Chapter 544: Matching the Club's Unbeaten Record
On February 3rd, at 3 PM local time, Manchester United faced Huddersfield Town at Old Trafford in the 26th round of the Premier League. Before United's match started, good news came from Turf Moor: Burnley had held Manchester City to a 1-1 draw. This meant that if United won today, they would extend their lead at the top of the table back to 10 points.
However, back-to-back fixtures had left United's key players fatigued. This match against Huddersfield came only 65 hours after their last game against Tottenham. Even Bruno, with his exceptional physical conditioning, felt less than optimal. Therefore, Mourinho made significant changes to the starting lineup, with only goalkeeper De Gea retaining his spot from the previous match.
Aware of their massive loss to United in the first leg, Huddersfield, deep in the relegation zone, opted for a very defensive strategy. Despite United's rotated squad missing key attackers like Bruno, Harry Kane, Mbappé, and Rashford, Huddersfield was determined to secure at least one point with a tight defensive setup. United struggled to break through their defenses.
The first half saw several controversial decisions from the referee, who ignored potential penalties for fouls on McTominay and Mata in the box, much to the dismay of the Old Trafford crowd.
Mourinho was visibly frustrated with his team's first-half performance, prompting him to make two substitutions at halftime. Bruno replaced Mata, and Harry Kane came on for the veteran Ibrahimovic. These changes quickly paid off.
In the 55th minute, Bruno's cross from the left found Kane, who volleyed home from close range, netting his 19th league goal of the season. This goal invigorated United, who began to press Huddersfield aggressively.
However, another controversial decision came in the 61st minute when Kane was brought down in the box, but the referee again waved play on. The Old Trafford faithful were incensed.
Despite the frustration, United's protests seemed to pressure the referee. When Bruno was tripped by substitute Hefele in the 68th minute, the referee awarded a penalty after a brief hesitation. Bruno stepped up and converted, making it 2-0.
This scoreline held until the final whistle, extending United's unbeaten run in the Premier League to 28 matches, just one short of their club record of 29 matches. United had twice before gone 29 games unbeaten, from December 1998 to October 1999 and from April 2010 to February 2011. This record is the fourth longest in Premier League history, trailing Arsenal's 30-match streak (2001-2002), Chelsea's 40-match streak (2004-2005), and Arsenal's record 49-match streak.
Interestingly, United had ended two of these unbeaten runs. Arsenal's 30-match streak was broken by Wayne Rooney, who later joined United and became the club's all-time top scorer and captain.
This victory not only extended United's unbeaten run but also restored their 10-point lead at the top of the table. With only 12 rounds remaining, securing their 15th league title seemed almost certain.
As February 2018 began, anticipation for the Champions League knockout stages grew. Fans were eager for the return of Europe's premier competition, especially since the domestic leagues seemed relatively predictable, with league leaders in the Premier League and La Liga holding substantial leads.
The Champions League's appeal lies in its high-level competition and the significant financial rewards for participating clubs. As such, it has become an elite competition, where the group stages may be mundane, but the knockout rounds are fiercely contested.
This season, traditional powerhouses like Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Bayern Munich faced challenges, while Paris Saint-Germain appeared strong but not invincible. The English teams had collectively reached the knockout stages, making it difficult to predict a clear favorite for the title.
With domestic leagues appearing straightforward, the Champions League provided an opportunity for clubs like Real Madrid and Manchester City to achieve glory. Real Madrid, aiming for a historic third consecutive title, and City, seeking to perform well under Guardiola, would look to make their mark in Europe.
After defeating Huddersfield, United finally had a chance to rest. For the next two weeks, they had a manageable schedule, with one game per week—a rare respite in their busy season. Their next match was on February 11th against Newcastle, giving them an eight-day break.
Taking advantage of this rare break, United's management, at Bruno's suggestion and with Mourinho's agreement, gave the team a four-day mini-vacation in Qatar, enjoying the warm weather and beaches.
However, this break seemed to affect their performance upon returning to cold England. In their away match against Newcastle, United struggled in the first half, failing to break down a defense that was ranked 16th in the league. They went into halftime with a 0-0 scoreline.
In the second half, United continued to press, but a goal from Kane was disallowed for a prior foul, and Mbappé's shot was cleared off the line. As United pushed forward, Newcastle capitalized on a counterattack. In the 65th minute, after a free-kick and subsequent passes, Ritchie scored to give Newcastle the lead.
Recognizing the urgency, Mourinho made attacking substitutions, bringing on Lingard and Mahrez for Rashford and Mbappé. Despite their efforts, United couldn't break through until the 87th minute. In a chaotic corner situation, Kane and Ibrahimovic had shots blocked before Bruno finally scored, equalizing at 1-1.
This draw extended United's unbeaten run to 29 matches, matching their club record. Bruno's goal also brought his league tally to 33 for the season.
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