Manchester United’s next five fixtures compared with Chelsea and Crystal Palace after Bournemouth draw

Manchester United moved up to sixth place in the Premier League table after being held to a dramatic 4–4 draw by AFC Bournemouth on Monday night, a result which highlighted both their attacking promise and ongoing defensive concerns.

Rúben Amorim’s side followed up last week’s comfortable victory over Wolves with an entertaining but chaotic encounter at Old Trafford. United impressed going forward but were repeatedly exposed at the back, failing to turn their attacking dominance into three points.

Chaotic night at Old Trafford

United took control early on, with Amad Diallo and Casemiro scoring either side of an Antoine Semenyo equaliser in the first half. Bournemouth fought back strongly after the interval through goals from Evanilson and Marcus Tavernier, only for Bruno Fernandes to restore parity for the hosts.

Matheus Cunha appeared to have secured victory for United late on, but Eli Junior Kroupi struck in the closing moments to earn Bournemouth a share of the spoils in a breathless contest.

Despite the dropped points, United climbed into sixth place and remain firmly in contention for European qualification. Amorim’s side are targeting a top-six finish this season after a disappointing 15th-place finish in the Premier League last term.

Manchester United: next five fixtures

United return to action on Sunday afternoon with a challenging away trip to Aston Villa, who currently sit third in the table after twice coming from behind to beat West Ham 3–2 at the weekend.

The Red Devils then face a busy festive schedule, hosting Newcastle United on Boxing Day before welcoming Wolves to Old Trafford four days later. The New Year begins with consecutive away matches against newly promoted Leeds United and Burnley.

• Aston Villa (A)

• Newcastle United (H)

• Wolves (H)

• Leeds United (A)

• Burnley (A)

Amorim will be hoping his side can finish the calendar year strongly and carry momentum into 2026. A top-five finish is expected to be sufficient for Champions League qualification, although that remains dependent on UEFA’s coefficient allocations.

Rivals’ upcoming fixtures

With several clubs jostling for European places, United will be eager to capitalise on any slip-ups by their rivals over the coming weeks. Here is how the next five fixtures compare for other sides in contention:

Aston Villa:

• Manchester United (H)

• Chelsea (A)

• Arsenal (A)

• Nottingham Forest (H)

• Crystal Palace (A)

Chelsea:

• Cardiff City (A)

• Newcastle United (A)

• Aston Villa (H)

• Bournemouth (H)

• Manchester City (A)

Crystal Palace:

• KuPS (H)

• Leeds United (A)

• Arsenal (A)

• Tottenham Hotspur (H)

• Fulham (H)

Liverpool:

• Tottenham Hotspur (A)

• Wolves (H)

• Leeds United (H)

• Fulham (A)

• Arsenal (H)

Sunderland:

• Brighton (A)

• Leeds United (H)

• Manchester City (H)

• Tottenham Hotspur (A)

• Brentford (A)

Everton:

• Arsenal (H)

• Burnley (A)

• Nottingham Forest (A)

• Brentford (H)

• Wolves (H)

Brighton & Hove Albion:

• Sunderland (H)

• Arsenal (A)

• West Ham United (A)

• Burnley (H)

• Manchester City (A)