Every year in the festive season, The Athletic attempts to tell the story of the world’s most written-about football club succinctly. 

Manchester United are too big and strange to be adequately explained in around 1,000 words but we have had a crack. There are many events we had to omit for brevity, so please feel free to sound off in the comments.

Will 2026 bring calmer waters?

---

Best moment

We’ll leave discussion of Lyon for a later section and talk about another late winner from Harry Maguire. Ruben Amorim’s men were unbeaten at Anfield in 2025. A 2-2 draw in early January sparked a fire in Bruno Fernandes that has made him a viable option in central midfield.

But it was the 2-1 win in mid-October that marked a turning point for this team. Amorim appeared to have outwitted Arne Slot by starting with a strikerless system that focused on winning second balls, but a 78th-minute equaliser from Cody Gakpo risked letting the air out of the balloon.

Then rose Maguire in the 84th minute with a thumping header for United’s first win at Anfield since the days of Louis van Gaal. The victory has proved vital for the 2025-26 season.

Harry Maguire with a MASSIVE header to send the away end wild! 😱 pic.twitter.com/moUtr2aDsj

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 19, 2025

Worst moment

United were beaten by Tottenham in a cup final this year. Spurs mustered only one shot on target (sort of) and managed to win in 90 minutes.

Fans travelled from all over the world to Bilbao to be served up… that. A season billed as “Bilbao or Bust” ended in insipid fashion.  

Best game

Manchester United 5-4 Lyon (after extra time).

Those who watched this on UK broadcast via TNT Sport will remember Robbie Savage shouting: “Go and get the winner” shortly after Kobbie Mainoo’s equaliser.

It felt ridiculous. United had nearly thrown it away, only for an academy graduate to salvage things… and yet someone out there credibly believed there was supposed to be space for one more goal?

And then it happened. Maguire’s glorious forehead meeting Casemiro’s cross in the 121st minute to send Old Trafford to cloud nine. “I told you! I told you!” was Savage’s response while Maguire sped away to do one of his trademark knee slide celebrations.

United are not the force they used to be, but they still find the magic two to three times a year.  Old Trafford still sparkles, the Stretford End starts bouncing and then — somehow — this team finds a way to overcome seemingly insurmountable odds. This victory made for one of the great European nights in the club’s modern history.