What awaits Man Utd in February: Former associates, Goodison farewell & Spurs curse | OneFootball

Craven Cottage was again a happy hunting ground for Manchester United as Lisandro Martinez’s stunner toppled Fulham 1-0 on Sunday evening.

It was Man Utd’s eighth Premier League win on the Cottagers’ home ground in a row, but it wasn’t sufficient to lift them outside the bottom half of the table.

Ruben Amorim hailed the ‘importance of a clean sheet‘ after the game as his side bounced back from a miserable 3-1 home defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion a week ago.

Victories have been a rare commodity in one of the most embarrassing seasons in the club’s illustrious history, although it’s not all lost yet.

Given the circumstances, bettering last season’s eighth-place finish would be an achievement for the Red Devils now that the European spots are virtually out of reach.

After a humiliating run of form in December, Amorim’s charges have shown signs of improvement in January, going unbeaten in three out of four league outings.

Man Utd’s fixtures in February will provide a crucial opportunity to build on this momentum and potentially set the groundwork for a strong finish to an otherwise forgettable top-flight campaign.

Crystal Palace – Premier League (H) – 02/02/2025

Recent matches against Palace have been a nightmare for United following the Red Devils’ long-standing dominance in this match-up.

The Eagles got the better of Amorim’s team in both last season’s league meetings without conceding, while this term’s reverse fixture at Selhurst Park ended scoreless.

The last six meetings between Man Utd and Palace at Old Trafford have yielded an evenly poised record, with each side claiming three wins and five producing a winning margin of a single goal.

With that in mind, it could be a stressful start to February.

Leicester City – FA Cup (H) – 07/02/2025

United’s most spirited performance under Amorim came in the FA Cup third round as they defied a numerical disadvantage to overcome fierce rivals Arsenal on penalties.

The fourth-round tie brings a familiar face back to the Theatre of Dreams.

Ruud van Nistelrooy, now in charge of Leicester, was briefly in Man Utd’s dugout before Amorim’s arrival.

However, the Dutchman is perilously close to being dismissed amid the Foxes’ faltering Premier League campaign, making him a potential threat to his former club.

Tottenham Hotspur – Premier League (A) – 16/02/2025

Van Nistelrooy’s first win in eight league games at Leicester came against underperforming Tottenham Hotspur last weekend as they fought back to win 2-1 in London.

According to Opta, it was Spurs’ first top-flight defeat against a side coming into the matchday on a seven-game losing league streak since 1912.

Despite Tottenham’s woeful domestic campaign, Ange Postecoglou is still in charge and may try to turn his fortunes around when Man Utd roll into the capital in mid-February.

He has beaten the Red Devils in three of his four games against them in the Premier League, including a 3-0 victory in the reverse fixture.

Everton – Premier League (A) – 22/02/2025

Another former associate of Man Utd will face Amorim’s team next month.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s successor, Davide Moyes, returned to Goodison Park after over a decade earlier in January to bail his beloved Everton out of trouble.

Back-to-back wins against Brighton and Tottenham have helped the 61-year-old steady the sinking ship, steering the Toffees seven points away from the bottom three and only three beneath United.

February’s bottom-half six-pointer on Merseyside will be a landmark occasion, considering it’ll be the last Premier League encounter between Everton and Man Utd at Goodison.

Ipswich Town – Premier League (H) – 26/02/2025

Omari Hutchinson’s equaliser spoiled Amorim’s touchline debut, condemning United to a 1-1 draw in their first league game against Ipswich since 2002.

That result knocked the Red Devils’ down from a four-match winning streak against the Tractor Boys in all competitions but marked United’s 20th consecutive unbeaten league game against newcomers.

Amorim’s side have since defeated Southampton to extend that run and will aim to make it 22 in a row when they renew hostilities with Ipswich at Old Trafford.