante

Position Defender DOB 07/07/1996 Nationality English Previous clubs Everton, Bristol City

UNITED WOMEN

4 JADE MOORE

8 VILDE BOE RISA

Moore was one of three deadline-day signings in January, penning a contract until the end of 2022/23. “The group here is thriving and I’m excited to be a part of it,” she said after joining. “For me, this was the right move in my career at this time and I’m going to work as hard as possible to get fit and be in contention.” Indeed, the England international was still working back to full fitness and had to wait until mid-March for her debut when she came on as a sub against West Ham, with further appearances from the bench coming at Old Trafford v Everton, and at Leigh v Brighton.

Boe Risa arrived to bolster the midfield and made her debut as a starter against Reading in the opening game. It took some time to cement a first-team spot but she soon caught the eye, particularly away to Brighton where, after almost single-handedly leading the offensive charge, Vilde eventually grabbed the second in a 2-0 triumph. Further strikes followed against Tottenham and Chelsea, as well as an assist at home to Aston Villa, with the Norway international featuring in every game but one between mid-November and the end of the season.

Position Midfielder DOB 22/10/1990 Nationality English Previous clubs Lincoln Ladies, Leeds United, Birmingham City, Notts County, Reading, Orlando Pride, Atletico Madrid (loan)

10 KATIE ZELEM

12 HAYLEY LADD

Zelem continued to lead by example from midfield, the skipper missing only one game in 2021/22 and contributing seven goals and seven assists. One of her strikes, when she scored direct from a corner against Leicester, was named WSL Goal of the Month for March – though she had tough competition, from herself, having achieved the feat twice in the same game! Katie also rose to the occasion for March’s Old Trafford game, setting up Alessia Russo for the third goal having previously fired home a penalty in front of the Stretford End.

Despite not featuring quite as regularly as in the previous two campaigns, which was partly down to injuries, Ladd remained an important member of the squad, starting 12 of 16 fixtures after Christmas and even deputising well in defence. She more than doubled her previous overall goal total, finding the net against Brighton, Tottenham and Bridgwater, and had reached 60 appearances by the end of the season, meaning only Mary Earps had played more times for the club out of the players to join following promotion to the top flight in 2019.

Position Midfielder DOB 20/01/1996 Nationality English Previous clubs Liverpool, Juventus

Position Midfielder DOB 13/07/1995 Nationality Norwegian Previous clubs Arna-Bjornar, Kopparbergs/Goteborg FC, Sandviken

Position Midfielder DOB 06/10/1993 National team Wales Previous clubs Arsenal, Kokkola Futis 10 (loan), Coventry City, Bristol City, Birmingham City

Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 169

UNITED WOMEN

14 JACKIE GROENEN

24 CARRIE JONES

After appearing in each of the first five fixtures of the season, Groenen then sustained a hamstring injury that kept her out of action until 2022. Upon her return, however, she was absent for only two outings in the second half of the campaign, starting the final nine games and, like Ladd, reaching 60 total appearances. She also showed a moment of genius worthy of her idol, Johan Cruyff, away to Chelsea in the League Cup, flicking a backheel into the path of Vilde Boe Risa to score. In February, she also had the honour of captaining her country for the first time.

Following four substitute appearances in 2020/21, Jones continued her development with a further six outings, including a landmark first start, away to Durham in the Continental Cup. She didn’t waste time making an impact, providing the assist for Ivana Ferreira Fuso to open the scoring, and was a regular member of the matchday squad, including as an unused sub at Old Trafford against Everton. Jones also continued to be named in Wales squads, and has impressively reached double figures for international caps despite still only being 18 years old.

Position Midfielder DOB 17/12/1994 Nationality Dutch Previous clubs SGS Essen, FCR 2001 Duisburg, Chelsea, FFC Frankfurt

37 LUCY STANIFORTH

7 ELLA TOONE

Staniforth’s first big contribution of the campaign was one to remember, as she came off the bench and cleverly flicked in Ella Toone’s cross from close range to net the equaliser against Manchester City with her first WSL goal for United. She was also on target in the final game of 2021, at home to Aston Villa, before injury unfortunately ruled her out until the visit to the same opposition in late April – one of two games towards the end of the season in which Staniforth appeared from the bench, taking her total for 2021/22 to 16.

Toone truly shone for both club and country in 2021/22, proving she is one of the brightest young talents in the WSL. She got nine goals and eight assists across all competitions, was named WSL Player of the Month for December, and became the first player ever to reach 100 appearances for United Women. It was therefore no great surprise when she won the club’s Player of the Year prize, also being nominated for the PFA Fans’ Player of the Year award. For England, she scored nine times, including two hat-tricks.

Position Midfielder DOB 02/10/1992 Nationality English Previous clubs Sunderland, Lincoln Ladies, Bristol City, Liverpool, Sunderland, Birmingham City

170 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

Position Midfielder DOB 04/09/2003 Nationality Welsh Previous clubs Cardiff City Ladies

Position Forward DOB 02/03/1999 Nationality English Previous clubs Blackburn Rovers, Manchester City

UNITED WOMEN

9 MARTHA THOMAS

11 LEAH GALTON

It took Thomas just two games to open her account for United, as she came on as substitute to wrap up a 3-1 win away to Leicester. She also got on the scoresheet against Everton and Aston Villa, both times coming off the bench, but began a run of nine consecutive starts to finish the season against Manchester City, bagging three times in the process, including against former club West Ham and while putting the Reds temporarily in front against Chelsea on the final day. Only Alessia Russo, Leah Galton and Ella Toone scored more league goals for United in 2021/22.

Another consistent season from Galton, who hit eight goals – a personal best for the club so far – including braces against Birmingham and Reading, and ended the term as United’s record top-flight scorer with 18. Leah’s fine finishing is perhaps best illustrated by the fact that two thirds of her shots on target resulted in goals. In January, she scored three times and registered an assist across two games to win the WSL Player of the Month award for the second time in her career. Leah also made 25 starts for the season, putting her behind only Ona Batlle, Ella Toone and Katie Zelem.

Position Forward DOB 31/05/1996 National team Scotland Previous clubs Charlotte 49ers, Le Havre, West Ham United

13 IVANA FERREIRA FUSO

16 SIGNE BRUUN

The Brazilian had a productive term, as she played 15 times, making four starts, and got her first goals for United, both coming in the Continental Cup. The first was a clinical effort at Durham; the second a thumping finish en route to a home win over Manchester City. The popular no.13 was a member of all but one of Marc Skinner’s matchday squads in 2021/22 and Ivana will hope she can continue to develop on loan to Bayer Leverkusen next season, after signing a contract extension with the Reds until the end of the 2023/24 campaign.

Bruun was a high-profile loan addition in January when she arrived from Lyon. Her scoring exploits at international level – 12 goals in seven games – earned Signe the Danish Player of the Year award for 2021, and while she did not register during a stint in England that was disrupted by injury, she still offered Marc Skinner an alternative attacking option, making seven appearances. Signe helped earn a useful point away to Arsenal, and also came off the bench against Everton at Old Trafford in March, before her loan came to an end in the summer.

Position Forward DOB 12/03/2001 Nationality Brazilian Previous clubs SC Freiburg, FC Basel

Position Forward DOB 24/05/1994 Nationality English Previous clubs Leeds United, Hofstra Pride, Sky Blue FC, Bayern Munich

Position Forward DOB 06/04/1998 Nationality Danish Previous clubs Fortuna Hjorring, Paris Saint-Germain, Lyon

Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 171

UNITED WOMEN

18 KIRSTY HANSON

23 ALESSIA RUSSO

Hanson got the Reds up and running for 2021/22 with a clinical finish into the bottom corner to break the deadlock against Reading in the opening game – making history with the first WSL goal to be scored live on Sky Sports. While it proved to be her only strike of the campaign, and she more often than not featured from the bench (14 times in total, more than any other Red), she still had regular match action, playing 23 games out of 30. That put Kirsty on 90 total appearances by the end of the season, behind only Ella Toone and Katie Zelem.

Russo had missed much of 2020/21 due to injury and was keen to make up for lost time. No-one could argue that she failed to achieve that, as she became the only Red to appear in every game, and ended the season as the top scorer with 11 goals. She won the WSL Goal of the Month award for a glorious solo strike at Tottenham in November, and in April was crowned WSL Player of the Month. She was rewarded further when voted as United’s Players’ Player of the Season, plus she got the fastest-ever hat-trick by any England player with an 11-minute treble v Latvia.

Position Forward DOB 17/04/1998 National team Scotland Previous clubs Sheffield FC, Doncaster Rovers Belles

SQUAD MEMBERS

A look at those who stepped up to first-team duties

Bringing through youngsters has always been a tradition at Manchester United, and the women’s side is no exception, as a number of youth prospects were included in matchday squads in 2021/22 for Marc Skinner’s side. Forward Karna Solskjaer made her debut as a substitute in the closing stages of the Reds’ FA Cup win against Bridgwater United in late January; defender Niamh Murphy was an unused substitute on five occasions, including four successive games between December and

January, while forward Keira Barry and goalkeeper Safia Middleton-Patel made the bench once each. All three players were key figures in helping United’s U21s win a domestic double (see p198 for more).

Niamh Murphy

Safia Middleton-Patel

172 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

Position Forward DOB 08/02/1999 Nationality English Previous clubs Chelsea, Brighton & Hove Albion, North Carolina Tar Heels

DEPARTURES

Other players who moved on between July 2021-June 2022 United said goodbye to a number of established squad members in June 2021, as their contracts and loan deals came to an end, and there were two more high-profile exits in July, as Lauren James moved to Chelsea and Abbie McManus joined Leicester. James had been with the Reds from day one and was a prolific scorer, hitting the club’s first-ever goals in the Championship, WSL and FA Cup, as well netting the team’s maiden goal at Old Trafford. Experienced defender McManus had joined after United’s

promotion in 2019 and played 25 times overall, scoring twice. Also moving on at the end of 2021/22 was Karna Solskjaer, with the teenage daughter of Ole Gunnar heading back to Norway to join AaFK Fortuna.

Karna Solskjaer

LOANEES

UNITED WOMEN

The Reds who made temporary switches away Several squad members went out on loan in 2021/22 to gain crucial first-team experience and continue their development. Goalkeepers Emily Ramsey and Fran Bentley both signed new contracts with United before respectively heading on temporary moves, to Birmingham City and Bristol City. Ramsey played 17 times for the Blues across all competitions, keeping clean sheets in memorable wins over Arsenal and local rivals Aston Villa. She also played both WSL matches against United, and was unfortunate to score an own goal at Leigh Sports Village, with her efforts sadly not enough to prevent the team from relegation. Meanwhile, Bentley made 21 appearances for Bristol City as they finished third in the Championship. Her displays were recognised when she was named Vixens’ Young Player of the Season, having kept 10 clean sheets – a club record in a single campaign. “I’m happy with how I’ve done and it’s been great to play in such an environment,” she said. On 1 July 2022 it was announced that Fran had made a permanent switch to the second-tier side. Tara Bourne had two different loan stints, both in the second tier. In August, the young defender moved to Sheffield United, where she played 12 times. Midway through the term, she swapped Yorkshire for Lancashire when joining Blackburn Rovers. “I got some experience in this league during the first half of the season so I want to take that into this challenge and push on and keep developing as much as I can,” said Bourne, who would go on to appear a further seven times in her new surroundings. She was one of a trio of Reds who turned out for Blackburn during the 2021/22 season, along with goalkeeper Safia Middleton-Patel

Tara Bourne Emily Ramsey

Chloe Williams

and midfielder Chloe Williams, the former on a dual-registration basis prior to a late-season emergency loan to Leicester. Middleton-Patel was on the bench twice for Rovers, with Williams coming on five times. Williams joined Hayley Ladd and Carrie Jones as a Reds representative in the Wales squad, winning her first senior cap in February 2022 against Belgium in the Pinatar Cup.

Fran Bentley, whose loan move became permanent on 1 July

Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 173

APPEARANCES, GOALS & ’21/22 WSL STATISTICS FA WOMEN’S SUPER LEAGUE, FINAL TABLE 1

2021/22 APPEARANCES AND GOALS PLAYER

LEAGUE

FA CUP

LEAGUE CUP

TOTAL

APP

GLS

APP

GLS

APP

GLS

APP

GLS

Sophie Baggaley

Ona Batlle

4(1)

26(1)

Hannah Blundell

19(2)

4(2)

25(4)

Vilde Boe Risa

8(9)

0(2)

4(2)

12(13)

Signe Bruun

2(3)

0(1)

2(5)

Mary Earps

0(1)

24(1)

Ivana Ferreira Fuso

0(7)

1(1)

3(3)

4(11)

Leah Galton

20(1)

4(2)

25(3)

Jackie Groenen

12(4)

1(1)

14(5)

Diane Caldwell

Team

Pts

Kirsty Hanson

6(11)

0(1)

3(2)

9(14)

Chelsea

Martha Harris

0(1)

1(2)

0 0

Arsenal

Carrie Jones

0(3)

3(3)

Manchester City

Hayley Ladd

12(2)

2(1)

15(3)

UNITED

Aoife Mannion

3 0

Tottenham

Jade Moore

0(3)

West Ham

-10

Alessia Russo

19(3)

1(1)

3(3)

23(7)

11 0

Brighton

-14

Kirsty Smith

Reading

-19

Karna Solskjaer

0(1)

Aston Villa

-27

Lucy Staniforth

7(5)

3(1)

10(6)

10 Everton

-23

Martha Thomas

9(9)

15(9)

11 Leicester City

-39

Maria Thorisdottir

17(3)

4(1)

23(4)

12 Birmingham

-36

Ella Toone

3(2)

27(2)

Millie Turner

Katie Zelem

4(1)

28(1)

UNITED ALL-TIME APPS & AND GOALS ALL-TIME APPEARANCES GOALS, AUGUST 2018-PRESENT

174 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

Goals

103

Katie Zelem

Kirsty Hanson

Leah Galton

Millie Turner

Mary Earps

Amy Turner

Jessica Sigsworth

Captain Zelem points out how many more appearances she needs to hit a century!

Jackie Groenen

Hayley Ladd

Kirsty Smith

Apps

Goals

Lauren James

Aoife Mannion

Ona Batlle

Christen Press

Martha Harris

Aimee Palmer

Alessia Russo

Tobin Heath

Maria Thorisdottir

Carrie Jones

Lizzie Arnot

Lotta Okvist

Jane Ross

Signe Brunn

Lucy Staniforth

Sophie Baggaley

Hannah Blundell

Diane Caldwell

Mollie Green

Emily Ramsey

Siobhan Chamberlain

Naomi Hartley

Alex Greenwood

Jade Moore

Vilde Boe Risa

Fran Bentley

Abbie McManus

Tara Bourne

Martha Thomas

Rebecca May

Ivana Ferreira Fuso

Aurora Mikalsen

Charlie Devlin

Karna Solskjaer

(Names in italics have left the club, as of 30.06.22)

Toone receives a special gift on the day of her 100th appearance, against Brighton in early April

Apps Ella Toone

(Names in italics have left the club, as of 30.06.22)

TOTAL GAMES PLAYED BY UNITED WOMEN (ALL COMPS)

UNITED’S BIGGEST ATTENDANCES OVERALL:

Top scorer Russo uses her head to find the net against Birmingham in January

FA WOMEN’S SUPER LEAGUE, TOP SCORERS Sam Kerr (Chelsea)

Vivianne Miedema (Arsenal)

Beth Mead (Arsenal)

Lauren Hemp (Manchester City)

Alessia Russo (United)

Khadija Shaw (Manchester City)

Bethany England (Chelsea)

Leah Galton (Manchester United)

Georgia Stanway (Manchester City)

Ella Toone (United)

Guro Reiten (Chelsea)

20,241 UNITED v EVERTON, WSL, OLD TRAFFORD, 27.03.22 LEIGH SPORTS VILLAGE:

Full-back Blundell chipped in with five WSL assists

AWAY FIXTURES:

3,797 5,317 UNITED v MANCHESTER CITY, WSL, 09.10.21

MANCHESTER CITY v UNITED, WSL, ACADEMY STADIUM. 13.02.22

FA WOMEN’S SUPER LEAGUE, TOP ASSISTS Vivianne Miedema (Arsenal)

Beth Mead (Arsenal)

Ella Toone (United)

Lauren Hemp (Manchester City)

Fran Kirby (Chelsea)

Katie McCabe (Arsenal)

Guro Reiten (Chelsea)

Caroline Weir (Manchester City)

Katie Zelem (United)

Ji So-yun (Chelsea)

Hannah Blundell (United)

The Reds played 13 out of 14 home fixtures in 2021/22 at Leigh Sports Village

Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 175

WOMEN’S TEAM RESULTS & LINE-UPS 2021/22 SEASON COMP

DATE

OPPOSITION

SCORE

ATT

LINE-UP

Reading (H) 7.45pm Leicester (A) 2pm Chelsea (H) 12.30pm

2-0 3-1 1-6

2,111 4,473 2,197

Earps Earps Earps

Blundell Blundell Blundell

Mannion Mannion Mannion

Thorisdottir Turner Thorisdottir

Batlle 1 Batlle Batlle

Boe Risa Zelem Zelem

Zelem Groenen Groenen

Birmingham (A) 6.45pm Man City (H) 1.30pm Durham (A) 7pm

2-0 2-2 2-2 ↑

650 3,797 1,468

Earps Earps Baggaley

Batlle Blundell Harris

Mannion Mannion Mannion

Thorisdottir Thorisdottir Thorisdottir

Blundell Batlle Blundell

Zelem Zelem Boe Risa

Groenen Groenen Ladd

Tottenham (A) 12.15pm Everton (A) 12.30pm Man City (H) 7pm Arsenal (H) 12.15pm

1-1 1-1 2-1 0-2

1,308 840 2,369 2,186

Earps Earps Baggaley Earps

Batlle Batlle Batlle 1 Batlle

Mannion Mannion Mannion Mannion

Thorisdottir Thorisdottir Thorisdottir Thorisdottir

Blundell Blundell Smith Blundell

Zelem Zelem Boe Risa Staniforth

Ladd Boe Risa Jones Zelem

Leicester (H) 12pm Brighton (A) 12.30pm Everton (A) 7pm Aston Villa (H) 12pm

2-2 ↓ 2-0 2-0 x 5-0

839 1,776 672 1,001

Baggaley Earps Baggaley Earps

Batlle Batlle Batlle Smith

Mannion Mannion Mannion Mannion

Turner Turner Turner Turner

Blundell Blundell Smith Galton

Boe Risa Ladd 1 Zelem Zelem 1

Zelem 1 Zelem Toone Ladd

Birmingham (H) 12pm Arsenal (A) 7.15pm (QF) Tottenham (H) 12pm Bridgwater (A) 2pm

5-0 x 1-0 3-0 2-0

1,015 825 1,519 2,500

Earps Baggaley Earps Earps

Batlle Blundell Batlle Smith

Mannion Mannion Mannion Thorisdottir

Turner Turner Thorisdottir Mannion

Smith Thorisdottir Smith Blundell

Ladd Ladd Ladd 1 Ladd 1

Zelem 1 Zelem Zelem Zelem

SEPTEMBER WSL WSL WSL

Fri 3 Sun 12 Sun 26

OCTOBER WSL WSL CC

Sun 3 Sat 9 Thu 14

NOVEMBER WSL WSL CC WSL

Sun 7 Sun 14 Wed 17 Sun 21

DECEMBER CC WSL CC WSL

Sun 5 Sun 12 Wed 15 Sun 19

JANUARY WSL CC WSL FA

Sat 15 Wed 19 Sun 23 Sun 30

FEBRUARY CC WSL WSL FA

Wed 2 Sat 5 Sun 13 Sun 27

Chelsea (A) 7pm Arsenal (A) 12.30pm Man City (A) 12.30pm Man City (H) 12.30pm

1-3 1-1 0-1 1-4

1,548 2,385 5,317 2,335

Baggaley Earps Earps Earps

Batlle Batlle Batlle Batlle

Thorisdottir Caldwell Caldwell Caldwell

Mannion Thorisdottir Thorisdottir Thorisdottir

Blundell Blundell Blundell Blundell

Groenen Ladd Ladd Groenen

Zelem Zelem Zelem Zelem 1

Sat 5 Sat 12 Wed 16 Sun 27

Leicester (H) 12pm Reading (A) 11.30am West Ham (A) 7.30pm Everton (H) 12.30pm

4-0 3-1 1-1 3-1

1,103 1,371 1,425 20,241

Earps Earps Earps Earps

Batlle Batlle Blundell Batlle

Caldwell Caldwell Caldwell Ladd

Thorisdottir Thorisdottir Zelem Thorisdottir

Blundell Blundell Batlle Blundell

Groenen Groenen Groenen Groenen

Zelem 2 Zelem Boe Risa Zelem 1

Sun 3 Sun 24

Brighton (H) 12pm Aston Villa (A) 6pm

1-0 0-0

1,524 941

Earps Earps

Batlle Batlle

Ladd Ladd

Thorisdottir Thorisdottir

Blundell Blundell

Groenen Groenen

Zelem Zelem

Sun 1 Sun 8

West Ham (H) 12pm Chelsea (A) 12pm

3-0x 2-4

2,546 4,378

Earps Earps

Batlle Batlle

Ladd Ladd

Thorisdottir Thorisdottir

Blundell Blundell

Groenen Groenen

Zelem Zelem

MARCH WSL WSL WSL WSL

APRIL WSL WSL

MAY WSL WSL

176 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

KEY:

WSL – Women’s Super League

Scorers Bold

First sub

Yellow card

CC – Continental League Cup

Penalty (underlined)

Second sub

Red card

FA – Women’s FA Cup

x Own goal

Third sub

* After extra-time

Fourth sub

↓ Won/lost on pens

Fifth sub

↓

USED SUBSTITUTES Hanson 1 Hanson Hanson

Staniforth Staniforth Staniforth

Galton Galton Galton

Toone Toone 1 Toone

Thomas Thorisdottir 1 Russo 1

Groenen Thomas 1 Ladd

Russo Russo Jones

– – –

Russo Hanson Staniforth

Staniforth Toone Jones

Galton 1 Galton Russo

Toone 1 Russo 1 F-Fuso 1

Hanson Staniforth 1 Hanson

Boe Risa Ladd Toone 1

Jones – Galton

– – –

– –

Hanson Toone 1 F-Fuso 1 Hanson

Toone Russo Staniforth Toone

Galton Galton Hanson Galton

Russo 1 Thomas Thomas Russo

Staniforth Staniforth Russo Jones

Thomas Hanson Galton Boe Risa

– – Toone –

– – Blundell –

– – Zelem –

Staniforth Toone Hanson Staniforth 1

Toone Staniforth F-Fuso Boe Risa

Galton Boe Risa 1 Galton Toone 2

Russo 1 Russo Thomas 1 Russo

Ladd Galton Russo Hanson

Hanson Thomas Blundell Thomas 1

F-Fuso – Thorisdottir Thorisdottir

– – Staniforth F-Fuso

– – Boe Risa –

Boe Risa Galton Toone Toone 1

Toone Hanson Boe Risa 1 Jones

Galton 2 Toone Galton 1 F-Fuso

Russo 1 Thomas Russo Thomas

Blundell F-Fuso Thomas Harris

Thomas Batlle Blundell Boe Risa

Groenen Boe Risa Groenen Groenen

Thorisdottir Russo 1 F-Fuso Russo

F-Fuso – – Solskjaer

Boe Risa 1 Toone Bruun Russo

Thomas Bruun Boe Risa Toone

Galton Galton Toone Galton

Russo Russo 1 Russo Thomas

F-Fuso Groenen Thomas Bruun

Brunn Thomas Hanson Hanson

Earps – F-Fuso F-Fuso

– – – Boe Risa

– – – –

Russo 1 Russo 1 Toone 1 Thomas

Toone Toone Thomas Toone

Galton Galton 2 Galton Galton

Thomas 1 Thomas Russo Russo 2

F-Fuso Hanson Moore Hanson

Hanson Boe Risa F-Fuso Moore

Boe Risa – Hanson Boe Risa

Harris – – Bruun

– – – –

Thomas Thomas

Toone Toone

Galton 1 Galton

Russo Russo

Boe Risa Staniforth

Hanson Boe Risa

Moore –

– –

Thomas 1 Thomas 1

Toone Toone 1

Galton 1 Galton

Russo Russo

Hanson Hanson

Staniforth Boe Risa

Boe Risa Bruun

Bruun –

F-Fuso –

BACK TO CONTENTS

Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 177

POTY Recognising the Reds who had the strongest seasons for the men’s team, women’s team and Academy sides throughout 2021/22

ristiano Ronaldo’s first season back at Old Trafford ended with personal recognition as he was named Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year, winning the prestigious award for a record-equalling fourth time. Having finished as United’s top scorer, with 24 goals in 38 games across all competitions, the Portuguese’s efforts were rewarded as the fans voted him as the season’s star man, adding to his 2003/04, 2006/07 and 2007/08 wins and tying him level with David De Gea. “Thanks to all the fans who voted for me,” he said. “I couldn’t be more proud of winning the Sir Matt Busby Award in my comeback year to Old Trafford and to the Premier League. “This award goes to all the supporters who’ve never let us down during a very difficult season. Thank you so much for always being on our side. We know we can count on you.” Spanish stopper De Gea was runner-up on this occasion after 178 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

another solid term, while midfielder Fred came third, with both players joining their team-mate as consistent performers during a testing year for the club. It capped a typically impressive campaign for Ronaldo, who was also

named in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year, as well as being nominated for the division’s Players’ Player of the Year award. His 18 league strikes meant he finished behind only joint-winners Mohamed Salah and Heung-min

Son, who got 23 each, and matched his second-best seasonal tally in the top flight for United, having only previously netted more in 2007/08 when he hit an incredible 31. The no.7 was also his usual prolific self in the Champions League,

“THIS AWARD GOES TO ALL THE SUPPORTERS WHO’VE NEVER LET US DOWN DURING A VERY DIFFICULT SEASON. WE KNOW WE CAN COUNT ON YOU” – RONALDO

Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 179

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

netting six times to further cement his place at the top of the competition’s all-time scoring charts, and overtook Iker Casillas to set a new record for most appearances. Ronaldo racked up 10 Man of the Match awards for United and was named the club’s Player of the Month five times, doing so in both of his first two months back in M16 as well as the final three of the season. Perhaps his two finest displays were at home to Tottenham and Norwich, as he scored his second and third United hat-tricks to seal thrilling 3-2 wins in both. His opening strike against Spurs, a ferocious long-range effort from 30 yards out, was also chosen by supporters as the Reds’ Goal of the Season – again, the fourth time he has won the award, after 2005/06, 2007/08 and 2008/09. Such was his scoring prowess that Ronaldo even finished second

to himself in the voting, thanks to his expert volley in the corresponding away fixture in north London. Alex Telles finished third with a precise, thumping drive against Villarreal. At the opposite end of the pitch, David De Gea was picked by his team-mates as Players’ Player of the Year. In what is very much a running theme with this year’s awards, De Gea took this particular prize for the fourth occasion, first doing so back-to-back in 2013/14 and 2014/15 and most recently in 2017/18. He had plenty of well-wishers as he said thank you on Instagram, including past and present women’s team goalkeepers Siobhan Chamberlain and Mary Earps, former Red Marcos Rojo, and Juan Mata, who simply and eloquently summed him up as: “Number one”. De Gea played 46 times across all competitions, the joint-highest number for United along with Bruno

Fernandes, and did not miss a single minute of Premier League action. De Gea kept 10 clean sheets and moved up to 11th on the club’s list of all-time appearance-makers, with Alex Stepney the only goalkeeper ahead of him. Like Ronaldo, he also picked up a number of awards throughout the season, being selected as Man of the Match on seven occasions and winning the Player of the Month prize three times in succession, in November, December and January. He, too, had some standout performances, particularly away to West Ham – where he saved an injury-time penalty from Mark Noble to preserve victory – and at home to Villarreal, when his many stops laid the foundation for Ronaldo to complete the turnaround. Congratulations from everyone to both players for their efforts over the past 12 months.

Beck

DE GEA DID NOT MISS A MINUTE OF LEAGUE ACTION AND MOVED UP TO 11TH ON THE LIST OF ALL-TIME APPEARANCE-MAKERS

Roon

Na 194 Manchester 180 ManchesterUnited United2021/22 2020/21Yearbook Yearbook

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

HALL OF

FAME Previous Player of the Year winners for the men’s team since it all began in 1971/72

Beckham, 1997

Rooney, 2006

Morgan, 1972

MANCHESTER UNITED SUPPORTERS’ CLUB PLAYER OF THE YEAR

2001/02 Ruud van Nistelrooy

1971/72 Willie Morgan

2004/05 Gabriel Heinze

1972/73 Willie Morgan

2005/06 Wayne Rooney

1973/74 Jim Holton

2006/07 Cristiano Ronaldo

1974/75 Lou Macari

2007/08 Cristiano Ronaldo

1975/76 Lou Macari

2008/09 Nemanja Vidic

1976/77 Brian Greenhoff

2009/10 Wayne Rooney

1977/78 Steve Coppell

2010/11 Javier Hernandez

1978/79 Jimmy Greenhoff

2011/12 Antonio Valencia

1979/80 Joe Jordan

2012/13 Robin van Persie

1980/81 Joe Jordan

2013/14 David De Gea

1981/82 Ray Wilkins

2014/15 David De Gea

1982/83 Bryan Robson

2015/16 David De Gea

1983/84 Ray Wilkins

2016/17 Ander Herrera

1984/85 Mark Hughes

2017/18 David De Gea

Fernandes, 2021

2003/04 Cristiano Ronaldo

2018/19 Luke Shaw SHARP MANCHESTER UNITED PLAYER OF THE YEAR

2019/20 Bruno Fernandes

1985/86 Paul McGrath

MANCHESTER UNITED PLAYERS’ PLAYER OF THE YEAR

1986/87 Paul McGrath

Nani, 2011 (Players’ Player)

2002/03 Ruud van Nistelrooy

2020/21 Bruno Fernandes

SIR MATT BUSBY PLAYER OF THE YEAR

2005/06 Ryan Giggs

1987/88 Brian McClair

2007/08 Cristiano Ronaldo

1988/89 Bryan Robson

2008/09 Nemanja Vidic

1989/90 Gary Pallister

2009/10 Wayne Rooney

1990/91 Mark Hughes

2010/11 Nani

1991/92 Brian McClair

2011/12 Antonio Valencia

1992/93 Paul Ince

2012/13 Michael Carrick

1993/94 Eric Cantona

2013/14 David De Gea

1994/95 Andrei Kanchelskis

2014/15 David De Gea

1995/96 Eric Cantona

2015/16 Chris Smalling

1996/97 David Beckham

2016/17 Antonio Valencia

1997/98 Ryan Giggs

2017/18 David De Gea

1998/99 Roy Keane

2018/19 Luke Shaw

1999/00 Roy Keane

2019/20 Anthony Martial

2000/01 Teddy Sheringham

2020/21 Luke Shaw

2006/07 Cristiano Ronaldo

Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 181

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

WOMEN’S TEAM

Toone and Russo pick up the campaign’s prizes

lla Toone’s impressive 2021/22 season was recognised as she was crowned Manchester United Women’s Player of the Year. The Tyldesley-born player missed just one of the side’s 30 games across all competitions, becoming the first player to reach 100 appearances for the club, in April’s meeting with Brighton, and chipped in with nine goals this term. In December 2021, she was named Women’s Super League Player of the Month for the second time in her career, and her eight assists was the joint-highest in the WSL, alongside Arsenal duo Beth Mead and Vivianne Miedema. “I’m over the moon to win this award,” said Toone. “Thank you to everyone for the support.” The no.7 has been a key figure ever since the side was formed back in 2018, and currently has 41 goals in 103 games for United – both record totals. Further personal success came with the PFA WSL Fans’ Player of the Month award in October after a lightning start to the campaign, as well as a deserved nomination for the PFA Young Player of the Year prize. Toone has also started to become an important player at international level for England, with 10 goals from her 13 caps by the end of the campaign, including hat-tricks against Latvia and North Macedonia, and she was named in the squad for the 2022 European Championship. As for the Players’ Player of the Year trophy, the Reds squad chose Alessia Russo as their top performer and inaugural winner of the award after an impressive renaissance over the past term. Having missed

virtually all of the previous season due to injury, Russo this time around appeared in every game – the only player to do so – and was United’s top scorer with 11 goals, including nine in the WSL. Among her most notable strikes was a sublime solo effort away to Tottenham – the WSL Goal of the Month for November – as well as a famous headed winner at Arsenal in

Manchester United Women Player of the Year, Ella Toone

PREVIOUS MUW POTY WINNERS 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21

Katie Zelem Hayley Ladd Ona Batlle

182 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

Players’ Player of the Year, Alessia Russo

the Continental League Cup quarter-finals. Alessia was also on target away to the Gunners in the league shortly afterwards, and added two more headers against Everton to clinch a landmark win in the first United Women game played in front of an Old Trafford crowd. Russo was PFA WSL Fans’ Player of the Month back in December, and was nominated for the PFA WSL Fans’ Player of the Year prize too. Like Toone, she was named in the Euro 2022 squad, having hit the fastest hat-trick by any England player, man or woman, when she clocked an 11-minute treble against Latvia in November with her first international goals.

ACADEMY

Standout seasons for Fernandez and Garnacho

panish youngster Alvaro Fernandez’s strong season for the Under-23s earned him the 2021/22 Denzil Haroun Reserve Team Player of the Year award. It was the perfect way to top off a stellar campaign that had also included being named on the bench for each of the Reds’ final four Premier League fixtures. “It is an honour to win this award,” he said after receiving the trophy from Head of Academy Nick Cox and club captain Harry Maguire ahead of the FA Youth Cup final at Old Trafford. “Thanks to the support of my team-mates and my coaches. The support that this club gives me from the first day I joined.

Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year. Garnacho scored seven goals to help the Reds win the FA Youth Cup for the 11th time, including a brace in the 3-1 win over Nottingham Forest in the final, much to the delight of the home fans within the 67,492 crowd at Old Trafford. He also made his first-team debut as a late substitute against Chelsea in April, featuring from the bench

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

again on the last day away to Crystal Palace. ‘If at the beginning of the season you tell me everything that has happened to me...’ he posted on social media at the end of the campaign. ‘A season to remember.’ Cox said: “Alejandro has had a fantastic season and really deserves this recognition. There have been a number of Under-18s players who have performed exceptionally well throughout the year... so this was not an easy decision to make. “He has adapted extremely well to life in Manchester and continues to improve on the pitch every day. He remains grounded considering all he’s achieved this year and we know that he will continue to grow.”

“THIS AWARD IS A SOURCE OF PRIDE FOR ME AND MY FAMILY... NOW I KEEP WORKING” – FERNANDEZ “I arrived in England two seasons ago and this award is very important and a source of pride for me and my family. Now I keep working… there is a long way to go.” Cox was full of praise for Fernandez, noting: “Alvaro has been a standout performer from a really strong group of players within our Under-23s. He has consistently risen to the various challenges that have been put in front of him and should be very proud of how he has adapted to English football.” It was another Spanish-speaking starlet who picked up prize at Under-18 level, as Madrid-born Argentina youth international Alejandro Garnacho was named

Fernandez (left) and Garnacho pose with their awards and the Youth Cup trophy in May

BACK TO CONTENTS

Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 183

THE ACADEMY

Player development will always be the priority of the club’s Academy, and so many young talents raised their game further in 2021/22 – with a lucky few experiencing a famous cup success at Old Trafford

GLORIOUS FINALE Cup triumph at Old Trafford caps memorable end to campaign for U18s

he young Reds brought home an 11th FA Youth Cup to Manchester United after a stellar campaign including five fantastic games hosted at Old Trafford. Rhys Bennett’s early header, from a cute Sam Murray cross, and Alejandro Garnacho’s second-half double secured a 3-1 victory over Nottingham Forest in the final. A record-breaking 67,492-strong

crowd, including thousands of travelling Forest supporters, watched on from the stands, contributing to an atmosphere truly befitting of any cup final. Penning an open letter to fans the morning after the game, Nick Cox, United’s Head of Academy said: “The passion and atmosphere last night will stay with this group forever and stand every single one of our

The U18s line up for the Youth Cup final (back row, left-right): Radek Vitek, Alejandro Garnacho, Louis Jackson, Sam Mather, Kobbie Mainoo, Charlie McNeill, Rhys Bennett; (front row) Marc Jurado, Sam Murray, Daniel Gore, Isak Hansen-Aaroen

186 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

players in great stead for the remainder of their careers. We have to thank you for that.” It was a wonderful and memorable May occasion in M16, a much-needed respite to a difficult first-team campaign. More than that, though, it was a just reward for the hard work of everyone involved in the Under-18s’ development in recent years. It was for that reason

UNDER-18S

“THE PASSION AND ATMOSPHERE WILL STAY WITH THIS GROUP FOREVER AND STAND EVERY SINGLE ONE OF OUR PLAYERS IN GREAT STEAD FOR THEIR CAREERS” – HEAD OF ACADEMY NICK COX Manchester United 2020/21 Yearbook 201

UNDER-18S

that, as well as all Academy staff, parents and players, several guests were invited back to Old Trafford, including Nicky Butt, Michael Carrick, Kieran McKenna, Paul McGuinness, Les Kershaw and Mike Glennie, who all played a significant role in the youth-team set-up in the past. Captain Bennett, a local lad, described winning as “the best feeling I’ve ever had in my life” after

belly-sliding in front of a raucous Stretford End. “It’s stuff I’ve dreamt of since being a kid,” he said. The team’s lead coach Travis Binnion, in his first season in the role, remarked: “I knew this football club was special, but we’ve been blown away tonight.” United’s Youth Cup run began in December with a 4-2 home win over Scunthorpe United, lit up by an acrobatic strike from Garnacho, who would finish as

“IT’S STUFF I’VE DREAMT OF SINCE BEING A KID. I KNEW THIS CLUB WAS SPECIAL, BUT WE’VE BEEN BLOWN AWAY TONIGHT” – RHYS BENNETT

WATCH! Click here to relive the Youth Cup final drama at a packed Old Trafford

The Youth Cup final was played in front of the biggest crowd in the competition’s 70-year history

188 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

the competition’s top goalscorer, with seven goals. After Christmas, clinical conversion proved the difference in a 3-1 away win at Reading. Everton and Leicester City then both went ahead at Old Trafford, but the young Reds came from behind on both occasions before dominating Wolves in the semi-final and winning 3-0. Victory in the final sparked jubilant celebrations, but for those involved in the achievement, the work continues. United’s young players spoke of how this will drive them on to more success, and many of those who started the final are still eligible for next season’s competition, eager to go again. Meanwhile, Binnion’s side finished third in the U18 Premier League North. While the Youth Cup provided

UNDER-18S

U18 PREMIER LEAGUE NORTH TABLE Top scorer Manni Norkett ended 2021/22 with 14 goals

Team 1 Man City

26 19 4

some pressure to win in front of crowds, the league was certainly approached with a developmentfocused attitude. Starting line-ups were deliberately inconsistent, with coaches keen to test the young Reds by letting them play with different team-mates and operate in a variety of positions and environments. The league campaign began with heavy defeats to rivals Manchester City and Liverpool, but results picked up quickly and United were not beaten again until December. Manni Norkett led the scoring – with Charlie McNeill often involved with the Under-23s – and was well-supported by Joe Hugill, as well as midfielders Sam Mather, Kobbie Mainoo and Dan Gore. The unbeaten run was ended at Everton’s Finch Farm where the Toffees used the windy conditions more effectively to down United 3-0. Binnion was unimpressed with the display, calling it a ‘fair result’ and admitting that “the quality wasn’t there to say we deserved anything from the game”. When the league campaign resumed after a lengthy winter break, with another fixture against Everton, Binnion got more of what he was looking for in a 4-2 win. “We were at it this time,” he said. “We approached this the right way and should have scored a lot more goals. I was really happy with the application of the lads.”

Defender Sam Murray made the most starts in 2021/22

Post-Christmas, the application of United’s side could never be questioned. Youth Cup victories spurred the team on in matches and in training, where the intensity and competitiveness grew each week. A busy league schedule provided contrasting results aplenty, with another disappointing wide margin of defeat to City, an eye-catching 5-5 draw at Liverpool, a 4-1 triumph over Leeds and a defeat by the same scoreline to Blackburn Rovers. In March and April in particular, fixtures came in quick succession, including two in two days at the end of the latter month, which provided a unique challenge for both players and staff. The U18 Premier League Cup saw United win two of three group-stage games, with several U16s getting a taste of football a level up, such as Zach Giggs, Ruben Curley, Finley McAllister, Malachi Sharpe and James Nolan. Some of those players will be involved next season as the Reds look to mirror this season’s great success. Progress has been represented in different ways with each player, whether it’s a first-team debut (Garnacho), improved leadership and language skills (Marc Jurado) or a return from long-term injury (Marcus Lawrence), but after the highs of this season, there’s no doubt United’s young Reds will be raring to go again in 2022/23.

A PTS

2 Liverpool

26 16 3

7 85 45 51

3 UNITED

26 11

6 58 47 42

4 Nottm Forest

26 12 6

8 36 32 42

5 Blackburn

5 10 56 38 38

6 Middlesbrough 26 10 8

U18s coach Travis Binnion was proud of his team’s progress across the campaign

3 87 26 61

8 38 45 38

7 Burnley

26 10 6 10 40 44 36

8 Wolves

26 10 6 10 41 46 36

9 Leeds

10 Everton

11 Sunderland

5 13 39 48 29

12 Derby

6 13 31 62 27

13 Stoke

4 16 33 56 22

14 Newcastle

8 15 27 69 17

7 10 66 70 34 11 28 37 31

U18 APPEARANCES/GOALS (ALL COMPS) PLAYER

APPS

GOALS

Sam Murray

26(4)

Marc Jurado

25(2)

Sam Mather

24(7)

Kobbie Mainoo

23(3)

Maxi Oyedele

21(9)

Dan Gore

20(7)

Manni Norkett

20(7)

Sonny Aljofree

19(6)

Ethan Ennis

19(4)

Rhys Bennett

19(2)

Tyler Fredricson

17(2)

Radek Vitek

Omari Forson

16(4)

Alejandro Garnacho

16(1)

Joe Hugill

14(4)

Isak Hansen-Aaroen

12(1)

Willy Kambwala

11(3)

Charlie McNeill

10(4)

Logan Pye

10(3)

Tom Wooster

Eric Hanbury

Louis Jackson

8(1)

Habeeb Ogunneye

6(4)

Finlay McAllister

5(1)

Marcus Lawrence

4(1)

Malachi Sharpe Ruben Curley Jack Moorhouse

3(1)

James Nolan

1(6)

Toby Collyer

1(2)

Harrison Parker

1(1)

Adam Berry

0(5)

Zach Giggs

0(1)

Ethan Wheatley

0(1)

Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 189

UNDER-18S

UNDER-18 LINE-UPS The team and scorer info for every fixture U18 PREMIER LEAGUE NORTH MANCHESTER CITY 3 (Barrington 32, Lewis 35, Tshisanga Ndala 77) UNITED 0 14 August 2021 United: Vitek; Jurado, Jackson, Pye, Murray (Fredricson 82); Mainoo, McAllister; Sharpe (Berry 77), Mather, Garnacho; Norkett (Ogunneye 59) UNITED 0 LIVERPOOL 5 (Cannonier 11, 61, 66, Stephenson 32, McLaughlin-Miles 74) 21 August 2021 United: Vitek; Jurado, Jackson, Fredricson (Oyedele 57), Pye; Mainoo, McAllister (Bennett 57); Sharpe, Mather, Garnacho (Gore 67); Norkett LEEDS 0 UNITED 3 (Gore 13, Mather 23, Mainoo 90+6) 28 August 2021 United: Hanbury; Jurado, Bennett (Aljofree 71), Fredericson, Murray; Mainoo, McAllister; Ennis (Oyedele 46), Gore (Nolan 69), Mather; Norkett UNITED 4 (Jurado 29, Norkett 38, 80, Garnacho 90+2) STOKE 2 (Tezgel pen 20, 90+1) 25 September 2021 United: Vitek; Jurado, Kambwala (Bennett 61), Aljofree, Murray; Oyedele, Mainoo; Garnacho, Gore, Mather; Norkett NEWCASTLE 0 UNITED 5 (Hugill 5, 45, 67, Mather 46, Murray 89) 2 October 2021 United: Vitek; Jurado, Fredricson, Kambwala, Murray (Oyedele 20); Gore, Mainoo; Hansen-Aaroen (Ogunneye 190 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

56), Mather, Garnacho (Norkett 56); Hugill UNITED 3 (Murray 23, Norkett pen 28, Mainoo 81) MIDDLESBROUGH 3 (Finch pen 5, Whelan 21, Stott 24) 7 October 2021 United: Hanbury; Bennett, Kambwala, Aljofree (Jurado 62), Ogunneye (Nolan 73), Murray; Oyedele, McAllister (Ennis 61), Mainoo; Sharpe, Norkett DERBY 2 (Dixon 10, 51) UNITED 2 (Norkett pen 77, Ennis 88) 30 October 2021 United: Vitek; Ogunneye (Nolan 75), Bennett, Fredricson, Murray; Forson (Kambwala 62), Oyedele; Ennis, Mather, Garnacho, Norkett NOTTINGHAM FOREST 0 UNITED 2 (Norkett 32, Mather 71) 6 November 2021 United: Vitek; Ogunneye, Aljofree, Fredricson, Murray; Oyedele, Gore; Mather, Forson (Berry 90+4), Moorhouse (Nolan 78); Norkett BURNLEY 2 (Ratchford 48, Bauress 89) UNITED 2 (Moorhouse 39, Norkett 76) 20 November 2021 United: Vitek; Ogunneye, Aljofree, Fredricson, Bennett; Oyedele, Gore; Ennis, Moorhouse (Mainoo 61), Mather; Norkett EVERTON 3 (Lawrence 45+2, Okoronkwo 69, Sherif 73) UNITED 0 4 December 2021 United: Vitek; Jurado, Bennett (Ogunneye 79), Fredricson, Murray; Moorhouse (Aljofree 62), Oyedele, Mainoo; Ennis, Norkett, Mather (Berry 85) UNITED 4 (Aljofree 7, Garnacho 21, Hugill 53, 67) EVERTON 2 (Lawrence 41, Okoronkwo 51) 22 January 2022 United: Wooster; Kambwala, Aljofree, Bennett; Jurado, Mainoo, Gore, Murray (Pye 63); Garnacho (Mather 73); Hugill, Ennis (Norkett 63) UNITED 1 (Norkett 7) MANCHESTER CITY 5 (O’Reilly 11, Borges 31, 45+5, 79, Breckin 74) 5 March 2022

United: Wooster; Kambwala, Aljofree, Jackson; Ennis (Gore 60), HansenAaroen, Oyedele, Murray (Mather 69); Forson; Hugill (Mainoo 59), Norkett LIVERPOOL 5 (Jonas 14, Blair 33, Clark 51, 76, Cannonier 63) UNITED 5 (Ennis 45+2, 81, Kambwala 69, Hugill 70, 89) 12 March 2022 United: Hanbury; Ogunneye, Kambwala, Bennett, Pye (Murray 65); Ennis, Mainoo, Oyedele, Forson (Gore 66); Hugill, Norkett (Mather 71) UNITED 4 (Hugill 10, Ennis 28, 47, Forson 31) LEEDS 1 (Thomas 3) 19 March 2022 United: Wooster; Jurado, Kambwala, Fredricson, Murray; Gore, Oyedele; Mather, Mainoo (Forson 16), Ennis (Pye 65), Hugill (Norkett 69) SUNDERLAND 0 UNITED 1 (Ennis 40) 24 March 2022 United: Hanbury; Kambwala, Bennett, Aljofree, Pye (Murray 61); Forson, Jurado, McAllister (Curly 45), Ennis; Norkett (Lawrence 61), Hugill BLACKBURN 4 (Wood 10, 73, Biniek 71, Leonard 85) UNITED 1 (Hugill 24) 29 March 2022 United: Wooster; Lawrence (McAllister 29), Kambwala (Parker 74), Aljofree, Murray; Jurado; Ennis, Oyedele, Curly (Wheatley 61), Forson; Hugill MIDDLESBROUGH 1 (Matthews 17) UNITED 1 (Hugill 23) 2 April 2022 ↓ United: Vitek; Jurado (Kambwala 70), Bennett, Fredricson, Murray; Gore, Mainoo, Hansen-Aaroen (Oyedele 45); Forson, Hugill, Ennis (Mather 63)

UNDER-18S WOLVES 2 (Fraser 49, 53) UNITED 2 (McNeill 77, 90+1) 27 April 2022 United: Wooster; Lawrence (Nolan 62), Jurado, Aljofree, Pye; Curly, Oyedele (Collyer 75); Ennis (Berry 62), Hansen-Aaroen, Mather; McNeill

UNITED 1 (Ennis 4) SUNDERLAND 1 (Watson 50) 5 April 2022 ↑ United: Hanbury; Jurado, Kambwala (Hugill 45), Aljofree, Pye; Gore, Oyedele; Ennis (Mainoo 59), Mather, Forson (Fredricson 59); Norkett STOKE 2 (Lowe 10, Okagbue 16) UNITED 3 (Laird og 35, Ennis 61, Oyedele 90+1) 9 April 2022 United: Vitek; Jurado, Bennett, Aljofree, Pye; Gore (Murray 30), Oyedele; Ennis (McNeill 62), Norkett (Forson 62), Hugill, Mather UNITED 2 (Ennis 43, McNeill 47) WOLVES 0 12 April 2022 United: Hanbury; Jurado, Pye, Aljofree, Murray; Oyedele, Mather, Forson, Ennis (Hansen-Aaroen 60); Hugill (Norkett 60), McNeill UNITED 0 BURNLEY 1 (McCullough 24) 19 April 2022 United: Hanbury; Jurado, Bennett, Aljofree, Murray; Hansen-Aaroen, Oyedele (Gore 70); Mather, Forson, Ennis (Norkett 70); Hugill (McNeill 65) UNITED 6 (Forson 15, 54, Mather 48, Hugill 64, 78, Ennis 88) NEWCASTLE 0 23 April 2022 United: Wooster; Jurado, Fredricson, Aljofree, Pye; Mainoo (Oyedele 62), Gore; Forson (Ennis 70), HansenAaroen (Hugill 62), Mather, McNeill UNITED 2 (Ogunneye 11, Forson pen 86) BLACKBURN 2 (Duru 18, Vitek og 83) 26 April 2022 United: Vitek; Ogunneye (Nolan 62), Bennett, Jackson, Murray; Gore, Mainoo; Forson, Hugill, Garnacho (Berry 62); Norkett

UNITED 3 (Norkett 21, McNeill 65, Mather 84) DERBY 0 30 April 2022 United: Wooster; Lawrence, Aljofree, Jackson, Murray; Mainoo, Oyedele; Norkett (McNeill 59), Forson (Mather 59), Ennis; Hugill (Collyer 59) UNITED 1 (Norkett 46) NOTTINGHAM FOREST (Taylor 34) 14 May 2022 United: Wooster; Nolan, Parker, Aljofree, Pye (Jurado 33), Curly (Mather 71), Collyer (Gore 45), Oyedele; Forson, Norkett, Hugill FA YOUTH CUP UNITED 4 (Mather 13, Garnacho 26, Oyedele 48, McNeill 53) SCUNTHORPE 2 (Lewis 38, Robertson 63) 13 December 2021 United: Vitek; Jurado, Fredricson, Jackson, Murray; Oyedele (Gore 67), Mainoo, Mather, Hansen-Aaroen, Garnacho (Ennis 76); McNeill (Norkett 82) READING 1 (Greaver 82) UNITED 3 (Mainoo 24, Mather 37, McNeill 38) 13 January 2022 United: Vitek; Jurado, Jackson, Fredricson, Murray; Oyedele (Pye 85), Mainoo (Gore 74); Mather, HansenAaroen, Garnacho (Ennis 62); McNeill UNITED 4 (McNeill pen 13, Mainoo 28, Mather 64, Garnacho 89) EVERTON (Okoronkwo 12) 9 February 2022 United: Vitek; Jurado, Fredricson, Bennett, Pye (Murray 60); Mainoo, Gore; Mather (Aljofree 82), Forson (Oyedele 71), Garnacho, McNeill UNITED 2 (Garnacho 41, 89) LEICESTER 1 (Popov 29) 24 February 2022 United: Vitek; Jurado, Bennett, Fredricson, Murray; Gore, Mainoo; Mather

(Norkett 81), Hansen-Aaroen (Oyedele 66), Garnacho (Aljofree 90); McNeill UNITED 3 (McNeill 16, 89, Garnacho 59) WOLVES 0 9 March 2022 United: Vitek; Jurado, Bennett, Fredricson, Murray; Mainoo, Gore; Mather (Oyedele 63), Hansen-Aaroen (Forson 91), Garnacho; McNeill (Hugill 91) UNITED 3 (Bennett 13, Garnacho pen 78, 90+4) NOTTINGHAM FOREST 1 (Powell 43) 11 May 2022 United: Vitek; Jurado, Bennett, Jackson, Murray; Mainoo, Gore; Mather (Aljofree 86), Hansen-Aaroen (Oyedele 64), Garnacho; McNeill (Hugill 64) U18 PREMIER LEAGUE CUP BIRMINGHAM 2 (Wakefield 14, Manton 49) UNITED 8 (Mather 13, Norkett 21, 22, 35, 88, Garnacho 72, 74, Sharpe 80) 18 September 2021 United: Hanbury; Jurado, Bennett, Fredricson, Murray; Gore (Kambwala 70), Mainoo (Aljofree 76); Sharpe, Garnacho, Mather; Norkett UNITED 4 (Bennett 21, Hansen-Aaroen 33, McNeill 89, Oyedele 90+5) WOLVES 2 (McLeod pen 54, Roberts 86) 23 October 2021 United: Hanbury; Bennett, Kambwala, Aljofree, Murray; Gore (Giggs 90+6), Oyedele; Ennis, Hansen-Aaroen, Garnacho; McNeill WEST BROM 2 (Oliver 66, Cleary 83) UNITED 0 27 January 2022 United: Wooster; Lawrence (Forson 60), Aljofree, Fredricson, Murray; Gore, Mainoo, Curley (Jackson 45), Mather; Norkett, Ennis (Garnacho 63) CHELSEA 3 (Stutter 54, Mothersille 76, Thomas 78) UNITED 2 (Garnacho 23, Norkett pen 47) 12 February 2022 United: Wooster; Jurado, Bennett, Aljofree, Murray; Mainoo, Oyedele; Gore (Ogunneye 83), Forson, Garnacho (Mather 58); Norkett Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 191

U18s ROLL CALL

2022/23 ROLL CALL The roster of those who will represent the Reds in the next U18 campaign

• Sonny Aljofree

• Tom Wooster

• Maxi Oyedele

SECOND YEARS PLAYER

Sonny Aljofree Ethan Ennis Tyler Fredricson Daniel Gore Eric Hanbury Marcus Lawrence Kobbie Mainoo Sam Mather Sam Murray Manni Norkett Maxi Oyedele Tom Wooster

POSITION

Defender Forward Defender Midfielder Goalkeeper Defender Midfielder Midfielder Defender Forward Defender Goalkeeper

• Ethan Ennis 192 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

DOB

19.12.04 11.12.04 23.02.05 26.09.04 25.10.04 24.06.05 19.04.05 03.09.04 25.09.04 30.10.04 07.11.04 30.03.05

• Marcus Lawrence

PLACE OF BIRTH

Plymouth Runcorn Stockport Manchester The Hague Manchester Stockport Salford Manchester Nottingham Manchester Sheffield

• Tyler Fredricson

DATE SIGNED

July 2021 July 2021 July 2021 July 2021 July 2021 July 2021 July 2021 July 2021 July 2021 July 2021 July 2021 July 2021

U18s ROLL CALL

• Daniel Gore

• Louis Jackson

• Ruben Curley

• James Nolan

FIRST YEARS PLAYER

Adam Berry Ruben Curley Elyh Harrison Louis Jackson Jack Kingdon Finley McAllister Ashton Missin Jack Moorhouse Thomas Myles James Nolan Habeeb Ogunneye Malachi Sharpe Ethan Wheatley Ethan Williams

POSITION

Forward Midfielder Goalkeeper Defender Defender Midfielder Forward Midfielder Goalkeeper Defender Defender Forward Forward Midfielder

DOB

09.01.06 05.09.05 19.02.06 18.09.05 16.11.05 16.07.06 15.08.06 29.11.05 17.11.05 02.10.05 12.11.05 20.11.05 20.01.06 14.11.05

PLACE OF BIRTH

Ashton-Under-Lyne Manchester Milford Haven Oldham Bolton Salford Halifax Manchester Preston Chorley London Nottingham Stockport Manchester

DATE SIGNED

July 2022 July 2022 July 2022 July 2022 July 2022 July 2022 July 2022 July 2022 July 2022 July 2022 July 2022 July 2022 July 2022 July 2022

Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 193

ALL-ACTION ENCOUNTERS A host of teenage talents step up to challenge themselves at higher levels

cross three competitions, a full 40 Academy players earned experience of Under-19 football and above in 2021/22. At no level of the club was the relaxing of Covid-19 restrictions more crucial, with the UEFA Youth League’s restart heralding a run to the quarters and the young Reds competing in front of crowds in the Papa John’s Trophy (EFL Trophy). A select few were also rewarded for their development with first-team opportunities, both training and playing. With several senior Academy players – including Di’Shon Bernard, James Garner, Dylan Levitt, Ethan Galbraith and Ethan Laird – enjoying loan moves away from the club, it was another young Under-23s squad for United, as it has been for some seasons now. The team that defeated Bradford City in the EFL Trophy, for example, included six 18-year-olds and two 17-year-olds. Such a young side led to an inconsistent start. It took five Premier League 2 games to get a victory, although the four preceding games were close and often even. After the first win – secured by Zidane Iqbal’s last-minute goal against Brighton – a significant 3-0 triumph over Bradford followed. The EFL Trophy brought three entertaining games and invaluable experience. Bradford was certainly the highlight. After a tight first half, Charlie Savage opened the scoring before Joe Hugill doubled the lead from close range and the impactful 194 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

Dillon Hoogewerf added an impressive third. In the opening group-stage game, against Lincoln City, Anthony Scully’s hat-trick for the Imps set a hard challenge for Neil Wood’s United side. They stepped up, forcing a dramatic ending with goals from Charlie McNeill and Bjorn Hardley. Defeat in the final match against Sunderland, despite an even encounter and another Iqbal goal, meant United progressed no further. “If you take the first six months of the season,” lead coach Neil Wood reviewed, “we were almost on a two-game-a-week programme. “The lads were playing an U18s or U23s game on the weekend, and then we had a midweek game in between, either the UEFA Youth

League or Papa John’s. It was really packed.” That led to a wide variety of players getting experience, with younger talents stepping up, such as Alejandro Garnacho, Isak Hansen-Aaroen, Marc Jurado, Kobbie Mainoo, Sam Mather and Manni Norkett. At times, the side’s youthful nature contributed to some heavy defeats, none more hurtful than a 6-0 loss at West Ham. “We play open football, we don’t just want to camp in, be defensive, sit in and get a 0-0,” Justin Cochrane, head of player development, explained. “The way this club plays football is with action, with open games and overall, we’ve done well.”

The Reds celebrate taking the lead in the 3-0 win over Everton at Old Trafford in March

U23S/U19S

U23/U19 APPEARANCES/GOALS (ALL COMPS) PLAYER Alvaro Fernandez Bjorn Hardley Shola Shoretire

Team

25(3)

Charlie Savage

23(5)

Zidane Iqbal

20(5)

Charlie McNeill

14(6)

D’Mani Mellor

Marc Jurado

13(3)

Alejandro Garnacho

Elanga stepping up to the first team. A 3-1 victory over West Ham was satisfying for players and staff alike after the rout earlier in the season. That game was part of a much better run of form that brought the season to an end, although disappointment was present in the Youth League. Borussia Dortmund triumphed in the quarter-finals on penalties after a tight game. Rhys Bennett had equalised late on for United and the young Reds were left particularly frustrated when McNeill was fouled in the area in the closing seconds, only for the referee to surprisingly wave the claims away. The team moved on and many of the players enjoyed FA Youth Cup success, with others thriving on the Old Trafford pitch, where three matches were played, against Everton (3-0), Chelsea (1-0) and Arsenal (1-1). Alvaro Fernandez was named Player of the Year after a fine campaign at left-back, but so many of the squad caught the eye.

29(1)

Charlie Wellens

Hannibal

Defeat to the Irons was bad, but in the context of the season, it provided a crucial learning experience. Fewer competitions are better in that regard than the UEFA Youth League. Despite conceding four to Villarreal at home, United topped the group comfortably thanks to some brilliant wins – away to the Spanish side, as well as against Young Boys and Atalanta. Covid-19 had prevented the UEFA Youth League from running in 2020/21, denying this age group a much-needed variety of opponents. “In our normal programme, our boys become really familiar with the opposition,” Nick Cox, Head of Academy, said. “Some of our boys have played the same opponents since they were nine. So what happens in the Youth League is you see some conundrums you’ve never faced before. The boys have to work it out quickly, and you learn from that.” As well as in-game learnings, the challenge of travelling on short trips to Europe is a key one, too. “You’re in and you’re out on those trips,” Cochrane said. “It’s a fantastic developer. When we went to Villarreal, we had a training session at a really high level. Things were sharp and I said, ‘We’ve got some good players here’. We played Villarreal the next day and we didn’t start right, but we turned up in the second half and won 2-1. It was really impressive.” A buzz permeated through the squad after that game, and the team grew over the season despite senior players such as Matej Kovar and Teden Mengi leaving on loan in January, as well as Anthony

GOALS

Martin Svidersky

Teden Mengi

Young Reds applaud the crowd in Spain after a thrilling victory over Villarreal in the UEFA Youth League

APPS

12(8)

Will Fish

Matej Kovar

Isak Hansen-Aaroen

11(5)

Joe Hugill

10(3)

Anthony Elanga

Noam Emeran

9(7)

Ondrej Mastny

Radek Vitek

Dillon Hoogewerf

6(9)

Rhys Bennett

6(3)

Sam Mather

5(7)

Paul McShane

5(1)

Kobbie Mainoo

3(5)

Omari Forson

3(2)

Dermot Mee

3(1)

Phil Jones

Amad

Dean Henderson

Joseph Olowu

Maxi Oyedele

1(1)

Tyler Fredricson

Tom Heaton

Willy Kambwala

Dylan Levitt

Sam Murray Dan Gore

0(5)

Mateo Mejia

0(3)

Manni Norkett

0(3)

DIVISION ONE TABLE

Connor Stanley

0(3)

Sonny Aljofree

0(1)

Ethan Ennis

0(1)

Habeeb Ogunneye

0(1)

1 Man City

24 17

2 79 30 56

2 Chelsea

24 12 6

6 50 36 42

3 Tottenham

8 45 44 38

4 Blackburn

24 10 7

7 48 41

5 Everton

24 10 6

8 44 28 36

6 Derby

PTS

3 10 43 49 36

7 Liverpool

24 10 5

8 UNITED

24 10 4 10 58 59 34

9 48 50 35

9 Brighton

10 Arsenal

8 10 37 43 26

8 36 42 30

11 West Ham

6 12 32 48 24

12 Leicester

4 14 41 55 22

13 Southampton 24

4 16 29 65

“IN THE YOUTH LEAGUE YOU SEE CONUNDRUMS YOU’VE NEVER FACED BEFORE. THEY LEARN FROM THAT” – NICK COX Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 195

U23S/U19S

U23/U19 LINE-UPS Every 2021/22 game, in three competitions PREMIER LEAGUE 2 DIVISION ONE UNITED 2 (Mellor 83, McNeill 90+1) LEICESTER 2 (Wakeling 31, McAteer 68) 15 August 2021 United: Kovar; Wellens, McShane, Hardley, Fernandez; Levitt, Iqbal (Hoogewerf 61), Svidersky (Savage 61); Forson (McNeill 67), Shoretire, Mellor CHELSEA 1 (Vale pen 73) UNITED 1 (Fernandez 87) 20 August 2021 United: Kovar (Mee 90); Wellens, Olowu, Hardley, Fernandez; Svidersky, Savage (Garnacho 87); Hoogewerf (Mejia 85), Shoretire, Mellor; McNeill UNITED 2 (Fernandez 40, Hoogewerf 81) MANCHESTER CITY 4 (McAtee 5, 60, 79, Sodje 87) 28 August 2021 United: Kovar; Wellens, Olowu, Hardley, Fernandez; Svidersky, Savage; Shoretire, Hannibal, Iqbal (Hoogewerf 72); Hugill (McNeill 65) ARSENAL 3 (Balogun 1, 40, Patino 90+2) UNITED 1 (Shoretire 63) 11 September 2021 United: Henderson; Wellens, Mengi, Jones, Hardley; Svidersky, Savage; Shoretire (McNeill 77), Hannibal, Iqbal (Mather 68); Hugill UNITED 2 (Elanga pen 43, Iqbal 90+1) BRIGHTON 1 (Tolaj 64) 18 September 2021 United: Henderson; Wellens, Jones, Mengi, Hardley; Savage, Svidersky; Shoretire (McNeill 82), Fernandez; Elanga, Hugill (Iqbal 69) 196 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

EVERTON 0 UNITED 1 (Elanga 3) 24 September 2021 United: Kovar; Wellens, Mengi (McShane 46), Hardley, Fernandez; Savage, Svidersky; Shoretire, Iqbal (Hugill 68), Hoogewerf (Emeran 69); Elanga UNITED 3 (Hardley 21, Elanga 45+1, Shoretire 62) LIVERPOOL 0 2 October 2021 United: Kovar; Wellens, Mengi, Hardley, McShane (Bennett 72), Fernandez (Hoogewerf 90); Savage, Svidersky; Iqbal (McNeill 63), Shoretire; Elanga UNITED 3 (Shoretire 6, Annesley og 49, Elanga 90+4) BLACKBURN 0 16 October 2021 United: Kovar; Jurado, Jones (Hardley 46), Mengi, Fernandez; Iqbal, Wellens; Hoogewerf (Mather 69), Shoretire (Hansen-Aaroen 69), Elanga; McNeill WEST HAM 6 (Oko-Flex pen 5, 45, pen 47, Baptiste 40, Perkins 80, Nevers 89) UNITED 0 23 October 2021 United: Vitek; Jurado, Mengi, Hardley, Fernandez; Svidersky, Wellens; Mather (Hoogewerf 63), Forson (Norkett 75), Elanga; Hugill TOTTENHAM 1 (Markanday 90+2) UNITED 0 30 October 2021 United: Kovar; Jurado, Mengi, Hardley, Wellens; Svidersky, Hansen-Aaroen (Mainoo 84); Amad, Shoretire, Elanga; Hugill (McNeill 66) UNITED 3 (Amad 6, 87, McNeill 33) LEEDS 2 (McGurk 23, Kenneh 70) 6 November 2021 ↓

United: Kovar; Jurado, Mengi, Bennett, Wellens; Svidersky, Mainoo; Amad, Hansen-Aaroen, Elanga; McNeill (Garnacho 73) DERBY 1 (Cybulski 49) UNITED 1 (McNeill 70) 19 November 2021 United: Mee; Jurado (Mather 71), Mengi, Hardley, Fernandez; Svidersky, Hansen-Aaroen (Mainoo 77); Wellens, Hannibal (Savage 71), Garnacho; McNeill UNITED 1 (McNeill 13) CRYSTAL PALACE 2 (Rak-Sakyi 2, Gordon 46) 27 November 2021 United: Heaton; Wellens, Mengi, Hardley, Fernandez; Svidersky (Garnacho 70), Savage; Iqbal, Hansen-Aaroen, Elanga; McNeill (Hoogewerf 83) BLACKBURN 0 UNITED 4 (Garnacho 6, 77, Shoretire 32, Wellens 90+1) 5 December 2021 United: Kovar; Wellens, Mengi, Hardley, Fernandez; Savage, Iqbal; Mellor (Emeran 74), Shoretire (Hoogewerf 87), Garnacho; McNeill UNITED 1 (Shoretire pen 81) TOTTENHAM 1 (Markanday 85) 10 January 2022 United: Kovar; Jurado, Fish, Hardley, Fernandez; Svidersky, Hansen-Aaroen (Savage 61), Iqbal; Shoretire, McNeill (Hugill 70), Garnacho (Mainoo 61) MANCHESTER CITY 3 (McAtee pen 32, Kayky 34, Bobb 38) UNITED 1 (Hugill 68) 15 January 2022 United: Kovar; Wellens (Jurado 46), Fish, Hardley, Fernandez; Savage, Svidersky; Shoretire, Iqbal, Emeran, Hugill BRIGHTON 1 (Leonard 81) UNITED 2 (Mellor 12, 25) 21 January 2022 United: Mastny; Wellens, Fish, Hardley, Fernandez; Savage, Iqbal; Shoretire (Svidersky 70), Hansen-Aaroen, Emeran (Mather 77); Mellor UNITED 3 (Mellor 13, 61, Stanley 88) WEST HAM 1 (Chesters 24) 5 February 2022

U23S/U19S United: Mastny; Wellens, Fish, Hardley, Fernandez; Savage, Svidersky; Shoretire, Hansen-Aaroen (Iqbal 63), Emeran (Stanley 77), Mellor CRYSTAL PALACE 2 (Banks 12, Gordon 29) UNITED 2 (Iqbal 45+2, Fish 90+2) 20 February 2022 United: Mastny; Wellens (Jurado 90+5), Fish, Hardley, Fernandez; Savage, Iqbal, Shoretire, Hannibal, Emeran (Garnacho 64); Mellor UNITED 5 (Fernandez 23, Hannibal pen 63, Emeran 71, Savage 79, Shoretire 87) DERBY 2 (Aghatise 54, Cybulski 90+5) 25 February 2022 United: Mastny; Wellens, Fish, Hardley, Fernandez; Savage (Oyedele 88), Iqbal; Shoretire, Hannibal, Emeran (Stanley 78); Mellor (Norkett 84) LEEDS 3 (McKinstry 12, Dean 61, Gray 71) UNITED 0 15 March 2022 United: Mastny; Wellens, Fish, Hardley, Fernandez; Svidersky (Savage 61), Iqbal (Emeran 62); Shoretire, Hannibal, Garnacho (Hansen-Aaroen 75); Mellor UNITED 3 (Savage 60, Mellor 71, 83) EVERTON 0 18 March 2022 United: Mastny; Wellens, Bennett, Hardley, Fernandez; Savage (Hansen-Aaroen 72), Iqbal (Svidersky 72); Shoretire, Hannibal, Emeran (Garnacho 61); Mellor LEICESTER 3 (Brunt pen 17, Marcal-Madivadua 37, Braybrooke 39) UNITED 2 (Brunt og 49, Mellor 70) 4 April 2022 United: Mastny; Wellens, Fish, Hardley, Fernandez; Savage, Shoretire; Emeran (Gore 77), Hannibal, Garnacho; Mellor UNITED 1 (Garnacho 36) CHELSEA 0 8 April 2022 United: Mastny; Wellens, Svidersky, Hardley, Fish, Fernandez; Iqbal, Shoretire; Emeran (Stanley 85), Mellor, Garnacho (Gore 90+2) UNITED 1 (Emeran 47) ARSENAL 1 (Biereth 29) 22 April 2022 United: Vitek; Wellens, Fish, Bennett,

Fernandez; Savage, Svidersky (Hansen-Aaroen 71), Shoretire, Hannibal, Emeran (Mejia 87); Mellor LIVERPOOL 3 (Shoretire og 5, Williams 33, Bearne 63) UNITED 1 (Garnacho 20) 1 May 2022 United: Vitek; Wellens, McShane, Fish, Svidersky, Fernandez (Emeran 69); Savage, Hannibal (Gore 70); Shoretire, Garnacho (Mejia 69); Mellor UEFA YOUTH LEAGUE (U19) YOUNG BOYS 0 UNITED 1 (Shoretire 14) 14 September 2021 United: Vitek; Jurado, Mengi, Hardley, Fernandez; Savage, Svidersky; Garnacho (Bennett 89), Shoretire, Mather (Iqbal 76); McNeill (Hugill 81) UNITED 1 (Fernandez 72) VILLARREAL 4 (Torrents 5, Pascual 22, Foubert 28, Alonso 45+2) 29 September 2021 United: Vitek; Jurado, Kambwala (Bennett 59), Hardley, Fernandez; Savage (Gore 75), Svidersky (Mainoo 75); Hoogewerf (Mather 58), Shoretire, Garnacho; Hugill (Iqbal 59) UNITED 4 (Iqbal 22, Hugill 24, Garnacho 30, Forson 63) ATALANTA 2 (Panada 20, De Nipoti 90+3) 20 October 2021 United: Vitek; Jurado, Mengi, Hardley, Fernandez; Iqbal (Svidersky 61), Hansen-Aaroen; Garnacho (Hoogewerf 71), Shoretire (Gore 75), Mather (Forson 62); Hugill

BACK TO CONTENTS

UNITED 2 (Garnacho 41, McNeill 80) YOUNG BOYS 1 (De Donno pen 58) 8 December 2021 ↑ United: Mastny; Jurado (Ogunneye 28, (Aljofree 74)), Fredricson, Svidersky, Murray; Hansen-Aaroen, Oyedele, Mainoo; Mather (Hoogewerf 68), McNeill, Garnacho (Ennis 68) UNITED 2 (McNeill 23, Bennett 85) DORTMUND 2 (Bynoe-Gittens 16, 68) (Dortmund win 3-1 on penalties) 1 March 2022 United: Vitek; Jurado, Fish, Bennett, Fernandez; Savage, Iqbal (HansenAaroen 83), Hannibal; Shoretire (Emeran 83), McNeill, Garnacho EFL TROPHY LINCOLN 3 (Scully 23, 32, 57) UNITED 2 (McNeill 68, Hardley 89) 24 August 2021 United: Mee; Wellens, Hardley, Fernandez; Svidersky, Savage; Shoretire, Hannibal, Hoogewerf (Mather 74); Mellor (Iqbal 74), McNeill

ATALANTA 1 (Renault pen 37) UNITED 2 (Shoretire 8, Elanga 23) 2 November 2021 United: Vitek; Jurado, Bennett, Mengi, Fernandez; Svidersky (Mainoo 66), Hansen-Aaroen; Forson (Hoogewerf 65), Shoretire, Elanga; McNeill (Garnacho 81)

BRADFORD 0 UNITED 3 (Savage 47, Hugill 57, Hoogewerf 82) 21 September 2021 United: Kovar; Fernandez, Mengi, McShane, Hardley (Hoogewerf 46); Savage, Svidersky; Wellens, Shoretire, Iqbal (Garnacho 86); Hugill (Emeran 80)

VILLARREAL 1 (Jimenez 34) UNITED 2 (McNeill 62, Mather 85) 23 November 2021 United: Vitek; Jurado, Bennett, Mengi, Hardley (Garnacho 64), Fernandez; Hansen-Aaroen, Hannibal, Mainoo (Savage 64); Elanga, McNeill (Mather 64)

SUNDERLAND 2 (Dyce 50, Wearne 66) UNITED 1 (Iqbal 57) 13 October 2021 United: Mee; Wellens (Jurado 90+2), McShane, Hardley, Fernandez; Hoogewerf (Forson 81), Iqbal, Savage, Mather; McNeill, Hugill (Norkett 80) Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 197

ACADEMY STARLETS SHINE MUW U21s

hat a campaign 2021/22 was for United Women’s Under-21s, as they clinched the FA WSL Academy League National title and the WSL Academy Cup. That knockout success came first, at St George’s Park on 9 March 2022, as they beat Birmingham 4-1 – the goals coming from Alyssa Aherne (2), Rebecca May and Keira Barry. The following month saw them win

MUW U21s

the FA WSL Academy League National title (having qualified for the two-legged play-off by winning the Northern Division), with the Reds beating Southern Division champions Chelsea 3-1 at Altrincham’s Moss Lane in the second leg, and 6-2 on aggregate following a repeat scoreline a week earlier in London. Two more goals from lively forward Barry and a

cracking third from Megan Sofield sealed the silverware in the second leg. A graduate of United’s Academy has featured in every game since the senior women’s team was reformed in 2018, and while the signs are encouraging that some of the latest teenage talents can make the step up, that will never be the sole priority for U21s’ head coach Charlotte Healy. “We don’t hang our success

just on trophies or how many break into the first team,” she says. “We are responsible for making sure they can play at the highest level they can – whether that’s our first team or others. We want all our players to look back at their time in our Academy and feel that being a part of the work we have done has had a positive influence and added value to their lives, on and off the pitch.”

ALL-TIME RECORDS

Manchester United’s statistical history broken down, covering team honours and achievements, as well as individual player records

HONOURS BOARD The full run-down of United’s honours, starting in 1907/08

Skipper Rio Ferdinand and his team-mates lift the Club World Cup trophy in Yokohama in 2008 FIFA CLUB WORLD CUP WINNERS 2008 United 1 LDU Quito 0 INTERCONTINENTAL CUP WINNERS 1999 United 1 Palmeiras 0 EUROPEAN CUP/UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE WINNERS 1968 United 4 Benfica 1 United 2 Bayern Munich 1 1999 2008 United 1 Chelsea 1 (won on pens) EUROPEAN CUP WINNERS’ CUP WINNERS United 2 Barcelona 1 1991

Brian Greenhoff is pursued by ecstatic fans after United seal the Second Division title in 1975

UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE WINNERS United 2 Ajax 0 2017 FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION ONE WINNERS 1908, 1911, 1952, 1956, 1957, 1965, 1967 PREMIER LEAGUE WINNERS 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013 FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION TWO WINNERS 1936, 1975 (continued →)

202 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

Two-goal hero Mark Hughes lifts the Cup Winners’ Cup in Rotterdam, 1991

Zlatan Ibrahimovic celebrates scoring in the 2017 EFL Cup final

FA CHALLENGE CUP WINNERS 1909 United 1 Bristol City 0 1948 United 4 Blackpool 2 1963 United 3 Leicester City 1 1977 United 2 Liverpool 1 1983 United 4 Brighton 0 (replay) 1985 United 1 Everton 0 (aet) 1990 United 1 Crystal Palace 0 (replay) 1994 United 4 Chelsea 0 1996 United 1 Liverpool 0 1999 United 2 Newcastle United 0 2004 United 3 Millwall 0 2016 United 2 Crystal Palace 1 (aet) FOOTBALL LEAGUE CUP WINNERS 1992 United 1 Nottingham Forest 0 2006 United 4 Wigan Athletic 0 2009 United 0 Tottenham 0 (won on pens) 2010 United 2 Aston Villa 1 2017 United 3 Southampton 2 UEFA SUPER CUP WINNERS 1991 United 1 Red Star Belgrade 0 FA CHARITY/COMMUNITY SHIELD WINNERS 1908 United 4 QPR 0 (replay) 1911 United 8 Swindon Town 4 1952 United 4 Newcastle United 2 1956 United 1 Manchester City 0 1957 United 4 Aston Villa 0 1965 United 2 Liverpool 2 (shared) 1967 United 3 Tottenham 3 (shared) United 0 Liverpool 0 (shared) 1977 1983 United 2 Liverpool 0 1990 United 1 Liverpool 1 (shared) 1993 United 1 Arsenal 1 (won on pens) 1994 United 2 Blackburn Rovers 0 1996 United 4 Newcastle United 0 United 1 Chelsea 1 (won on pens) 1997 United 1 Arsenal 1 (won on pens) 2003 United 1 Chelsea 1 (won on pens) 2007 2008 United 0 Portsmouth 0 (won on pens) 2010 United 3 Chelsea 1 2011 United 3 Manchester City 2 2013 United 2 Wigan Athletic 0 2016 United 2 Leicester City 1

Jordi Cruyff and team-mates with the Charity Shield in 1997

ACADEMY HONOURS BOARD FA YOUTH CUP WINNERS 1953 United 9 Wolves 3* 1954 United 5 Wolves 4* 1955 United 7 West Bromwich Albion 1* 1956 United 4 Chesterfield 3* 1957 United 8 West Ham United 2* 1964 United 5 Swindon Town 2* 1992 United 6 Crystal Palace 3* 1995 United 2 (won on pens) Tottenham 2* 2003 United 3 Middlesbrough 1* 2011 United 6 Sheffield United 3* 2022 United 3 Nottingham Forest 1 *Aggregate score over two legs

Young Reds en route to victory in the 2003 Youth Cup final

United youngster Will Keane after scoring in the 2011 Youth Cup final

United’s 1955 FA Youth Cup winning side, with Duncan Edwards (back row, left) and Bobby Charlton (front row, right) among their number

Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 203

MOST APPEARANCES The top 100 list, including a few current Reds

#4 Foulkes

#3 Scholes

#2 Charlton PP

#5 Neville GLS

APP

1. Ryan Giggs 1991-2014 2. Sir Bobby Charlton 1956-73 3. Paul Scholes 1994-2011, 2012-13 4. Bill Foulkes 1952-69 5. Gary Neville 1992-2011 6. Wayne Rooney 2004-17 7. Alex Stepney 1966-78 8. Tony Dunne 1960-73 9. Denis Irwin 1990-2002 10. Joe Spence 1919-33 11. David De Gea 201112. Arthur Albiston 1974-88 13. Roy Keane 1993-2005 14. Brian McClair 1987-98 15. George Best 1963-74 16. Mark Hughes 1983-86, 1988-95

963 758 718 688 602 559 539 535 529 510 487 485 480 471 470 467

NAME

#1 Giggs – thanking the Old Trafford crowd for their support following his final appearance for the club, against Hull City in May 2014

YEARS APPS

204 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

17. Michael Carrick 18. Bryan Robson 19. Martin Buchan 20. Rio Ferdinand 21. Jack Silcock 22. Gary Pallister 23. Jack Rowley 24. Sammy McIlroy 25. Steve Bruce 26. Denis Law 27. Lou Macari 28. Peter Schmeichel 29. Paddy Crerand 30. Steve Coppell 31. Nobby Stiles 32. David Beckham 33. John O’Shea

2006-18 1981-94 1972-82 2002-14 1919-34 1989-98 1937-55 1971-82 1987-96 1962-73 1973-84 1991-99 1963-71 1975-83 1960-71 1992-2003 1999-2011

464 461 456 455 449 437 424 419 414 404 401 398 397 396 395 394 393

34. Allenby Chilton 1946-55 35. Nicky Butt 1992-2004 36. Phil Neville 1995-2005 37. Patrice Evra 2006-14 38. Mike Duxbury 1980-90 39. Gary Bailey 1978-87 40. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer 1996-’07 41. Wes Brown 1998-2011 42. Mikael Silvestre 1999-2008 43. Shay Brennan 1958-70 44. Johnny Carey 1937-53 45. Stan Pearson 1937-53 46. Darren Fletcher 2003-15 47. Antonio Valencia 2009-19 48= Billy Meredith 1907-21 48= David Sadler 1963-73 50. Cristiano Ronaldo ’03-09, ’21-

391 387 386 379 378 375 366 362 361 359 344 343 342 339 335 335 330

d for e

51. Charlie Moore 52. Alfred Steward 53. Chris Smalling 54. Lal Hilditch 55. George Wall 56. Fred Erentz 57. Alex Bell 58. Marcus Rashford 59. Charlie Roberts 60. Ray Bennion 61. Nemanja Vidic 62. Willie Morgan 63. Dennis Viollet 64. Kevin Moran 65. Frank Stapleton 66. Juan Mata 67. John Aston Snr

1919-30 1920-32 2010-19 1919-32 1906-15 1892-1902 1903-13 20161904-13 1921-32 2006-14 1968-75 1953-61 1979-88 1981-87 2014-22 1946-54

328 326 323 322 319 310 309 303 302 301 300 296 293 289 288 285 284

68. Paul Ince 1989-95 69. Roger Byrne 1951-58 70. Johnny Berry 1951-57 71= Henry Cockburn 1946-54 71= Andy Cole 1995-2001 73. Norman Whiteside 1982-89 74. Brian Greenhoff 1973-79 75. George Stacey 1907-15 76. Anthony Martial 2015-present 77= Harry Moger 1903-12 77= Brian Kidd 1967-74 77= Edwin van der Sar 2005-11 80. David Herd 1961-68 81. Lee Sharpe 1988-96 82. Ashley Young 2011-20 83. Walter Cartwright 1895-1904 84. Dick Duckworth 1903-13

281 280 276 275 275 274 271 270 269 266 266 266 265 263 261 257 254

85. Stewart Houston 1974-80 86. Jimmy Nicholl 1975-81 87= Sandy Turnbull 1907-15 87= Harry Gregg 1957-66 89. Clayton Blackmore 1984-93 90. Paul Pogba 2011-12, 2016-22 91. Jesse Lingard 2014-22 92. Nani 2007-14 93= Gordon McQueen 1978-85 93= Phil Jones 201195. Ruud van Nistelrooy 2001-06 96. Luke Shaw 201497. Jack Crompton 1946-55 98. George Vose 1933-39 99. Ray Wood 1949-58 100= John Grimwood 1919-27 100= Ji-sung Park 2005-12

250 248 247 247 245 233 232 230 229 229 219 213 212 209 208 205 205

Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 205

SCORING CHARTS The Reds who found the opposition net time and time again NAME

YEARS GOALS

1. Wayne Rooney 2004-17 2. Sir Bobby Charlton 1956-73 3. Denis Law 1962-73 4. Jack Rowley 1937-55 5= Dennis Viollet 1953-61 1963-74 5= George Best 7= Joe Spence 1919-33 7= Ryan Giggs 1991-2014 9. Mark Hughes 1983-86, ’88-95 10. Paul Scholes 1994-11, ’12-13 11. Ruud van Nistelrooy 2001-06 12. Stan Pearson 1937-53 13. David Herd 1961-68 14. Cristiano Ronaldo ’03-09, 202115. Tommy Taylor 1953-58 1987-98 16. Brian McClair 17. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer 1996-’07 18= Andy Cole 1995-2001 18= Sandy Turnbull 1907-15 20= Joe Cassidy 1893, 1895-1900 1906-15 20= George Wall 22. Bryan Robson 1981-94 23. Lou Macari 1973-84 24. Marcus Rashford 201625. David Beckham 1992-2003 26. Eric Cantona 1992-97 27. Enoch West 1910-15 28. Anthony Martial 201529. Frank Stapleton 1981-87 30. Sammy McIlroy 1971-82 31= Brian Kidd 1967-74 31= Steve Coppell 1975-83 33= Tommy Reid 1929-33 33= Norman Whiteside 1982-89 35=Bob Donaldson 1892-97 35= Stuart Pearson 1974-79 35= Dwight Yorke 1998-2002 38. Charlie Mitten 1946-50 39. Javier Hernandez 2010-15 40=Jack Peddie 1902-07 40=Robin van Persie 2012-15 42. Tommy Bamford 1934-38 43= Harold Halse 1908-12

253 249 237 211 179 179 168 168 163 155 150 148 145 142 131 127 126 121 101 100 100 99 97 93 85 82 80 79 78 71 70 70 67 67 66 66 66 61 59 58 58 57 56

206 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

#1 Rooney breaks Sir Bobby’s record with goal no.250, v Stoke City in January 2017

43=Albert Quixall 1958-63 56 43= Dimitar Berbatov 2008-12 56 46. Harry Rowley 1928-37 55 47. Alex Dawson 1957-61 54 48= Frank McPherson 1923-28 52 48= Jimmy Hanson 1924-29 52 48= Billy Whelan 1955-57 52 51= Gordon Hill 1975-78 51 51= Steve Bruce 1987-96 51 51= Roy Keane 1993-2005 51 51= Juan Mata 2014-22 51 55= Arthur Lochhead 1921-25 50

55= Bruno Fernandes 2020- 50 57. George Mutch 1934-37 49 58= Jack Picken 1905-11 46 58= Teddy Sheringham 1997-2001 46 60= Jimmy Turnbull 1907-10 45 60= Johnny Berry 1951-57 45 62= Billy Bryant 1934-39 42 62= Louis Saha 2004-08 42 62= Romelu Lukaku 2017-19 42 65= Tom Manley 1931-39 41 65= Joe Jordan 1978-81 41 65= Nani 2007-14 41

#3 Law

#5 Viollet

#2 Charlton

#4 Rowley 68= George Anderson 1911-15 68= Paul Pogba 2011-12, 2016-22 70. Gordon Strachan 1984-89 71= Dick Smith 1894-98, 1900 71= John Downie 1949-53 73= Billy Meredith 1907-21 73= Jimmy Greenhoff 1976-80 73= Lee Sharpe 1988-96 73= Andrei Kanchelskis 1991-95 77= Henry Boyd 1897-99 77= Alfred Schofield 1900-06 77= Johnny Morris 1946-49

39 39 38 37 37 36 36 36 36 35 35 35

77= Albert Scanlon 1954-60 35 77= John Connelly 1964-66 35 77= Jesse Lingard 2014-22 35 77= Mason Greenwood 2019- 35 84= Willie Morgan 1968-75 34 84= Carlos Tevez 2007-09 34 86= Willie Bryant 1896-1900 33 86= Tommy Arkesden 1903-06 33 86= Denis Irwin 1990-2002 33 89. Gerry Daly 1973-77 32 90. Colin Webster 1953-58 31 91= Billy Griffiths 1899-1905 30

91= John Aston Snr 1946-54 93= Paul Ince 1989-95 93= Danny Welbeck 2008-14 93= Zlatan Ibrahimovic 2016-17 96= Alf Farman 1890-95 96= Jimmy Delaney 1946-50 96= David Pegg 1952-57 99= Billy Johnston 1927-28, 1931-32 99= Jackie Blanchflower 1951-57 99= David Sadler 1963-73 99= John Aston Jnr 1965-72 99= Ji-sung Park 2005-12

30 29 29 29 28 28 28 27 27 27 27 27

Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 207

BIGGEST VICTORIES Lining up as Newton Heath or United, we’ve won by seven goals or more on 17 occasions

Dennis Viollet (right) scores his fourth in the 10-0 thrashing of Anderlecht in 1956

That’s quite some result on the Old Trafford scoreboard, as recently as February 2021

208 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

GAME

DATE

COMPETITION

Manchester United 10 Anderlecht 0 26 September 1956 Newton Heath 10 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1 15 October 1892 Newton Heath 9 Walsall 0 3 April 1895 Newton Heath 9 Darwen 0 24 December 1898 Manchester United 9 Ipswich Town 0 4 March 1995 Manchester United 9 Southampton 0 2 February 2021 Manchester United 8 Yeovil Town 0 12 February 1949 Manchester United 8 Queens Park Rangers 1 19 March 1969 Nottingham Forest 1 Manchester United 8 6 February 1999 Newton Heath 7 West Manchester 0 12 December 1896 Grimsby Town 0 Newton Heath 7 26 December 1899 Manchester United 7 Accrington Stanley 0 1 November 1902 Manchester United 7 Bradford City 0 2 January 1905 Manchester United 7 Aston Villa 0 8 March 1950 Manchester United 7 Aston Villa 0 24 October 1964 8 April 1970 Manchester United 7 West Bromwich Albion 0 Manchester United 7 Barnsley 0 25 October 1997

European Cup First Division Second Division Second Division Premier League Premier League FA Cup First Division Premier League FA Cup Second Division FA Cup Second Division First Division First Division First Division Premier League

MOST INDIVIDUAL GOALS IN ONE GAME PLAYER

GAME

YEAR

GOALS

Harold Halse George Best Jack Rowley Andy Cole Dimitar Berbatov

United 8 Swindon Town 4 Northampton Town 2 United 8 United 8 Yeovil Town 0 United 9 Ipswich Town 0 United 7 Blackburn Rovers 1

1911 1970 1949 1995 2010

6 6 5 5 5

Best lays waste to Northampton in 1970

Berbatov en route to a five-goal haul against Blackburn in 2010

Six-goal hero Harold Halse (back row, second from left) with the United squad in 1911

WATCH!

Andy Cole grabs the matchball on scoring his third against Ipswich in 1995. He would go on to notch two more in a 9-0 win

See the Reds put nine past Ipswich in a famous league win

Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 209

OTHER RECORDS Notable scoring (and saving) tallies chalked up by United players

Law completes a hat-trick against Dutch side Willem II in October 1963

HAT-TRICK HEROES 1. Denis Law 1962-73 18 (three goals x14, four goals x4) 2. Jack Rowley 1937-55 12 (three goals x8, four goals x3, five goals x1) 3. Dennis Viollet 1953-61 9 (three goals x8, four goals x1) 4. Wayne Rooney 2004-17 8 (three goals x7, four goals x1) 5. Sir Bobby Charlton 1956-73 7 (three goals x7) 6= Joe Cassidy 1893-1895-1900 6 (three goals x6) 6= Tommy Reid 1929-33 6 (three goals x6) 6= Stan Pearson 1937-53 6 (three goals x6) 6= David Herd 1961-68 6 (three goals x5, four goals x1) 6= Ruud van Nistelrooy 2001-06 6 (three goals x5, four goals x1)

The lethal van Nistelrooy nets from the spot once again in February 2002

Rooney’s first hat-trick came on his debut in a United shirt, against Fenerbahce in 2004

210 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

PENALTIES SCORED 1. Ruud van Nistelrooy 2001-06 28 2. Wayne Rooney 2004-17 27 3. Bruno Fernandes 2020- 21 4. Cristiano Ronaldo ’03-09, 2021- 19 5= Albert Quixall 1958-63 18 5= Eric Cantona 1992-97 18 7. Steve Bruce 1987-96 17 8= Charlie Mitten 1946-50 16 8= Gerry Daly 1973-77 16 10. Denis Law 1962-73 15

WATCH!

Enjoy some of Law’s many magical moments as a Reds legend

Clean-sheet king Schmeichel guards his net with care in September 1992

CLEAN SHEETS 1. Peter Schmeichel 2. Alex Stepney 3. David De Gea 4. Gary Bailey 5. Edwin van der Sar 6. Alfred Steward 7. Harry Moger 8. Jack Crompton 9. Ray Wood 10. Frank Barrett

1991-99 1966-78 20111978-87 2005-11 1920-32 1903-12 1946-55 1949-58 1896-1900

180 175 165 161 135 96 92 67 55 54

WOMEN’S TEAM HONOURS BOARD & RECORDS The ever-improving Reds continue to make history for themselves

WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP WINNERS 2019

WOMEN’S TEAM APPEARANCES 1. Ella Toone 201820182. Katie Zelem 3. Kirsty Hanson 201820184. Leah Galton 5. Millie Turner 20186. Mary Earps 20197. Amy Turner 2018-21 8. Jess Sigsworth 2018-21 20199= Jackie Groenen 9= Hayley Ladd 2019-

Current Reds Galton and Russo both feature in the top 10 scorers

WOMEN’S TEAM GOALS 1. Ella Toone 2. Lauren James 3. Katie Zelem 4. Jess Sigsworth 5. Leah Galton 6= Mollie Green 6= Kirsty Hanson 8. Alessia Russo 9. Lizzie Arnot 10. Jane Ross

20182018-21 20182018-21 20182018-19 201820202018-20 2019-21

41 28 27 26 22 16 16 14 9 7

All-time leading goalscorer Ella Toone

Second-highest appearance-maker Katie Zelem

103 99 90 84 83 69 67 66 60 60

BACK TO CONTENTS

Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 211

MANCHESTER UNITED FOUNDATION

It’s been a landmark season for the club’s associated charity, and here we take a close look at the remarkable work undertaken throughout 2021/22 – as well as since its creation back in 2007...

15 YEARS OF CHANGING LIVES The hard work never stops for the club’s Foundation, which continues to use the positive power of football to make a difference to so many young people

he dedication of those involved with Manchester United Foundation in helping young people, both locally and around the world, has long been a source of immense pride for the club, and this past season was a particularly significant milestone, marking 15 years since its inception. “Fifteen years has gone quick,” noted John Shiels MBE, chief executive of the Foundation, as he looked back to where it all began in 2007. “I’m very proud of what we’ve been a part of. It’s organic, it’s evolving, and we’re an optimistic organisation. The main thing to say is that we’re grateful. Grateful that more and more fans are getting involved and can see the power of what we’re doing. Grateful that our partners trust us. Grateful that we can get up every day and know we can change someone’s life for the better.” It’s been some journey, dating back to a special UEFA Celebration Match, played between the Reds and a ‘Europe XI’, held at Old 214 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

FOUNDATION

“THE MAIN THING TO SAY IS THAT WE’RE GRATEFUL; GRATEFUL THAT MORE AND MORE FANS ARE GETTING INVOLVED AND CAN SEE THE POWER OF WHAT WE’RE DOING” – JOHN SHIELS MBE, CHIEF EXECUTIVE

WATCH!

Highlights from a very eventful 2021 for the club’s Foundation

Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 215

FOUNDATION

Trafford on 13 March 2007. This acted as the Foundation’s first-ever fundraising event and generated £1.25 million, very much setting the tone for the efforts that would follow. “It was a learning curve,” former United full-back Denis Irwin, who was a trustee in the early days of the organisation, recalls of that time. “Learning what you can do and what you can’t do... United is a football club and you needed somebody to guide you. What could we donate to? What could we get involved in? I was there at the very start, and when you become a trustee you learn a lot. So it was an eye-opener!” Having started out with four projects, that number has since grown to 97, with millions of pounds raised and tens of thousands of items provided to support external charities. And this past year was no different, with more good causes to help those who need it most. In July 2021, the Foundation teamed up with another club legend to launch Rooney’s Inclusive Reds, partnering with Wayne’s own charity to launch a 10-week course enabling disabled and non-disabled

“THE FOUNDATION BECAME THAT FAMILY I NEEDED”– DEVELOPMENT OFFICER HANNAH MITCHELL participants to play together and learn from each other. That was followed by a £33,000 donation to Sir Bobby Charlton’s Safe Play initiative in Cambodia, allowing local youngsters to play without the fear of unexploded landmines or munitions, and an anti-racism referee workshop at Levenshulme High School for Girls, which also led to the opportunity for paid work in the local leagues. One of the biggest and most admirable contributions in 2021 came around Christmas time, when the Santa’s Red Helpers initiative helped provide 400,000 meals for families in need, as well as funding festive activities and parties for young people at partner schools and

projects across Manchester. The players got involved, too, by wrapping presents, signing items and recording messages for fans and patients at local hospitals. Later in the season, £50,000 was pledged to Unicef’s Children’s Emergency Fund, along with the net proceeds of the Foundation’s matchday lottery, raised during the Old Trafford game against Brentford. That’s all alongside the usual initiatives, such as Street Reds and various coaching sessions, whose participants received surprise visits from Reds past and present, such as Harry Maguire, John O’Shea and Jaap Stam, and even new pairs of boots from Michael Carrick. The Foundation’s exceptional work was recognised during 2021/22, when Manchester United was named Premier League Community Club of the Season at the North West Football Awards. “It gives me great pleasure and immense pride to see the work of Manchester United Foundation staff acknowledged,” said Shiels. “This award, although directed at the Foundation, could not have been

Harry Maguire is just one Red to have been involved in a number of Foundation events throughout his time with the club

From food deliveries during lockdown...

... to continued educational sessions...

... John Shiels couldn’t be prouder of everyone connected to the charity

194 Manchester 216 ManchesterUnited United2021/22 2020/21Yearbook Yearbook

FOUNDATION

achieved without the help and support of the many agencies we work with on a day-to-day basis; together we were able to temper some of the distress our children and families found themselves in.” And it’s not just those receiving help from the Foundation who have benefited, with the Foundation staff too feeling the hugely positive impact of getting involved in such a worthy cause. “It kind of saved my life,” admits female development officer Hannah Mitchell as she looks back on her time with the club’s associated charity. “I wasn’t the best in school; I really struggled. Being involved with the Foundation put me on the straight and narrow. They intervened and worked with me, so that I actually got through school and did well. They used football as the tool: if I didn’t do well in school I couldn’t play. It changed my life, because of the path I was going down. It became that family that I needed.” A big congratulations to everyone at Manchester United Foundation on so much brilliant work and success so far – and here’s to the next 15 years!

FUNDRAISER AT THE THEATRE

Legends of the North fixture brings nearly 50,000 fans to Old Trafford in May

One of the biggest events of the Foundation’s 2021/22 calendar was the Legends of the North clash between former players from United and Liverpool at Old Trafford in May. An always hotly contested clash, whatever the setting, aptly saw Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher captain the sides, with Jaap Stam, Patrice Evra and Antonio Valencia just some of the names representing the Reds. Luis Garcia opened the scoring for the visitors, and while Dimitar Berbatov levelled from the

spot, a second-half double from Mark Gonzalez gave Liverpool a 3-1 win. But the result was of course secondary to raising money for charity, with £1.3 million generated by the 48,777-strong crowd. “The real winners today are Manchester United Foundation,” said United Legends manager Bryan Robson. “The incredible sum raised will go a long way in changing lives in our communities.” And there will be a chance to get a better result on the pitch when the sides meet at Anfield later in 2022.

A host of former United and Liverpool players enjoyed a competitive 90 minutes in May’s Legends Of The North fixture

LEARN MORE!

Visit mufoundation.org to find out more about how the Foundation helps young people make positive choices in their lives

BACK TO CONTENTS

Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 217

SUPPORTERS’ CLUBS Wherever you live, joining an official MUSC branch is a great way of meeting like-minded people, all of whom are devoted to following the Reds!

THE MUSC TOUR! MUSC

Every supporters’ club highlighted on the world map, with 13 recent additions

Are you part of the movement? If you are interested in starting your own official supporters’ club, email musc@manutd.co.uk

AMERICA ⊲ NORTH 1 Bermuda

6 9

10 11

15 19

7 16

5 1

SOUTH AMERICA ⊲

2 Canada 3 Mexico 4 USA 5 USA – Atlanta 6 USA – Chicago 7 USA – Cleveland (new in 2021/22) 8 USA – Dallas Reds 9 USA – Denver Reds 10 USA – Indianapolis (new in 2021/22) 11 USA – Indy (Indianapolis) (new in 2021/22) 12 USA – Los Angeles 13 USA – Memphis Reds 14 USA – New York Reds 15 USA – North Texas Reds 16 USA – Philadelphia 17 USA – Phoenix Red Devils 18 USA – Red Devils DC 19 USA – San Diego 20 USA – Seattle

AFRICA ⊲

21 Brazil 22 Peru

22 21

⊲

Our global supporters’ club for LGBT+ Reds: @RainbowDevils

220 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

57 58

54 26 33

29 27

23 Botswana 24 Egypt 25 Ghana 26 Ghana Red Devils (new in 2021/22) 27 Ivory Coast (new in 2021/22) 28 Kenya 29 Liberia 30 Mauritius 31 Mauritius Red Devils 32 Mauritius United Army (new in 2021/22) 33 Morocco 34 Rodrigues Island 35 Sierra Leone 36 South Africa 37 South Africa – Cape Town 38 Togo (new in 2021/22) 39 Tunisia 40 Zimbabwe

26 38 25

⊲

58 Hungarian Fanatics 59 Hungary 60 Iceland 61 Italy 62 Liechtenstein Red Devils 63 Lithuania (new in 2021/22) 64 Luxembourg 65 Malta 66 Poland 67 Romania (new in 2021/22) 68 Russia – Moscow Reds 69 Russia – Krasnodar Reds 70 Scandinavia 71 Slovenia 72 Switzerland – Swiss Devils 73 Switzerland – Suisse 74 Ukraine 75 Ukraine – Kyiv Reds

41 Austria 42 Austria Red Devils 43 Baku Reds 44 Belarus 45 Belgium – Flanders Mancunians 46 Belgium – Red Flag 47 Bulgaria 48 Croatia 49 Cyprus 50 Cyprus Fan Club 51 Finland 52 France 53 Germany 54 Gibraltar 55 Greece – Athens 56 Greece – Hellenic 57 Netherlands – Dutch Mancunians

MUSC

96 India – Mumbai 97 India – Nagaland 98 India – Nagpur 99 India – New Delhi 100 India – Pune 101 Indonesia 102 Japan 103 Japan – Tokyo 104 Korea 105 Malaysia 106 Malaysia – My Malaysia 107 Malaysian Fan Club 108 Maldives 109 Maldives Glory 110 Maldives Red Army (new in 2021/22) 111 Myanmar 112 Myanmar Glory 113 Nepal 114 Pakistan 115 Singapore 116 Taiwan 117 Thailand 118 Vietnam

ASIA

⊲

EUROPE

76 Bangladesh 77 China – Beijing 78 China – Changsha Reds 79 China – Dongguan Reds 80 China – Foshan Reds 81 China – Guangzhou 82 China – Hangzhou 83 China – Hong Kong 84 China – Shanghai 85 China – Shenzhen 86 China – Shenzhen Red Devils 87 India – Bangalore 88 India – Chennai 89 India – Delhi NCR 90 India – Goa 91 India – Goan Red Devils 92 India – Hyderabad 93 India – Kerala 94 India – Kolkata 95 India – Mizoram

MAKE CONTACT! 38

To find the details for your nearest supporters’ club, visit ManUtd.com/en/ fans/supporters-clubs

70 63 57

53 46 60 64 49 28 29 62 41 42 46 45 58 59 52 57 58 72 73 56 71 35 48 48 6134 45

42 54

67 54

68 75

43 62

49 50

106

102

103 104

124

101

123

108

119

111 110 127

126

74 84

114

129 128

107

125

⊲

119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129

40 23

21/22) 24

Bahrain Iraq Israel Jordan Kuwait Lebanon Oman Qatar Saudi Arabia United Arab Emirates UAE – Red Maniacs 31 30

32 34

97 94

76 95

92 90 94 91 87 88

MIDDLE EAST

26 38 25

113

96 100

76 72

89 99 61 80 79 98

111

102

66 65 64 70 71 68

81 80 98 85 79 86 83

103

116

112

117 100

118

108 109 110

90 91 92 97

105

106 107 115

101

⊲

OCEANIA ⊲

130 Australia – Brisbane 131 Australia – New South Wales 132 Australia – Perth

114

87 104

120

121 122 105

109

29 27

77 89

36 37

112 132

113

(Turn the page for UK and Ireland ▶) Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 221

130 131

MUSC

UK & Ireland ENGLAND

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67

Bedfordshire Bristol, Bath & District Cheshire – Chester & North Wales Cheshire – Crewe & Nantwich Cheshire – High Peak Cheshire – Macclesfield Cheshire – Newton-le-Willows Cheshire – Stalybridge Cheshire – Warrington Cumbria – Barrow-in-Furness Cumbria – Carlisle & South West Scotland Cumbria – West Cumbria Cumbria – Westmorland Devon – Plymouth Devon – Torbay Dorset Durham & North East East Anglia East Sussex – Brighton East Sussex – Hastings East Yorkshire Gloucester & Cheltenham Hampshire Hereford Hertfordshire Isle of Man Kent – Invicta Reds Lancashire - Blackpool (new in 2021/22) Lancashire – Fleetwood Lancashire – Heywood Lancashire – Lancaster Lancashire – Middleton & District Lancashire – Royton Lancashire – Southport Leicestershire Lincolnshire – Grimsby Lincolnshire – Lincoln London London – London Association (MULA) London – London Fan Club Norfolk – East Anglia North Devon North Warwickshire Reds (new in 2021/22) North Yorkshire Northampton – Wellingborough Northamptonshire – Corby & Kettering Northumberland – Berwick-upon-Tweed Nottinghamshire – Mansfield Nottinghamshire – Nottingham Oxfordshire – Oxford & Banbury Shrewsbury Somerset – Bridgwater & South West Somerset – Yeovil South Yorkshire – Barnsley South Yorkshire – Doncaster & District Staffordshire – North Staffs Surrey Warwickshire – Leamington Spa Warwickshire – Rugby & Nuneaton West Midlands – Birmingham West Midlands & Hereford West Midlands – Walsall Worcestershire – Redditch Yorkshire – Bradford & Leeds Yorkshire – Featherstone Yorkshire – Keighley Yorkshire – South Elmsall

Are you part of the movement? If you are interested in starting your own official supporters’ club, email musc@manutd.co.uk

84 88

72 90 83 82 97 81 87 73 100 86 94

101 74 91

77 93 71

80 98 89

105

103

104

102

11 17

123

115

133 132

129 121

122

124 126 110

117 116

118

119

135 130 134 113 128

NORTHERN IRELAND Ballymoney Banbridge Bangor Carryduff Cavehill City of Derry Cookstown Craigavon Downpatrick

222 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

30 66 33 65 32 67 64 9 8 54 55 6 7 5 3 4 56 48

137

106

102 Ayrshire 103 Edinburgh 104 Glasgow (see 11 for South West Scotland) 105 Perth

WALES

Aberystwyth Cardiff South and Vale Reds Chepstow Glamorgan & Gwent Gwynedd

18 46 58

1 25

22 112

106 107 108 109 110

24 61

SCOTLAND

36 37

120

79 Dungannon 80 Fermanagh 81 First North Down (Bangor) 82 Iveagh Youth (Belfast) 83 Lagan (Belfast) 84 Larne 85 Limavady 86 Lisburn 87 Lurgan 88 Muckamore Abbey 89 Newry 90 Newtownards 91 Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (Belfast) 92 Omagh 93 Portadown 94 Portaferry 95 Portstewart 96 Rostrevor 97 South Belfast 98 South Down 99 Strabane 100 Tower Ards 101 West Belfast (new in 2021/22)

114

127 131

68 Guernsey 69 Jersey

10 31 29 28

125 136

CHANNEL ISLANDS

70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78

95 85

111

108

109 107 2

38 39 40

57 53

16 14

27 20

111 Pontypridd 112 Swansea

REP. OF IRELAND 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137

Abbeyfeale Arklow/Wicklow Bundoran Carlow – Bagenalstown Reds Carlow Clare Clonmel Cork County Longford County Roscommon Donegal Dublin Kells Kevin Moran (Dublin) Killaoe Killarney Killeshandra/Ballinagh Co Cavan Kilmallock Limerick Mayo Sligo Tralee West Limerick Westmeath/Castlepollard Wexford

68 69

MUSC

GLOBAL GALLERY Just some of your fantastic MUSC photos, taken all over the planet

• Brisbane, Australia

• Myanmar Glory

• Pakistan (visiting Old Trafford!)

• Dungannon, Northern Ireland

• Kolkata, India Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 223

MUSC

• New South Wales, Australia

• Hastings, England

• Limavady, Northern Ireland

• Macclesfield, England

• Dallas Reds, USA 224 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

MUSC

• Thailand

• Dublin, Ireland

• San Diego, USA Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 225

MUSC

• Seatlle, USA

• Edinburgh, Scotland

• Fleetwood, England

• Clare, Ireland

• Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

226 Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook

MUSC

• Mexico

• South Down, Northern Ireland

• Shrewsbury, England

BACK TO CONTENTS • Sligo, Ireland Manchester United 2021/22 Yearbook 227