Manchester United boss Michael Carrick next to Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta
Having finished third last season, Manchester United would have been hoping to at least maintain that this season, especially on the back of a summer transfer window where club chiefs knew they would be playing Champions League football this term.
Man United looked to have the perfect opportunity to have a 100% record from their first three games when the fixtures were announced, as they faced two newly-promoted clubs in Hull City and Ipswich Town, before facing Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
The Red Devils are expected to win those first two matches, while the Toffees have a real lack of depth following a couple of disasters in the summer transfer window, including missing out on signing a striker on deadline day.
Instead, Michael Carrick's side have taken just four points from a possible nine, losing to Hull and taking a point against David Moyes' men on Sunday, albeit the equaliser for the hosts from Ainsley Maitland-Niles came from the last kick of the game.
Those results have left United in 11th in the Premier League table, ahead of their more congested fixture list appearing this week when they host Sabah in the Champions League on Thursday, before welcoming in-form arch-rivals Manchester City to Old Trafford on Sunday.
Man United spent the summer of 2025 boosting their attacking options, with Benjamin Sesko, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo all arriving at Old Trafford.
This summer, their priority was rebuilding a midfield that was significantly weakened by the exit of Casemiro following the expiration of his contract, and Manuel Ugarte suffering a serious injury.
The Red Devils spent around £150m to bring in three new players to bolster Michael Carrick's engine room, giving him four main options to use, when Baleba is fully fit.
Kobbie Mainoo
Andrey Santos
Youri Tielemans
Carlos Baleba
Despite links with a new left-back and attacker throughout the summer, the transfer window ended without another senior player arriving.
Presumably, there will be a big effort to transform the defence next summer, but that could come too late if they want to achieve their ambitions this term.
United Match Arsenal for Midfield and Striker Options
Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff
Arsenal proved they were the best team by quite a way in the Premier League last season, and the early signs this term are that is going to be the case again.
The Gunners saw off Xabi Alonso's Chelsea on Sunday and, along with Man City, are the only club with a 100% league record in 2026-27 so far.
The north London outfit's defence is clearly their biggest strength with just 27 goals conceded in 38 outings last season, while Morgan Rogers' goal for the Blues on Sunday is the only time their backline has been breached so far this term.
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Defensive Records (PL 2025-26)
Team
Arsenal
Man City
Man Utd
Aston Villa
Liverpool
Their midfield and attacking options are clearly strong, but Man United arguably match them in both areas, when you consider the midfield and striker options in particular.
Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard perhaps didn't have his best season last time out. but he looks a different player this season and has three goals in four appearances in all competitions already.
The Norway international is the clear first-choice in the No.10 position, much like United captain Bruno Fernandes.
The 31-year-old is one of the best players in the league and continues to provide amazing goal contribution numbers for his team, with three goals and one assist already in the league so far this season, having become the Premier League record holder for most assists (21) in a campaign in 2025-26.
Declan Rice is clearly one of the best midfielders in Europe, and almost certainly the best in the Premier League now Rodri has left, but there is an argument that Santos, Tielemans, Mainoo and Baleba, as a quartet have the quality and potential to match up to Rice, Bruno Guimaraes, Martin Zubimendi and Mikel Merino in the centre too.
United's Defence Proving Their Weakness Again
REUTERS/Jon Super
United may consider themselves fortunate to have secured a comfortable third-place finish last season having conceded 50 goals in 38 Premier League games, but there have been no changes to their defence over the summer.
Last term, United had few fixtures to deal with beyond the league, but this season they are in the group stage of the Champions League, and games every three or four days for many weeks between now and January.
Already, a backline that struggled with injuries for the likes of Lisandro Martinez and Matthijs de Ligt has made a poor start to this season, with the Red Devils conceding two goals in each of their opening three Premier League fixtures.
At that rate across a season, that would mean United would end up conceding 75 goals, and clearly they need to tighten up and quickly with the likes of Chelsea and Liverpool looking to have improved compared to last season.
Speaking on Sky Sports on Sunday, Gary Neville feels that it is an issue that won't be disappearing anytime soon.
They have a liability of conceding goals and it's not going away. That is my fear. Conceding goals will hunt them and chase them down the road.
"I'm not sure how Carrick will deal with it as he's already got his best back four on the pitch. Why did Shaw and Dalot go off with five minutes to go? Ruben Amorin and Erik ten Hag changed their back four too.
"You can't be changing your back four. There's not much behind the first choice. So you can't change it."
United's starting back four against Everton were signed in 2014 (Shaw), 2022 (Martinez), 2019 (Maguire) and 2018 (Dalot), and that is probably a sign that not only is a reboot long overdue, but also that their defensive recruitment since 2020 simply hasn't been up to standard.
For example, United are currently wasting Leny Yoro, who is barely getting any minutes this term despite costing the club £60m in 2024, while De Ligt continues to be absent with a back issue.
Given the improvement of the teams around them and the increased fixture list United face this season, the defence will be the area that costs them a top-four finish this time around.
Michael Carrick
Michael Carrick