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After all 20 Premier League sides had played 9 matches in the 2026-27 season, Manchester United were 17th.
They had won just a single game, drawing four and losing four. The last of those nine matches was a 2-0 away defeat to Chelsea, a result that British newspapers said had deepened the crisis at Old Trafford.
United were winless in nine games in all competitions, their worst run since 1988.
But could they really be relegated? Sportsbooks thought so.
Man United - relegation candidates?
It was 2013 that United last lifted the Premier League trophy. If they had any chance of winning the league before this campaign began, that chance all but vanished after two months. United were at around 201 on many sportsbooks to win the Premier League. Several platforms priced them at 501.
But bookmakers did think they had a chance at relegation. They were priced at around 12-21 on many platforms.
Hull, Coventry, and Crystal Palace were among the favourites to be relegated, each with odds of around 1.8.
Man City were also among those likely to be relegated. They were second in the table, behind only Arsenal, but embroiled in a legal dispute with the Premier League.
No matter how a Premier League side might be struggling, they are still often fancied in European competition. Only a few days after losing to Chelsea, United were favorites to win their Champions League match against Roma. Around the world, the odds reflected this. Among the betting sites in Zambia, one platform had United at 2.20 and Roma at 2.95 in the afternoon before kick off.
English sides among the favourites for the Champions League
During United’s domestic struggles, they were widely seen as around the 10th likeliest team to win the Champions League.
Far likelier were Arsenal, third favourites behind Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona.
Manchester City and Liverpool were also among the favourites, behind Bayern Munich and Real Madrid.
Last season, Arsenal reached the final for the first time since 2006. They lost to Paris Saint-Germain in 2026 and Barcelona in 2006.
Many pundits felt that Mikel Arteta would need attacking players of a higher quality in order to play more positively against the top teams in Europe. They played a conservative game in the final, only losing on penalties. The club recruited Christos Tzolis and Bruno Guimarães in the summer.
Carrick wasn’t focused on a relegation battle
After the Chelsea loss, United head coach Michael Carrick was asked if the players were ready to battle relegation.
He said that was one way of looking at it, but preferred to think about how quickly United could move up the table if they started winning.
United had previously lost to Bournemouth. Following that match, there was intense debate around whether Carrick would hold on to his job. The club’s director of football, Jason Wilcox, and chief executive Omar Berrada reportedly met to discuss his future.
The Guardian reported that Wilcox drove the retaining of Carrick, who previously managed Middlesbrough in the Championship.
Carrick enjoyed a successful playing career at United, winning five Premier League titles, the FA Cup, two League Cups, the Champions League, the Europa League, and the Club World Cup.
