Manchester United are finally kicking off their Premier League season under Erik ten Hag, facing off against Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday 7 August.
After a pre-season that comprised of fixtures against Liverpool, Melbourne Victory, Crystal Palace, Aston Villa, Atletico Madrid and Rayo Vallecano, United will be looking to hit the ground running against the side who smashed them 4-0 in the back end of last campaign.
United won the first three of their pre-season fixtures, while drawing two and losing one.
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The standout performers were for sure Anthony Martial, Jadon Sancho and Fred, who all received much praise for their great form throughout pre-season.
Ahead of the Premier League opener, Ten Hag spoke on what his squad need to prove to fit into his plans.
"You [will always] be judged on what you are presenting now, performing now,” he said. “So the team and Cristiano himself has to prove it.”
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When asked about Ronaldo’s ability to fit in his plans for United, Ten Hag replied, "I think he can. It starts with he has to get fit, he just started. He is a fantastic football player – he's proved it so many times."
The club wanted to get a midfielder in before the start of the season, however that has not come to fruition. Their main target is Frenkie de Jong, and when asked on the player, the Dutch manager said "No, I can't (talk about him). I don't talk about players who is not under contract at Manchester United."
"We know what we want,” he declared on transfer targets. "It's not about signing players, it's about signing the right players, so we are really planning it carefully – we are strict to that, hard working to get the right players in to construct a good squad."
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Global kick-off times
United Kingdom
14:00 BST
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United Arab Emirates
17:00 GST
United States of America
Eastern time: 09:00 EDT
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Pacific time: 06:00 PDT
Indian Subcontinent
18:00 IST
TV Listings
For the UK, the fixture will be shown on both Sky Sports Main Event & Sky Sports Premier League. In the UAE, fans will be able to view the fixture on beIN SPORTS CONNECT.
The USA will broadcast the game on Peacock, and for those viewing in the Indian subcontinent, the match will be on Hotstar.
Highlights of the fixture will be available on Sky Sports’ YouTube channel after the game, with MUTV showing a full replay at 00:00 BST.
Topics: Manchester United, Brighton And Hove Albion, Erik Ten Hag, Cristiano Ronaldo, Frenkie De Jong, Premier League
Dylan Penketh