How Man Utd’s worst Premier League start compares with Red Devils’ last all-time low at Old Trafford

Manchester United are currently experiencing their worst start to any Premier League season since the inception of England’s top-flight league in 1992.

Michael Carrick’s men are only one point above the Premier League relegation zone and Manchester United are 16th in the table after their opening eight matches.

The Red Devils have only won once in the Premier League in the 2026-27 season after Man Utd’s 5-2 comeback win over Ipswich Town at Old Trafford in August.

United manager Michael Carrick has overseen four draws and three defeats for the Red Devils, as the Premier League club only have seven points in total so far.

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Man Utd’s worst Premier League start only narrowly edges out the performance of the Red Devils four decades ago

Michael Carrick was dealt another major blow in his Old Trafford reign on Sunday after Manchester United’s 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth. OptaJoe on X, formerly known as Twitter, shared that United’s current season is their lowest points total since the 1986-87 campaign.

The 1986-87 season at Old Trafford took place in the old First Division format and marked the final period of Ron Atkinson’s managerial reign. Ron Atkinson only chalked up one win from United’s first eight First Division matches before he was later sacked and replaced by Sir Alex Ferguson in 1986.

The Red Devils picked up two First Division draws and suffered five defeats under Atkinson, who only managed five points in total after the opening eight league matches. Carrick’s current total of points narrowly puts United ahead of the Red Devils’ last worst start to the season four decades ago.

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Goal difference is identical between the 2026-27 Premier League season and the 1986-87 First Division campaign after the first eight matches. Both Carrick and Atkinson’s respective Man Utd sides scored 10 times and conceded 13 times in their underperforming seasons.

In the Premier League era, the Red Devils have fallen short of two of their other poor starts to their respective seasons. Man Utd’s two other worst-performing starts came in the 2019-20 and 2024-25 seasons after the Red Devils had eight points from eight matches.

Goals from Rayan and Marcus Tavernier in the first half and Evanilson in the second half ensured Bournemouth’s 3-0 Premier League win over United at Old Trafford on Sunday. The Red Devils will now travel away this weekend and will face Chelsea in their Premier League clash at Stamford Bridge on Saturday afternoon.