The loss eclipsed the previous unwanted record of 14 league defeats, set just last season. With five matches still to play, there is every possibility that more lows could follow.
From Premier League dominance to historic decline
Once the dominant force in English football, with 13 Premier League titles under the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson, Manchester United’s fall from grace has been stark. The club has not lifted the league trophy since Ferguson’s retirement in 2013, and its stature has continued to erode despite heavy investment and numerous managerial changes.
Head coach Rúben Amorim, who took over amid high expectations, has not shied away from acknowledging the scale of the crisis. Speaking candidly after the loss, he said:
"This season is going to end like this. We need to take the positives, try to work on the things we need to improve. We have to work and try to be better in the first game of next season."
Back in January, Amorim remarked that this might be the worst team in United's history — a statement that now seems less like hyperbole and more like an unfortunate truth.
A season of broken records — for the wrong reasons
Sunday’s defeat also marked United’s eighth home loss of the campaign, the most since the 1962–63 season when the club lost nine times at Old Trafford. The overall tally of 15 league losses is the highest since the 1989–90 season in the old First Division, when United suffered 16 defeats.
Statistically, this season is now guaranteed to be the worst in Premier League history for Manchester United in terms of points. The club currently sits on just 38 points. Even with maximum points from their remaining five fixtures, United would only reach 53 — falling short of the previous record low of 58 points in the 2021–22 season.
United is also languishing in 14th place — far below the club’s standard. Should they fail to climb the table, they will set a new mark for their lowest-ever league finish in the Premier League era. The current low stands at eighth, set just last season.
A glimmer of hope in Europe
Despite their domestic woes, United still has a chance to salvage something from this dismal campaign. A thrilling 5-4 aggregate win over Lyon on Thursday booked them a place in the semifinals of the UEFA Europa League, where they will face Athletic Bilbao.
Victory in Europe’s second-tier competition would not only deliver much-needed silverware but also secure a return to the Champions League — something that seems all but impossible through league performance alone.
As the season winds down, the Europa League represents United’s last chance to find redemption. But with performances like Sunday’s showing little sign of improvement, even that glimmer of hope remains under threat.