Manchester United will be hoping the new year brings a change in fortunes as the Red Devils continue to blow hot and cold under Ruben Amorim’s leadership.
After a shocking 1-1 draw at home to Premier League whipping boys Wolverhampton Wanderers, United are heading into the new year on the back of one win in four league games (D2, L1).
A 1-0 win against Newcastle United ended a two-match winless streak that included an eight-goal thriller against Bournemouth (4-4) and a 2-1 defeat away at Aston Villa.
However, United failed to build on that solitary success, slipping back to their old ways against Wolves and will now be looking to pick up the slack in the new year.
Like every other team, United are facing a jam-packed January schedule, with Amorim’s troops set to play five times across the month. The Premier League top four odds still show Man Utd as 6th favourites with https://1xbet.gm/en and other bookmakers. However, a lot will depend on the next few fixtures, with the league table tightly packed in the middle: 5th-placed Chelsea are on 30 points, while 14th-placed Brighton are on 25 points.
Read on as we preview United’s January fixtures and offer our prediction on each game.
Leeds United (A) – January 4
United kick off the new year behind enemy lines as they travel to Yorkshire to take on bitter rivals Leeds United at Elland Road on January 4.
The Red Devils couldn’t have picked a worse time to visit Leeds, with Daniel Farke’s side riding the wave of a six-game unbeaten streak, although they’ve only won twice in that run (D4).
Nevertheless, they’ve picked up points against top sides, holding Liverpool to a draw twice after beating Chelsea 3-1 on home turf.
While Leeds will fancy their chances of adding United to their list of casualties, their record against the Red Devils could be their own undoing.
United have won 12 of their last 19 league games against Leeds (D6, L1).
They’re also unbeaten in nine, although the last time Leeds picked up a win against United was on home turf in September 2002.
United will be looking for a response after dropping points against Wolves, while Leeds have become draw specialists and have an unbeaten streak to protect.
It’s not beyond the realm of possibility to suggest these two sides may end up sharing the spoils, although fans may be treated to another classic rival bout in Yorkshire.
Leeds 1-2 Man United
Burnley (A) – January 7
After leaving enemy territory, United visit Turf Moor on January 7 to take on a struggling Burnley side who are knee-deep in a relegation battle.
While the Red Devils are expected to come away with maximum points, the draw against winless Wolves suggests they can’t be trusted to swat aside relegation-threatened foes.
Nevertheless, United’s record against Burnley should spur them on to another routine outing in Lancashire.
United are unbeaten in their last seven games against Burnley (W5, D2), picking up a 3-2 win in the most recent meeting at Old Trafford.
They have an even better record at Turf Moor, going eight games unbeaten (W6, D2), since a narrow 1-0 defeat in August 2009.
United will go into the game as favourites and should leave Turf Moor with all three points.
Burnley 0-2 Man United
Brighton & Hove Albion (H – FA Cup) – January 11
Taking a break from Premier League action, United welcome Brighton & Hove Albion to the Theatre of Dreams for their highly anticipated FA Cup third round fixture on January 11.
United are unbeaten in their last two FA Cup meetings with Brighton, although they needed penalties to get past the Seagulls when they squared off in the semi-finals last time out.
While they’ll be keen to maintain that record, Brighton have proven to be a thorn in United’s side over the past few years.
Their 4-2 win last time out ended a two-game losing streak against the Seagulls in the league. Before then, United picked up a 2-0 win in May 2025 to end a four-game losing streak against Brighton.
United have hardly covered themselves in glory in domestic competitions this season, going out of the EFL Cup in the second round against League Two side Grimsby Town.
That historic feat will inspire Brighton, but United should be able to squeeze past the Seagulls and move into the next round.
Brighton 1-2 Man United
Manchester City (H) – January 17
United welcome next-door neighbours Manchester City to Old Trafford in their penultimate January fixture as things heat up towards the end of the month.
The Cityzens have been the more dominant team in Manchester over the past decade, and their head-to-head results don’t do United any favours.
United have lost six of their last nine games against City (W2, D1), including a stunning 3-0 defeat at Etihad Stadium in their most recent meeting.
Amorim had a decent record against City before joining United and managed to avoid defeat in his first two meetings with the Cityzens.
With City chasing the title and the gulf in quality between the squads, it’s hard to envision a home win, but Amorim will be expecting the team to fight every second on the pitch.
United 1-1 City
Arsenal (A) – January 25
United close out the month with another blockbuster clash as they head north of the capital to take on historical rivals Arsenal at Emirates Stadium.
United fans haven’t had much to cheer about whenever their side comes up against Arsenal, given the fact that it’s been one-way traffic in this fixture over the years.
The Red Devils haven’t celebrated a win against Arsenal since their 3-1 success at Old Trafford in September 2022.
They’ve picked up just one point from the subsequent 18 on offer since then (D1, L5), with a 1-1 draw in March 2025 ending a four-game losing streak against the Gunners.
Arsenal extended their dominance over United even further at the start of the season after clinching a narrow 1-0 win in the curtain raiser at Old Trafford – a game that United probably should have won.
This game will impact both teams’ ambitions for the rest of the season, but Arsenal are more likely to complete yet another double over United at the Emirates.
Arsenal 2-1 United
