On The Ball | Premier League contenders Manchester United have wind in sails thanks to stunning away form
- United’s domestic away form is staggering, having won 18 of their 20 games, drawn two and lost none
- No one is laughing now at talk of Old Trafford giants being in first title race since Alex Ferguson left club
Manchester United’s team coaches edged out of Goodison Park away from the temporary dressing rooms, past signs saying ‘red zone’, splashing through puddles in the road works by the statue of Everton legend Dixie Dean.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Nemanja Matic and Harry Maguire had fulfilled their post-match media duties, smiling and confident after another away victory. Six weeks ago on the same spot, the Norwegian was fuming because of the 12:30 kick-off at Goodison in the league following a midweek trip to Turkey, even though United won.
Despite another victory this week, his stance hasn’t altered on 12:30 kick-offs. It’s an issue he’s prepared to fight over, despite his club being partly responsible in agreeing to a contract which allows such times.
United’s next game is a 12:30 start at second-place Leicester City on Boxing Day. The games are unrelenting, but at least Solskjaer has a big squad that has largely avoided injuries. That meant he could make nine changes from Sunday’s 6-2 victory against Leeds which pushed United to third, a point behind Leicester but with a game in hand.
United’s recent record against Leicester is excellent; indeed, United are the form team in the Premier League after a faltering start and the improvement is clear. The team have won eight of their 13 league games so far. After 14 games last season, United had won only four. Combine that with rivals dropping far more points than a year ago and talk of Manchester United being in a first title race since Alex Ferguson left the club isn’t laughed at.
