Manchester United got eliminated from the FA Cup by Brighton, 1-2, and it is now certain that they will play the fewest games in a season since over a century: without European competitions, only 40 matches, counting all 38 Premier League matches, and both eliminations from the cups: Sunday's defeat against Brighton, and August's embarrassing defeat against fourth-tier Grimsby Town in the EFL Cup.
According to statistics by British media, the last time Manchester United only played 40 games was 1914-15 campaign, where there were no cup games due to the First World War. It is also the first time United has been eliminated from the two domestic competitions in the first round since 1981/82.
It's true that Manchester United got unlucky in the draw after being paired with a Premier League team in third round, the first one with Premier League and Championship teams. But eleven weeks ago, Manchester United had defeated Brighton in a third victory in a row, one of the few moments where Ruben Amorim's team seemed to be on the right track.
Now, one week after Amorim got sacked, Manchester United has drawn one match and lost another under interim coach Darren Fletcher, who is still believed to be sticking around until the end of the season, with Champions League qualification (a top 4 finish) at stake.