Manchester United aims for a third consecutive win but faces three major rivals who have dominated them; last season they suffered eight defeats! Amorin calls the derby insignificant.

After consecutive wins against Sunderland and Liverpool, Ruben Amorin has eased his dismissal threat for now. Yet supporters still feel uneasy about the next trio of Premier League games because Brighton, Nottingham Forest, and Tottenham inflicted eight defeats on the Red Devils last season combined! Is United genuinely progressing or merely experiencing a fleeting phase? Amorin’s team needs a hat-trick of wins to validate their progress.

In recent seasons, Manchester United has lost at home to Brighton and away against Nottingham Forest and Tottenham, all under Amorin’s management. The Saturday opponent Brighton has even achieved an astonishing three consecutive away wins at Old Trafford. Moreover, Brighton has already beaten Manchester City, Chelsea, and Newcastle United this season, drawn with Tottenham, showing strong performances against top teams.

Nottingham Forest managed to beat Manchester United both home and away last season, with the winning goal at their stadium scored by former United academy player Anthony Elanga. Ten Hag’s decision to offload the Swedish speedster for £15 million and spend €100 million on Anthony sparked widespread ridicule towards Manchester United.

Since the 2-2 away draw with Tottenham in April 2023, Manchester United has failed to avoid defeat in any North London away matches. Even in that draw two years ago, the Red Devils squandered a two-goal lead and nearly lost. Throughout the 2023/24 and 2024/25 seasons, United lost all six encounters against Tottenham, with a goals tally of 3 scored to 12 conceded.

Last season, Manchester United was defeated by Tottenham in all league home and away matches, the League Cup, and the Europa League final. The 0-1 loss in the Europa League final was especially devastating for the club, resulting in no European competition for United this season.

Therefore, despite last week’s impressive victory over Liverpool at Anfield that restored positive momentum, Amorin knows that if the team cannot secure one or two positive results in the coming weeks, that atmosphere will shift again. However, continued wins will build better momentum and boost morale.

Data shows that Manchester United’s last three consecutive wins across all competitions were in January this year, but their last Premier League three-game winning streak dates back to February 2024, when Ten Hag’s team secured five straight wins across competitions, including league victories over Wolves, West Ham, Aston Villa, and Luton.

“This win is important today, but less so tomorrow,” Amorin said as he left Anfield. “The challenge now is to build a better future. Beating the defending champions is a significant yet somewhat modest step; great teams must achieve more. If we show today’s spirit in training and matches, we will win many games. But to do that, everyone must prove it through actions. Now, the team must focus on Brighton.”

Liverpool legend Carragher believes Manchester United will face new challenges in upcoming matches because opponents will better understand Amorin’s 3-4-3 formation and long-ball tactics. The recent opponents Sunderland and Liverpool played very openly against United, thus offering counterattack opportunities to the Red Devils.

Carragher said: “Manchester United did win, but that doesn’t hide the problems since Amorin took charge. He can beat Man City, Liverpool, and Arsenal, but we often talk about the 3-4-3 system. One reason I think it doesn’t suit United is because it can’t break down teams when they need to attack proactively. Maybe when United are the underdogs, using five defenders and four attackers works. However, when United are on the front foot, especially at home, the front four might not track back enough defensively.”