Manchester United's top five heaviest defeats in Premier League

On Sunday, The Red Devils suffered a humiliating defeat in the Premier League against Liverpool

Manchester United are undoubtedly one of the most successful and prestigious football clubs in the world. With a long and illustrious history that spans over a century, the Red Devils have won numerous domestic and international trophies, including a record 20 English Premier League titles, three European Cups, and one Club World Cup. However, even the best teams can sometimes suffer heavy defeats, and Manchester United is no exception.

Despite their status as one of the best clubs in the world, Manchester United has experienced some of their worst defeats in the history of the sport. These losses, which often involved high margins of defeat, serve as a reminder that football is a highly unpredictable game, and even the most successful teams can have bad days.

Let’s look at the five biggest defeats of Manchester United in their Premier League history.

5. Manchester United 0-5 Liverpool, 24th October 2021

Liverpool secured their biggest-ever away victory over Manchester United with a resounding 5-0 win at Old Trafford. Mohamed Salah led the way with a hat-trick and an assist in a scintillating individual performance. Liverpool were quick off the blocks, taking a 2-0 lead within the opening 13 minutes. Salah's brace before half-time put the result beyond doubt, before he completed his hat-trick with a sublime finish in the second half. The game also marked the first hat-trick by an away player at Old Trafford in the Premier League in over 30 years.

4. Chelsea 5-0 Manchester United, 3rd October 1999

Manchester United's 29-game unbeaten run came to an abrupt end when they suffered a devastating 5-0 defeat at the hands of Gianluca Vialli's Chelsea side. The game was a nightmare for United, with Gus Poyet capitalizing on a goalkeeping error to score just 27 seconds into the game. Matters went from bad to worse when Nicky Butt was sent off following a clash with Dennis Wise. Chris Sutton, Poyet, Jody Morris, and an own goal from Henning Berg completed the scoring, leaving United reeling. Despite the defeat, Sir Alex Ferguson's side went on to lift the Premier League trophy that season.

3. Manchester United 1-6 Tottenham Hotspur, 4th October 2020

Tottenham Hotspur produced a stunning performance to record an incredible 6-1 victory over 10-man Manchester United at Old Trafford. Despite falling behind to an early Bruno Fernandes penalty, Spurs responded emphatically with goals from Tanguy Ndombele, Son Heung-min, and Harry Kane. Anthony Martial's red card for an altercation with Erik Lamela made United's task even harder, and Son added his second before half-time. Serge Aurier made it 5-1 six minutes after the restart, before Kane completed his brace from the penalty spot late on.

2. Manchester United 1-6 Manchester City, 23rd October 2011

Manchester United suffered a devastating 6-1 defeat at the hands of local rivals Manchester City at Old Trafford, marking one of the worst losses in their history. The game was highly anticipated and seen as a chance for City to prove themselves against the traditionally dominant United. Mario Balotelli opened the scoring in the first half, with City adding two more goals through Balotelli and Sergio Aguero in the second half. United managed to pull one back through Darren Fletcher, but City responded with four more goals, including two from Edin Dzeko and one from David Silva. It was a humiliating defeat for the team and a statement of intent from their rivals.

1. Liverpool 7-0 Manchester United, 5th March 2023

On Sunday, Erik Ten Hag's successful Manchester United team suffered a devastating defeat as Liverpool, their bitter rivals, handed them their worst loss in nearly 100 years at Anfield. Despite having secured their first title in six years by winning the League Cup, United were torn apart by Liverpool, who had an average season so far. Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez, and Cody Gakpo each scored twice, and Roberto Firmino added the seventh after coming off the bench. The 7-0 scoreline, with six goals coming in the second half, matched United's most significant defeat and was their most significant loss in the Premier League era.