Man Utd's Elusive Five-Game Winning Streak: How Long Has It Been?
Manchester United are currently just two victories away from completing a five-match winning streak that would finally enable Frank Ilett—known as The United Strand—to visit the barber shop.
Following Sir Jim Ratcliffe's renewed confidence in head coach Ruben Amorim, indicating the Portuguese manager will remain at Old Trafford for a minimum of three years, Man Utd have secured their first victory at reigning champions Liverpool since 2016 and defeated troublesome opponents Brighton & Hove Albion at home—the Seagulls had triumphed in their previous three encounters at the Theatre of Dreams.
A 2–0 triumph against Sunderland prior to the international interval means the Red Devils have stretched their winning streak to three matches, positioning them sixth in the Premier League standings, ahead of Liverpool.
More than a year has passed since Ilett's last haircut, but the Man Utd fan's anticipation for a trim could end on November 8. He was simply trying to lighten the mood regarding the club's dire situation, and certainly wouldn't have expected United's quest for a five-game winning sequence to last over a year, particularly considering they had accomplished this feat just months prior to his challenge beginning.
When Was Man Utd's Most Recent Five-Game Winning Run?
Erik ten Hag's inaugural campaign at Manchester United was undoubtedly successful, particularly considering the chaos the club experienced in 2021–22. They captured the EFL Cup and secured Champions League qualification under the Dutch manager, who faced significantly more challenges in his second season.
The 2023–24 campaign became another low point in United's recent timeline, and their FA Cup final triumph ultimately persuaded INEOS to retain Ten Hag. It was a season with limited highlights before they defeated Manchester City at Wembley, but there was a promising February spell that nearly rescued their faltering season.
Their resurgence began with a 4–2 triumph over Newport County in the FA Cup fourth round on January 28, where the Welsh team equalized at 2–2 before Antony and Rasmus Højlund netted in the second period to secure the away side's advancement.
Despite the unconvincing nature of that victory, Ten Hag's squad then claimed four consecutive Premier League wins. Højlund was in exceptional form, finding the net in each of United's triumphs. They overcame Wolverhampton Wanderers 4–3 courtesy of Kobbie Mainoo's spectacular injury-time winner, then dispatched West Ham United 3–0 aided by an Alejandro Garnacho double.
A 2–1 success at Aston Villa represented the most notable result of the sequence, considering Villa finished fourth that campaign and suffered only three home league defeats. Scott McTominay secured victory for the visitors in the 86th minute.
A Højlund double within seven minutes proved sufficient for their fifth consecutive win away to Luton Town, though their streak concluded at home against Fulham the subsequent weekend.
United are pursuing not only five straight wins, which would satisfy Ilett's requirement, but five consecutive Premier League victories. They technically accomplished this at the beginning of the 2023–24 season, defeating Wolves 1–0 on opening day after concluding the prior campaign with four straight wins.
Ten Hag also guided the team to five straight league victories between November 13, 2023, and January 14, 2024, during his inaugural year. That sequence culminated with a 2–1 Manchester derby victory, where Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford scored within four minutes to reverse a one-goal disadvantage.