Manchester United quadruple chase 2022-2023: Red Devils' quest for four trophies in a single season

Simon Borg

Manchester United quadruple chase 2022-2023: Red Devils' quest for four trophies in a single season image

Given the lean seasons that Manchester United have experienced recently, supporters of the club would have been content with any piece of silverware from the 2022/23 season.

But the Red Devils are incredibly in the running to win all four competitions, with new manager Erik ten Hag eyeing what would be a historic quadruple. No team in England has managed to win all three major domestic trophies, plus a European trophy.

Rivals Manchester City did their own quadruple in 2018/19, but that consisted of four domestic trophies, including the Community Shield. Outside of England, German side Bayern Munich won four trophies in 2012/13, including the Champions League and the one-off DFL-Supercup (the equivalent of the Community Shield).

Manchester United secured a famous treble in 1998/99 by winning the UEFA Champions League, the Premier League, and the FA Cup, but they were knocked out in the League Cup quarterfinals by Tottenham.

Looking back over half a century, Celtic's famous Lisbon Lions (1966/67) bagged themselves five trophies in one season, including the European Cup (vs. Inter Milan), plus the Scottish league title, the Scottish Cup, the Scottish League Cup and the local Glasgow Cup.

The Red Devils have already clinched the Carabao Cup, defeating Newcastle United in the Wembley showpiece with a 2-0 victory. 

Below is a look at how Manchester United are faring so far in the other competitions of the 2022/23 campaign.

MORE: How many trophies have Manchester United won in their history?

Carabao Cup

Newcastle United fell to Ten Hag's resurgent Red Devils at Wembley in late February, as a Casemiro header and a Sven Botman own goal sealed a 2-0 triumph. 

That victory ended a six-year trophy drought for the Old Trafford club, while Ten Hag became the first Dutch manager to win the three-handled English trophy. 

The club's march to the first silverware of the season included winning all six matches by two goals or more. 

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DateStageOpponentResult
Nov. 10Third RoundAston Villa (H)W / 4-2
Dec. 21Round of 16Burnley (H)W / 2-0
Jan. 10

Quarterfinals

Charlton Athletic (H)W / 3-0
Jan. 25Semifinals 1st LegNott'm Forest (A)W / 3-0
Feb. 1Semifinals 2nd LegNott'm Forest (H)W / 2-0
Feb. 26FinalNewcastleW / 2-0

Europa League

  • Next match: Quarterfinal (1st leg)
  • Opponent: vs Sevilla
  • Date: Thursday, April 13

After opening Europa League play with a home loss, Man United recovered to win the remaining five group-stage matches. But it wasn't enough to overcome Real Sociedad for first place in Group E, and the goal difference tiebreaker sent the second-place Red Devils into the Knockout Playoff round.

There they were drawn against Spain's La Liga leaders Barcelona in the Knockout Playoffs with Man United claiming the 2-1 in the decisive second leg to win 3-2 on aggregate after a pulsating 2-2 at Camp Nou.

Against more Spanish opposition in the form of Real Betis, United seized control of their Round of 16 tie in the first leg, cruising to a 4-1 victory. Marcus Rashford secured a 1-0 win in Spain and a 5-1 aggregate result.

Pitted against Sevilla in the quarterfinals, United were cruising in the first leg at Old Trafford before somehow allowing the game to finish 2-2 via two own goals.

MORE: Manchester United vs. Barcelona head-to-head history

DateStageOpponentResult
Sept. 8Group Stage (Group E)Real Sociedad (H)L / 1-0
Sept. 15Group Stage (Group E)Sheriff Tiraspol (A)W / 2-0
Oct. 6Group Stage (Group E)Omonia Nicosia (A)W / 3-2
Oct. 13Group Stage (Group E)Omonia Nicosia (H)W / 1-0
Oct. 27Group Stage (Group E)Sheriff Tiraspol (H)W / 3-0
Nov. 3Group Stage (Group E)Real Sociedad (A)W / 1-0
Feb. 16Knockout Playoff 1st LegBarcelona (A)D / 2-2
Feb. 23Knockout Playoff 2nd LegBarcelona (H)W / 2-1
March 9Round of 16 1st LegReal Betis (H)W / 4-1
March 16Round of 16 2nd LegReal Betis (A)W / 1-0
April 13Quarterfinal 1st legSevilla (H)D / 2-2
April 20Quarterfinal 2nd legSevilla (A)TBD

FA Cup

  • Next match: Semifinals
  • Opponent: vs. Brighton & Hove Albion
  • Date: April 22/23

Manchester United have benefited from a favourable draw in this competition and have so far played all of their games at Old Trafford. 

After seeing off West Ham in the Round of 16, the Red Devils next hosted Fulham, who they beat 2-1 in November. The visitors went 1-0 up early in the second half, but a remarkable implosion, in which they conceded a penalty and had Willian, Aleksandar Mitrovic and manager Marco Silva sent off, allowed United to emerge as winners and keep up their strange record of winning all their FA Cup matches this season by the same scoreline.

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DateStageOpponentResult
Jan. 6Third RoundEverton (H)W / 3-1
Jan. 28Fourth RoundReading (H)W / 3-1
Mar. 1Round of 16West Ham (H)W / 3-1
Mar. 19QuarterfinalsFulham (H)W / 3-1
April 22/23SemifinalsBrighton (N)TBD

Premier League

  • Next match: Matchday 30 of 38
  • Opponent: at Nottingham Forest
  • Date: Sunday, April 16

Any real suggestions that Man United could win the Premier League this season were dismissed rather emphatically with that shocking 7-0 defeat to rivals Liverpool. The fact Arsenal and Manchester City have continued to pick up wins hasn't helped, either.

It is still technically possible for Man United to win their first league title since 2012/13. Back-to-back home wins over Brentford and Everton mean they can finish the season with a maximum of 83 points, which would put them 11 clear of leaders Arsenal as things stand. In other words, the Gunners need only take 12 points from their remaining nine games to make it mathematically impossible for Man United to win the league.

MORE: When did Manchester United last win the Premier League?

MatchdayDateMatchResultTable
Position
Points
from 1st
Title Probability
24Sun, Feb. 19vs. Leicester CityW / 3-03rd11 pts4%
25Sun, Mar. 5at LiverpoolL / 0-73rd14 pts<1%
26Sun, Mar. 12vs SouthamptonD / 0-03rd16 pts<1%
27Sun, Apr. 2at NewcastleL / 0-24th22 pts<1%
28Wed, Apr. 5vs BrentfordW / 1-04th19 pts<1%
29Sat, Apr. 8vs EvertonW / 2-04th16 pts<1%
30Sun, Apr. 16at Nott'm ForestW / 2-03rd15 pts<1%
31Sat, Apr. 22vs Chelsea    
32Sun, Apr. 27at Tottenham    
33Sun, Apr. 30vs Aston Villa    
34Sat, May 6at West Ham    
35Sat, May 13vs Wolves    
36Sat, May 20at Bournemouth    
37TBDat Brighton    
38Sun, May 28vs Fulham    

Simon Borg

Simon Borg is a senior editor at The Sporting News who has covered football/soccer for over a decade. A supporter of Italian club Parma Calcio from his years growing up in Europe, he was previously a long-time member of Major League Soccer's digital media team, as a multimedia content producer, on-air personality, and Editor-in-Chief. Based in New York City, Borg is multilingual and has covered the domestic and global scene for TSN since 2021.