Manchester United remain on track to become only the fourth side in the Premier League era to play the absolute maximum number of games possible in a season.
Having come from behind to beat Fulham 3-1 in the FA Cup quarter-finals, Erik ten Hag’s Red Devils could still achieve a rare treble of cup triumphs.
With a League Cup under their belt already, United are into the last eight of the Europa League and final four of the FA Cup. Should they go all the way in both, they’d emulate Liverpool’s 2000-01 treble of the UEFA Cup, as it was known back then, FA Cup and League Cup.
Last season, Liverpool repeated their achievement of making it to the very end of every competition they were competing in. Jurgen Klopp’s Reds came as close as any side has to winning a historic quadruple – they won the FA Cup and League Cup but fell just short in a thrilling Premier League title tussle with Man City and were defeated in the Champions League final by Real Madrid.
Middlesbrough are the other Premier League side to have played the maximum possible number of games. Back in 1996-97, Bryan Robson’s Boro made it to the League Cup and FA Cup finals, losing both while suffering relegation. Brutal.
Competing on four fronts has really tested Ten Hag’s squad. Bruno Fernandes and David de Gea have played more minutes than any other players in Europe, while the suspensions served by Casemiro and injuries suffered by Christian Eriksen, Anthony Martial and Alejandro Garnacho have stretched things further.
“Definitely, it’s a tough season,” Ten Hag told reports back in February, when asked about the toll the brutal schedule was taking on his players.
“With the World Cup in between, there’s an overload on the players, that’s quite clear. The load on them is too much.”
With 46 matches already in their legs, United have played the most football of any club in Europe in 2022-23.
They’ve edged ahead of Real Madrid, who have competed in the Spanish Super Cup, UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup alongside their usual commitments, and Man City, who remain in the FA Cup and Champions League after being eliminated by Southampton in the League Cup quarters.
United have played seven more matches than Premier League leaders Arsenal this season and could play almost twice as many more games between now and the end of May.
When United return from the international break, they have 12 more Premier League matches, plus an FA Cup semi-final at Wembley against Brighton and…
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