Manchester United gave an indication with their initial victory of the season against Leeds that they may be ready to take on a challenge in the Premier League title sooner than expected – but Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s team must get the most out of a favorable early match.
United were not at full strength against Leeds, with Jadon Sancho just appearing from the bench and Raphael Varane presenting just moments before kick-off. Marcus Rashford and Edinson Cavani were also absent from the squad, while Anthony Martial started on the bench.
With players like Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes already standing out from the crowd, it gives plenty of promise that when players return and reach full match condition, United will be even better.
But if they really want to challenge for the Premier League title for the first time since they won it last 2013, United must start getting as many points on the board as early as possible, not least because a favorable game between now and October is a perfect opportunity .
Before the end of August, United face Southampton and Wolves, who have both lost their opening matches and are expected to finish in the lower half this season. No team with title expectations should settle for less than maximum points in those matches.
After the international in September, United resume against Newcastle and then a trip to London to face West Ham. Hammers will offer a stronger test but is weaker than last season after losing Jesse Lingard and has played his first Europa League group game just days earlier – the domestic / European balance can be difficult to manage for teams that are not used to it .
United have been battling Aston Villa at home since September, starting in October with another home game against Everton, having already beaten the latter in a pre-season game earlier this month.
United’s first really challenging game will probably not come until the seventh round after the international break in October when they face Leicester at King Power Stadium. It is the first of four tough games in a row, with clashes against Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham immediately after that before another break for the international break in November.
Man Utd beat Leeds without being at full strength / Alex Morton / Getty Images
The fact that several challenging matches come back-to-back in quick succession makes it all the more important that United take as close to maximum points as possible before that to build momentum and give themselves a margin for error when the more difficult matches do come.
United cannot win the Premier League title in October, but failure to take advantage of their opportunities now could quickly prevent them from having the opportunity to do so later.
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