Manchester United have five positives to cling on to despite Brighton defeat

It has been a tough start to the season for Manchester United, and things don't look like they will get any easier with a trip to face Bayern Munich next midweek. For the first time in Premier League history, they have lost three of their opening five matches in a season, which is even more glaring when you remember how poorly they played both of the times they didn't lose as well.

No team can win the title in the first few matches of the season, but they can lose any hope of winning it. That is in danger of happening, if it hasn't already. Yet football is a funny old game, and it only takes one match to transform fortunes, just as we saw a year ago when United defeated Liverpool to kickstart their season and embark on a solid surge up the table.

In a weird way, next week's trip to face Bayern could even be exactly what they need, with Erik ten Hag's side very much underdogs who have a point to prove and not much else to lose.

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United will ultimately need a huge improvement in many areas of the pitch if there is going to be any chance of that happening, though there are a few notable positives to take into their Munich trip.

While much of the focus will be on the one who got away in the form of Harry Kane, United's own striker signing, Rasmus Hojlund, has started well and could quite easily have played key roles in two memorable results already.

He played a pivotal role in what would have been a potential Alejandro Garnacho winner at Arsenal, and it was perhaps harsh to see his goal disallowed against Brighton yesterday. Overall, he has caught the eye with his hold-up play and movement in those two