Manchester United will be looking to get their Premier League campaign in 2022/23 off to a winning start when they face Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday.
The Erik ten Hag era will officially begin at Old Trafford this weekend when Manchester United face Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League in what will be the Dutchman's first competitive match in charge. After an abysmal season in which they finished outside the top four and had their lowest ever Premier League points tally, Manchester United were quick to make changes, handing over the first-team reins to Ten Hag, who had previously had great success at Ajax. However, things have not been easy for the Dutch tactician, as the Red Devils continue to struggle.
The future of Cristiano Ronaldo has dominated headlines, as has their inability to complete transfer deals. The preseason began with victories over Liverpool, Melbourne Victory, and Crystal Palace, but United then went three games without a win, losing to Atletico Madrid and drawing with Aston Villa and Rayo Vallecano.
Manchester United have suffered an injury setback ahead of their season opener, as striker Anthony Martial, who was one of their standout performers in preseason, has been ruled out. Brandon Williams is also not available for selection, but Luke Shaw has recovered sufficiently from his injury to play.
Tyrell Malacia, Lisandro Martinez, and Christian Eriksen are all expected to play some part against the Seagulls. Erik ten Hag has mostly used the 4-2-3-1 formation since taking over at Old Trafford and will likely stick with it on Sunday.
The Red Devils only collected 58 points last season, leaving them 13 points off the top four, indicating the ground that must be made up in the coming season, especially with both Tottenham and Arsenal improving their squads with some impressive signings.
Man United have only made three signings this summer, bringing in Tyrell Malacia, Christian Eriksen, and Lisandro Martinez, while speculation about Cristiano Ronaldo's future has dominated the last four weeks, making Ten Hag's reign an uncomfortable start.
The 20-time English champions played six pre-season games in total, winning the first three against Liverpool, Melbourne Victory, and Crystal Palace before drawing with Aston Villa and losing to Atletico Madrid.
Meanwhile, Brighton finished ninth in the Premier League last season, claiming 51 points from 38 matches, their best ever season at this level of football. Last season, the Seagulls were only five points behind seventh-place West Ham United, but such is the nature of the Premier League, the club lost two key players during the summer transfer window, with Yves Bissouma joining Tottenham Hotspur and Marc Cucurella joining Chelsea. There have been additions, with Julio Enciso and Simon Adingra joining, and Levi Colwill joining on loan from Chelsea, but Graham Potter's side will struggle to finish in the top ten this season.
Despite the sale of key winger Marc Cucurella, Brighton and Hove Albion manager Graham Potter insists he is "comfortable" with the makeup of his squad as the new Premier League season begins.
"I'm happy with what we've done and with the squad," he said ahead of the trip to Manchester United.
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