Manchester United have already played their first match in December and it was not a pretty one, losing 1-0 against Newcastle United at St James’ Park. But that match is only starting the upcoming festive period, which will see the Devils, but also other Premier League teams too, playing twice a week almost always for a prolonged period of time, well into the 2024. But until the new year comes around, here is what awaits Erik Ten Hag’s side in the final month of 2023.
Chelsea and Bournemouth At Old Trafford
After a tough match against Newcastle, United are set to face Chelsea in a classic Premier League rivalry. The match at Old Trafford is set for this Wednesday night and it will be followed by another match at the same place on Saturday – Bournemouth will be coming to town. A potential six points in front of our fans would be a huge and an important boost for Ten Hag’s team ahead of some really big and crucial matches.
Crucial Match Against Bayern
That is because after this week, a hellish one awaits. United will play their third consecutive match at hom next Tuesday, on 12 December. It will be against Bayern Munich in the final Champions League match of 2023 and potentially the final in this competition this season. This is because United need to beat the decade-long champions of Germany and hope that Galatasaray and Copenhagen will draw in the other match – that is the only way United can reach the round of 16 of the Champions League.
The Big Clash At Anfield
After that, United will travel to Liverpool to face the hosts at Anfield on Sunday afternoon. It will be a hugely important match for both sides – for United to try and finally beat a top team away from home, for Liverpool to show they could actually fight for the Premier League title. The match on 17 December for Liverpool will come their wins against Brentford, LASK and Fulham, and the draw against City, and in the meantime they will face Sheffield United and Crystal Palace. This all means Jurgen Klopp’s side could be really close to the top or even on the top of the league standings by the time this match comes around.
Three Games In The Final Week
After that, United will have three matches between 23 and 30 December, to cap off the 2023. First, they will travel to London to face West Ham in the early Saturday time slot. Three days later, on Boxing Day, United will host Aston Villa in the late night kick-off, before visiting Nottingham Forest on Saturday 30 December. None of these matches is against the very best teams in the country, but none of those teams are that simple to beat either. This is especially the case with Unai Emery’s Aston Villa who have been playing some incredible football in 2023, and David Moyes’ Hammers, who have proven time and again they can pose a threat to the Red Devils.
Leave a Reply