Manchester United’s relegation risk remains remote despite worst run in decades

Manchester United’s relegation risk remains remote, but their worst run of results in decades has put the club 17th after nine league games and exposed how poor their start has been.

United lost 2-0 to Chelsea on Saturday, extending their winless run to nine games in all competitions. Their only Premier League victory this season came against Ipswich in August. The club have not been in the relegation zone after nine or more league matches since 1986, according to BBC Sport.

The current position is partly down to results elsewhere, and the season is still at an early stage. United finished 16th under Ruben Amorim last season, but were 14 points clear of the bottom three with one match remaining. A relegation battle is possible, but BBC Sport says it remains unlikely for a club whose revenues are expected to exceed £700m this season.

Manager Michael Carrick said the priority was to start winning. Asked about the mentality needed in the club’s current position, he said players could focus instead on how quickly they might climb the table by winning matches.

United’s next league fixture is against Aston Villa at Old Trafford on 8 November. They will be without Lisandro Martínez, suspended after his red card against Chelsea. Carrick’s future was unclear at the time of BBC Sport’s report, which said the expectation before Saturday’s match was that he would remain in charge for Tuesday’s Champions League game against Roma.

The financial consequences of relegation would be substantial. BBC Sport cited an estimate that Tottenham could lose £197m to £235m in revenue if relegated, while noting that Manchester United’s larger television income would not be covered by parachute payments. The club also has £1.15bn in debt, according to the report; the scale of any impact on its commercial income is uncertain.