The facts and figures behind Man Utd plight as pressure builds on Erik ten Hag

Manchester United’s season suffered another setback with a 3-0 defeat to Tottenham on Sunday.

Here, the PA news agency analyses another slow start by Erik ten Hag’s side.

Slow start

United have just seven points from their first six league games of the season, equalling their worst record at this stage of a Premier League campaign.

Having only twice dipped into single figures after six games under Sir Alex Ferguson – eight points in 2002-03 and nine in 2004-05 – they began life after their long-serving manager with two wins and a draw in David Moyes’ first six league games in 2013 as they were beaten by Liverpool, Manchester City and West Brom.

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They had eight points at the same stage the following season and again in 2019-20 before matching the record low of seven in 2020-21, losing to Crystal Palace, Arsenal and 6-1 against Spurs.

Ten Hag lost his first two games in charge in 2022 but won the next four to reach 12 points. His side’s starts have declined in each year since, though, with nine points at this stage last season and now seven.

Spurs emulated Liverpool by winning 3-0 at Old Trafford while United also lost 2-1 at Brighton. Their only wins have come against Fulham and Southampton, with a 0-0 draw against Palace.

Shot-shy

Of perhaps greater concern still is United’s lack of goalscoring form – only Southampton (two) have scored fewer than their five league goals, which ranks level with Palace, Ipswich and Bournemouth – the latter, like Saints, have played a game fewer.

Indeed, the seven goals United scored in their Carabao Cup win over Barnsley matches the total in their other eight games in all competitions.

They have let in 10 at the other end and have won only three out of nine games overall, though four clean sheets offer at least some encouragement.

Alejandro Garnacho is their top scorer with four goals, with Marcus Rashford and Christian Eriksen the only other players to score more than once – the trio scored twice each against Barnsley.

Joshua Zirkzee scored their first league goal of the season, the late winner against Fulham as a substitute, but that is his only goal since his summer move from Bologna despite appearing in every game apart from the Community Shield. Fellow striker Rasmus Hojlund is working his way back from injury, with short substitute appearances in the last three games.

Ten Hag survived a summer review at United but his future has quickly become the subject of fresh speculation.

The Dutchman has a win ratio of 56.1 per cent at the club – 69 out of 123 games in all competitions, with 20 draws and 34 defeats. That win ratio ranks behind only Jose Mourinho (58.3 per cent) of permanent United managers since Ferguson’s retirement.