During what looks like a slight dip in form, Manchester United will be hoping to restore consistency against Brentford on Wednesday night at Old Trafford.
The reverse fixture, in which United slumped to a 4-0 defeat last August, must feel like a distant memory for fans who have since seen a revitalised team push for the top four.
It was certainly a day to forget in London for the Reds, and come the end of the season United will have visited the capital another six times since last summer. This season has seen a record number of London clubs in the Premier League, matching the 1994/95 season when seven clubs represented the capital.
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With this impressive figure in mind and Brentford’s trip to Old Trafford just round the corner, how have United fared in the Premier League against London teams in the past?
The current London Premier League teams are Arsenal, Tottenham, Brentford, Fulham, Chelsea, Crystal Palace and West Ham.
This season has seen Manchester United play a London club nine times, winning five, drawing two and losing two - a positive record that they'll want to continue. Over the next 11 league games, United will play the remaining five, hosting Brentford, Chelsea and Fulham, whilst travelling to Tottenham and West Ham.
We will take a look at how the Reds have done against their London counterparts in recent times.
Brentford
Wednesday’s clash in Manchester will be just the fourth Premier League encounter between United and Brentford.
Last season saw England’s most successful club complete a league double over the newly-promoted Bees, followed by this season’s shock defeat in West London.
Christian Eriksen is unavailable to feature against his former club, as the United midfielder is still nursing an ankle injury sustained in January. However, Erik ten Hag provided positive news on the Danish playmaker, confirming the 31-year-old would be returning to training with the rest of the squad.
Arsenal
In the last five years, Arsenal have been the more successful of the two in this fixture, winning five, whilst United have won three, with another three stalemates between them.
However, United have historically been the more dominant side, winning 26 compared to Arsenal’s 18 victories in the Premier League.
Arsenal last picked up three points at Old Trafford in November 2020, but had not managed to pull off the same feat before then since September 2006.
This season, United handed the Gunners their first defeat of the campaign in a 3-1 victory in Manchester. Despite a solid performance from Ten Hag’s men at the Emirates in January, Arsenal came out on top thanks to a last-minute winner in a 3-2 thriller.
Tottenham
Manchester United have enjoyed success in this league fixture over the years, picking up an impressive 39 wins over Spurs, drawing another 12 and only losing 10 since the Premier League began.
This includes a decade-long era of dominance for United over the north London side, as they went undefeated against Tottenham between May 2001 and September 2012. Since then, United have won 6 of the last 10 league meetings.
The two will meet again later this month on April 27 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where United produced a dominant display last season, winning 3-0.
Chelsea
For this historic fixture, recent years have brought only shared points but plenty of drama. The last five league meetings have ended in one point a piece. The same can be said for results down the years with 17 United wins, 18 Chelsea wins and 25 draws in the Premier League.
The Reds are unbeaten against Chelsea in the league since 2017, securing three victories and seven draws during that time.
Casemiro famously snatched a point for United at Stamford Bridge back in October, nodding home a 94th-minute equaliser in front of the away fans. However, Ten Hag will be without his key midfielder for the next two games due to the Brazilian’s red card suspension.
The two are set to meet again before the season concludes, but a date is still yet to be confirmed due to conflicts in Manchester United’s schedule.
Crystal Palace
This has been yet another fixture that has historically brought United a lot of joy. The Manchester club has won 19 of the 28 games against the south London club, losing only three.
Indeed, Palace only managed to get their first win in the fixture back in August of 2019. United drew at Selhurst Park this season, painfully missing out on three points after a last-minute equaliser from Michael Olise.
However, Ten Hag’s men responded well, producing a 2-1 win at Old Trafford in February, just two and a half weeks after the draw in London.
West Ham
The London Stadium is another venue set to host Manchester United before the season reaches its conclusion.
Over the past 30 years, United have accumulated an impressive 33 league wins over the Hammers, most recently in October last year thanks to a single Marcus Rashford goal.
West Ham enjoyed a purple patch against the Manchester side in the 2000s, winning three consecutive games in the space of 12 months, ending in December 2007. Since then, Manchester United have only lost three in the league to the East London side.
Fulham
Despite Fulham’s impressive form this season, the Cottagers still maintain a poor record against United. The newly-promoted side have not won in this fixture since December 2009.
Most recently, Fulham were swept aside at Old Trafford in the FA Cup quarter-final last month. After going behind, United quickly turned the game on its head after a moment of madness in which two Fulham players were dismissed, as well as manager Marco Silva.
The Reds will once again host the Cottagers on the final day of the season, Sunday May 28. Expectant fans will be hoping to finish the day with United sitting in the top four, ensuring Champions League football for next season.
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