Manchester United have often started new Premier League seasons with a big win in their opening game of the campaign, hoping to make a statement and put a marker on rivals.
United have won their opening match of a league season with three or more goals on eight occasions over the years.
Here’s a closer look at their biggest opening day victories …
Dimitar Berbatov scored Man Utd’s first goal 2010/11 / ANDREW YATES / Getty Images
United kicked off the 2010/11 season with their record-breaking 19th division title with a convincing 3-0 win over newly-promoted Newcastle.
It was a match on Monday night to round off the opening weekend of the new campaign, with fans waiting half an hour for Dimitar Berbatov to strike – he took a share of the Golden Boot – before Darren Fletcher doubled the lead just before half-time. Ryan Giggs added a late third.
David Beckham stole the headlines in August 1996 / Getty Images / Getty Images
Fresh from a Premier League and FA Cup double, United’s young team in 1996/97 started beating Wimbledon at Selhurst Park.
Eric Cantona and Denis Irwin both scored in the comfortable early win, although the game is mostly remembered for David Beckham’s bold shots from just within his own half. It was a goal that drove the already highly ranked 21-year-old to a superstar.
Man Utd cruised to a big early victory under David Moyes / IAN KINGTON / Getty Images
David Moyes had the enviable task of succeeding Sir Alex Ferguson as United coach in 2013, but it started off pretty well after a 4-0 win over Wigan in the Community Shield and a 4-1 win over a decent Swansea team to begin with. Premier League campaign.
Robin van Persie and Danny Welbeck each did braces. Unfortunately for Moyes, it was basically as good as it got because his team won only two of their next seven games and he was eventually fired in April, just ten months on a six-year contract.
Marcus Rashford put Chelsea in the sword to start 2019/20 / Julian Finney / Getty Images
Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s first full season as manager began with a bang when United hammered Chelsea 4-0 at Old Trafford in what was also Frank Lampard’s first match in charge of the Blues.
Chelsea had early chances but United punished the visitors with quick counterattacks and Marcus Rashford made each side of one from Anthony Martial. There was also a debut goal from Daniel James, although only one win in the next eight league matches followed.
Romelu Lukaku twice made his Premier League debut for Man Utd / Matthew Ashton – AMA / Getty Images
Jose Mourinhos United won 4-0 on four separate occasions in their seven opening games of the 2017/18 Premier League season to establish an early declaration of intent; The campaign eventually ended with the club’s highest goal in the five years since Sir Alex Ferguson retired.
West Ham were the first victims during the opening weekend. The new signing Romelu Lukaku wasted some time getting off the mark, scoring twice, before late goals from Anthony Martial and Paul Pogba.
Cristiano Ronaldo makes his debut at Man Utd in a battle against Bolton 2003 / ADRIAN DENNIS / Getty Images
United had been beaten twice at Old Trafford by Bolton in consecutive seasons after the Trotters returned to the Premier League in 2001. But they corrected the bad record with a resounding win to start the 2003/04 season.
Ryan Giggs (two), Paul Scholes and Ruud van Nistelrooy found the net, although this game was remarkable for making United’s debut for a little-known Portuguese teenager named Cristiano Ronaldo.
Bruno Fernandes scores his first Man Utd hat-trick to open the 2021/22 season / Alex Morton / Getty Images
Bruno Fernandes scored 40 goals in his first 18 months as a United player, but for the most part the club played behind closed doors during the coronavirus pandemic. It was therefore fitting that in the club’s first home game with a full audience since March 2020, he scored his first hat trick.
Paul Pogba also burned, taking up four assists and proved unplayable, despite ongoing speculation about his future, with Mason Greenwood and Fred also on the results list.
Fulham could not beat Cristiano Ronaldo & Wayne Rooney / AFP / Getty Images / Getty Images
The media story about United ahead of the 2006/07 season was focused on how Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo would cope as teammates after colliding at this summer’s World Cup.
The answer was that it did not matter. Already the stars of a developing young side, Rooney and Ronaldo burned when United put Fulham in the sword in their Premier League leaders. Both scored in the first 19 minutes, then it was 4-0 and it ended 5-1.
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