Manchester United entered the 2022-23 Premier League season off the back of an underperforming 2021-22 campaign that ended with their lowest points finish in the top-flight (58 points).
Erik ten Hag was brought in from Ajax Amsterdam to steady to bring stability into the team and has done that by a great deal as the Red Devils finished the season in third place, returning back to the Champions League.
He also led them to their first trophy in six years with victory in the EFL Cup.
Best player: Casemiro
The Brazilian midfielder joined the Red Devils last summer from Real Madrid for a fee in the region of £70 million and initial eyebrows were raised as some fans believed he was too expensive for a 30-year-old despite the wealth of experience he had under his belt.
That experience turned out to be golden as the Red Devils became better defensively and more coordinated in the middle of the park compared to previous seasons.
Though Casemiro was prone to collecting many bookings which led to his suspension on three occasions, his absence was felt within that period as the team struggled in the midfield and defence. That is a clear indication of how important his presence is on the pitch.
Worst Signing: Wout Weghorst
The Dutch forward arrived at Old Trafford in January on loan from Burnley having previously been on loan at Turkish giants Besiktas earlier in the season.
Weghorst was expected to deliver goals upfront as United terminated Cristiano Ronaldo’s contract after his explosive interview with Piers Morgan where he criticised the club hierarchy. Weghorst failed to live up to those expectations with no goals in the Premier League and fans questioning his qualities as a 6 ft 6 in forward despite playing out of position in most of his appearances.
Best game: Manchester United 2-1 Manchester City
The Red Devils had suffered a heavy 6-3 defeat to the Citizens in the earlier fixture but there were fears more of the same would occur due to City’s superiority.
It however turned out to be the opposite as Erik ten Hag’s men put in a spirited and disciplined performance coming back from a goal down to win 2-1 courtesy of Bruno Fernandes and substitute Alejandro Garnacho.
Worst result: Liverpool 7-0 Manchester United
United hit top gear after the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and into the new year with their only blemish being a narrow 3-2 defeat at then-league leaders Arsenal in January.
There was confidence United would put in a strong performance against the Reds at Anfield in March having beaten them 2-1 in the reverse fixture at Old Trafford, but it turned out to be one of the most one-sided results of the season as United capitulated in the second half by conceding six goals.
It was United’s joint-heaviest competitive defeat in 92 years when they were pummelled by the exact scoreline against Wolverhampton Wanderers in 1931.
Top scorer: Marcus Rashford
The 25-year-old was a house on fire since returning from the World Cup, scoring 23 competitive goals, 13 of them coming in the Premier League.
Those goals were very crucial in giving United some big results which firmly placed them in the top four.
Overall, Rashford ended the season as top scorer with 30 strikes, the best goal tally of his career, beating his previous best of 22 goals during the 2019-20 season.
