It’s not a bad little year for Manchester United and manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Although they still felt 12 points shorts of the Premier League title, and didn’t fare well in the UEFA Champions League, they still finished runner-up, and undefeated on the road.
The last time some did that? Arsene Wenger’s 2003/04 “Invincibles” who were also undefeated at home. That legendary Arsenal group is the only team to go through a full season in the modern era of top flight English football without suffering a loss.
The Red Devils haven’t suffered defeat on the road since a January 2020 visit to arch-rival Liverpool.
United finished the slate with a 2-1 win at Wolves, despite fielding a very weakened side. Solskjaer had to do a lot of squad rotation with the 20/21 season finale and trophy game coming up on Wednesday night.
United will take on Villareal in Gdansk, and if they triumph, it will mark the first piece of silverware of the Solskjaer era. Wolverhampton Wanderers were a thorn in the side of United last year, often causing them major problems, but a serious head injury to Raul Jimenez derailed their season.
United’s b-team was still able to get past a Wolves side that saw off manager Nuno Espirito Santo in his final match.
United got goals from 19-year old forward Anthony Elanga, his first goal for the club, and crafty veteran, but now squad player Juan Mata. This season also marked the first time that United actually sat atop the table after the new year.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank, partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and SB Nation. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.