Manchester United's first five 2023/24 Premier League fixtures compared with Man City and rivals

The countdown to the start of the 2023/24 Premier League campaign is officially on.

The new season will get underway in just six weeks' time when newly-promoted Burnley take on reigning Premier League champions Manchester City on Friday, August 11. Seventy-two hours later, it will be Manchester United's turn to take to the stage for the first time.

Erik ten Hag's side will begin their 2023/24 campaign against Wolves at Old Trafford on Monday, August 14. It will mark the beginning of the Dutchman's second season at the helm and he will be hoping to build on the progress that was made last term.

Ten Hag has already set United the target of competing for the top two after finishing third in his first season in charge, meaning they will have work to do to try and bridge the gap on both Manchester City and Arsenal. The Reds' downfall last season, of course, was that they were playing catch-up right from the start, losing each of their first two matches.

READ MORE: Five issues Erik ten Hag must sort at United

With that said, they will be determined to get off to a better start this time around. And with that in mind, MEN Sport has taken a close look at United's first five games of 2023/24 and compared them to those of the clubs they are expected to be competing with in the forthcoming season.

Verdict: With three home games in their first five, United will be determined to get off to a good start. Old Trafford was turned back into a fortress in Ten Hag's first season in charge and it is almost a year since the Reds were last beaten on their own patch in the league.

On the road, however, United face two very stern tests, travelling to North London to face Spurs and Arsenal in the space of a fortnight. Their results against