Manchester United are actually one of the most in-form teams in the world – and that is something you might not realise.
Their season has been more steady on the pitch than some of the chaos that has happened behind the scenes.
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This season, they have lost just three Premier League games. To put that in perspective, they had five defeats in December alone last year.
Carrick currently has United on a five-game unbeaten run, and they are nine without defeat in the Premier League – currently the longest streak of any club.
They are sitting fourth in the league table, with results also showing up strong on Opta’s Power Rankings chart as well.
Understanding the Opta Power Rankings
The Opta Power Rankings operate through a worldwide data model that is refreshed each week, giving teams a score anywhere from 0 to 100.
Performance levels are tracked and adjusted throughout the season, and over the past year, Manchester United’s score has shown significant improvement.
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Manchester United surpass Real Madrid in Opta Rankings
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images
Manchester United now sit 10th in the Opta Power Rankings, a solid showing for a club not involved in this season’s Champions League or Europa League.
It is their first appearance in the top 10 since September 2023, a span of 878 days, dating back to Erik ten Hag’s time in charge.
United hold a performance rank of 92.4/100, just ahead of Real Madrid’s 92.3 – a small gap that still reflects how close it is between both clubs right now.
Real Madrid, who topped the rankings as recently as June 2024, have dropped down considerably since then.
United’s position has fluctuated even more sharply over the past couple of years.
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Manchester United dropped as low as 45th
After finishing 15th in the Premier League and losing the Europa League Final, Manchester United fell to 45th in the Opta Power Rankings.
At that point, teams like Al-Hilal, Crystal Palace, and Bologna were all ranked ahead of them. Since then, United have climbed back above those clubs.
The Opta Power Rankings are not about silverware – they do not come with any prizes – but they are a good reflection of progress and direction.
Right now, Arsenal hold the top spot with Manchester City in second. United have beaten both sides over the past year, results that have played a role in their rise up the rankings.
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Ruben Amorim said last season that United had hit rock bottom. It looks like he was right because since then, things have only been looking up for them.
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