The 2020–21 season was Manchester United's 29th season in the Premier League and their 46th consecutive season in the top flight of English football. The club finished second in the Premier League, their joint-highest finish since the retirement of Alex Ferguson in 2013, were knocked out of the EFL Cup in the semi-finals by local rivals Manchester City, in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup by Leicester City and finished third in their UEFA Champions League group, therefore being relegated to the UEFA Europa League.
The season threatened to be overshadowed by the attempted formation of a European Super League. On 18 April 2021, Manchester United announced they were joining 11 other European clubs as founding members of the Super League, a proposed 20-team competition intended to rival the UEFA Champions League. The announcement drew an unprecedented backlash from supporters, other clubs, media partners, sponsors, players and the UK Government, forcing the club to withdraw just two days later. The failure of the project led to the resignation of executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward, while resultant protests against Woodward and owners the Glazer family led to a pitch invasion ahead of a league match against Liverpool on 2 May 2021, which saw a Premier League game get postponed due to supporter protests for the first time in the competition's history.
On the pitch, United equalled the biggest win in Premier League history with a 9–0 victory against Southampton on 2 February 2021, but ended the season with defeat on penalties in the UEFA Europa League final against Villarreal, going four straight seasons without a trophy and one season away from equalling their worst trophy drought since the club was last relegated.
Pre-season and friendlies Due to the belated end to the previous season as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Manchester United played just one friendly before the start of their 2020–21 Premier League season, away to Aston Villa on 12 September 2020. Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins scored the only goal of the game in the 16th minute.
DateOpponentsH / AResultF–AScorersAttendance12 September 2020Aston VillaA0–10
Premier League Manchester United's opening match of the 2020–21 Premier League season was due to be away to Burnley on 12 September, but was postponed to ensure a minimum of 30 days between seasons, as per Premier League regulations; the club's final game of the 2019–20 season was on 16 August. Instead, United began their season on 19 September at home to Crystal Palace. After Andros Townsend opened the scoring for the visitors early on, David de Gea denied Jordan Ayew from the penalty spot in the second half, only for the video assistant referee (VAR) to intervene as De Gea had advanced from his line before Ayew had struck the ball; former Manchester United winger Wilfried Zaha scored from the re-take. Donny van de Beek, making his debut after coming on midway through the second half, pulled a goal back for United, but Zaha scored a third for Palace five minutes later, making him the first former United player to score more than one Premier League goal in a single match against United. It was the third time United had lost their opening home match of a Premier League season and the first since 2014–15. The following week, away to Brighton & Hove Albion, United came back from a goal down via an own goal by Lewis Dunk and one from Marcus Rashford – the 10,000th goal in the club's history – to lead 2–1 as the match entered stoppage time at the end of the second half; however, as additional time drew to an end, Solly March equalised for the home side. As United searched for a last-minute winning goal, the referee blew the final whistle with the score at 2–2, only for the VAR to award a penalty to United for a handball by Neal Maupay. Bruno Fernandes scored the penalty to give United their first league win of the season.
In the following match on 4 October, the last before the international break, a Bruno Fernandes penalty gave United an early lead at home to Tottenham Hotspur, who were led by former United manager José Mourinho; however, Spurs overturned the deficit thanks to Tanguy Ndombele and Son Heung-min. After United forward Anthony Martial was sent off for slapping Erik Lamela in the face, Harry Kane scored a brace, Son added a second goal and Serge Aurier also scored to give Tottenham a 6–1 win. It was Manchester United's joint-biggest defeat in the Premier League, matching the scoreline from the Manchester derby in 2011, as well as the heaviest defeat under either Ole Gunnar Solskjær as manager or Ed Woodward as executive vice-chairman. The four goals United conceded in the first half was the most they had conceded at home in a single half since November 1957, also against Tottenham. United returned from the international break with a trip to Newcastle United on 17 October, and went behind early on to a Luke Shaw own goal. After Harry Maguire equalised with a header midway through the first half, Fernandes had a penalty saved by Newcastle goalkeeper Karl Darlow in the second, the first he had failed to score since joining the club in February. He eventually scored in the 86th minute, followed by goals from Aaron Wan-Bissaka in the 90th – the first of his senior career – and Rashford in the sixth minute of added time. On 24 October, United were held to a goalless draw by Chelsea. The result meant the club had failed to win any of their first three home league games for the first time since 1972–73; however, the result also extended United's unbeaten league record against Chelsea to six matches, with the most recent defeat coming in November 2017, while Chelsea had not won a league match at Old Trafford since the 2012–13 season.
On 1 November, United played rival Arsenal at home. Paul Pogba's foul inside the box led to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's winning penalty as Arsenal won a league match at Old Trafford for the first time since 17 September 2006. Before the international break, United travelled to Everton. The visitors won 3–1; Fernandes scored his first brace of the season before Edinson Cavani sealed the victory deep into the added time with his first United goal. Two weeks later, United returned to action at home against West Bromwich Albion. A retaken penalty from Fernandes – given after Albion's goalkeeper, former United shot stopper Sam Johnstone stepped out of the line before saving the first – secured United's maiden home league win of the season. On 29 November, United visited Southampton. Trailed 2–0 at half-time by goals from Jan Bednarek and James Ward-Prowse, United came back to win 3–2 via Fernandes and a brace from Cavani. Goalkeeper Dean Henderson made his league debut for the club, coming on at the interval for the injured De Gea. The win made United the first side in Premier League history to win four consecutive away games despite trailing in everyone of them, and also made United won eight consecutive top-flight away matches for the first time in their history.
On 5 December, United played West Ham United at the London Stadium. Henderson, on his first league start for the club, conceded to Tomáš Souček in the first half. In the second half, the visitors produced yet another comeback to win 3–1; Pogba and Mason Greenwood scored their first league goals of the season, before Rashford sealed the club's ninth straight away victory in the league. The next week, United were held 0–0 at home by derby rivals Manchester City; this was the first derby played at Old Trafford to end goalless since October 2015, and it was United's third consecutive clean sheet against City in all competitions, the longest since a run of four – all in the league – between 1994 and 1995. On 17 December, United managed yet another away comeback in a 3–2 win at Sheffield United, extending the club record to 10 consecutive league away wins. Rashford's two goals and Martial's first league goal of the season were enough to cancel out David McGoldrick's brace and keep Sheffield United winless after their first 13 league games of the season. On 20 December, United went rampant as they beat their "Roses" rival Leeds United 6–2 at home. Meeting for the first time in the league since 2004, McTominay opened the game with a brace inside three minutes, becoming the first player to do so in the league's history. Fernandes scored in the 20th minute before Victor Lindelöf scored his first goal of the season to put United 4–0 up after just 37 minutes. Liam Cooper pulled one back for the visitors before half time. Daniel James scored his first league goal of the season midway through the second half, before Fernandes scored a penalty in the 70th minute. Three minutes later, Stuart Dallas scored Leeds' second to close the match. This was the first league match in which United scored more than five goals since the 8–2 win over Arsenal in August 2011. United opened the Boxing Day matchday with a visit to Leicester City. Leading twice via Rashford and Fernandes with Harvey Barnes' goal sandwiched in between, United substitute defender Axel Tuanzebe scored an own goal after diverting Jamie Vardy's attempt to make the score 2–2. The club ended 2020 with a home game against Wolverhampton Wanderers. Rashford scored at 92:51 – United's latest winning goal at Old Trafford in the Premier League since Michael Owen on 20 September 2009 (95:27) – to make United end the year in second place.
On New Year's Day, United hosted Aston Villa in the second game of the matchweek. Martial scored first after 40 minutes before Bertrand Traoré equalises in the 58th minute. Fernandes sealed the win via a penalty three minutes later after referee Michael Oliver judged that Pogba had been fouled by Douglas Luiz inside the box. On 12 January, United visited Burnley for the game in hand from the first matchday. Pogba volleyed in the only goal of the game to send United top of the table with a three-point lead over defending champions and arch rivals Liverpool, whom they would meet in the following match. Both teams would only fire blanks as the said match ended goalless, keeping United top while Liverpool were down to fourth below Manchester City and Leicester City upon both sides' win in this matchday. Three days later, they played Fulham away. Ademola Lookman scored after five minutes to give Fulham the early lead. Cavani equalised 16 minutes later after a mistake by Fulham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola. United completed another comeback in the 65th minute by Pogba's long-range curling effort, sending United back to the top of the table after starting the match in third. On 27 January, United played the first return leg of the league season as they hosted bottom-placed Sheffield United. The visitors' Kean Bryan opened the scoring after 23 minutes to end the first half 1–0 up. Maguire equalised in 64th minute only to be cancelled by Oliver Burke as Manchester United were defeated in the league for the first time in 14 matches while Sheffield United earned only their second win of the league season. United ended January with a visit to rivals Arsenal. The match ended goalless as the visitors, still searching for a first league win in this fixture since April 2018, including all five league meetings under Solskjær, managed to deny Mikel Arteta from becoming the first Arsenal manager to win his first three matches against United.