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The Erik ten Hag era will officially get underway at Old Trafford as Manchester United take on Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday.
After an extremely underwhelming outing in the 2021-22 season where they finished sixth in the the table, Manchester United return to Premier League action on Sunday. They have roped in an elite coach in Erik ten Hag but it would be unrealistic to expect him to restore the Red Devils' lost glory overnight.
But the signs in pre-season have been promising. United also recruited judiciously in the summer but the squad does not look all that formidable just yet. The arrivals of Christian Eriksen, Lisandro Martinez and Tyrell Malacia inspire confidence.
However, Ten Hag has the difficult job of getting the best out of several players who are suspected to have hit their ceilings, low ones at that, last term. They turned in a handful of good performances in pre-season. But they go into Sunday's game without Anthony Martial, who was in top form in the build-up to the new campaign.
To make matters worse, Cristiano Ronaldo is unsettled and has been looking to engineer an exit from the club. He only featured for 45 minutes in pre-season and it will be interesting to see whether or not Ten Hag will turn to the legendary forward in this game given his lack of match fitness.
Meanwhile, Graham Potter's Brighton & Hove Albion are one of the best drilled sides in the Premier League. They finished ninth in the Premier League table last term and it was their best ever season in the English top flight.
However, losing midfield lynchpin Yves Bissouma to Tottenham Hotspur and left-back Marc Cucurella to Chelsea will be major blows. They have signed Julio Enciso and Simon Adingra permanently and have also secured the services of Levi Colwill on loan from Chelsea.
However, as things stand, it looks like Brighton might have a tough time trying to replicate their form from the 2021-22 season.
Manchester United vs Brighton & Hove Albion Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- This is the first time Manchester United are opening a Premier League season with a game against Brighton & Hove Albion. The last time they met in August was in the 2018-19 season and United suffered a 3-2 loss at the AMEX.
- Manchester United have won six out of their last seven Premier League games against the Seagulls. Brighton have lost more Premier League matches only against Manchester City (9).
- Brighton & Hove Albion are yet to register their first away win against Manchester United in all competitions.
- Brighton have lost all of their last eight trips to Old Trafford to take on the Red Devils.
- Brighton have never drawn any of their opening games in a Premier League season, winning two and losing three.
Manchester United vs Brighton & Hove Albion Prediction
Manchester United would have felt a whole lot more confident going into their first game of the season with Anthony Martial leading the line. They still have plenty of firepower to see this one over the line though against a Brighton side that's considerably weaker this time around without Bissouma and Cucurella.
Prediction: Manchester United 2-1 Brighton & Hove Albion
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Manchester United vs Brighton & Hove Albion Betting Tips
Tip 1: Result - Manchester United
Tip 2: Game to have over 2.5 goals - Yes
Tip 3: Both teams to score - Yes
