2016–17 Manchester United F.C. season
The 2016–17 season was Manchester United's 25th season in the Premier League, and their 42nd consecutive season in the top-flight of English football. It began against Leicester City in the FA Community Shield, with United prevailing 2–1 to win the first trophy of the domestic calendar. In February 2017, the club won their second trophy of the campaign, beating Southampton 3–2 in the EFL Cup Final. Although they missed out on qualifying for the 2017–18 UEFA Champions League via the league, having finished in sixth place, a 2–0 victory over Ajax in the 2017 UEFA Europa League Final meant they qualified for the Champions League group stage as Europa League title holders. The triumph made United as the fifth team to have won all three European main club trophies.
Following the departure of Louis van Gaal at the end of the previous season, the club signed former Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan and Real Madrid manager José Mourinho on a three-year contract, with the option of a further year.
Pre-season and friendlies
United preceded their 2016–17 campaign with a friendly against Wigan, a tour of China, a friendly in Sweden facing Turkish club Galatasaray in the 2016 SuperGame, and Wayne Rooney's testimonial match between Manchester United and Everton at Old Trafford. The season concluded with Michael Carrick's testimonial on 4 June between United players of the 2008 European Double-winning side and an all-star team picked by Carrick, both teams respectively managed by Sir Alex Ferguson and Harry Redknapp, Carrick's first manager as a professional footballer.| Date | Opponents | H / A | Result F–A | Scorers | Attendance |
| 16 July 2016 | Wigan Athletic | A | Keane 49', Pereira 58' | 13,314 | |
| 22 July 2016 | Borussia Dortmund | N | Mkhitaryan 59' | 38,285 | |
| 25 July 2016 | Manchester City | N | — | Match cancelled due to inadequate playing conditions | |
| 30 July 2016 | Galatasaray | N | Ibrahimović 4', Rooney 55', 58', Fellaini 62', Mata 74' | 30,200 | |
| 3 August 2016 | Everton | H | 58,597 | ||
| 4 June 2017 | Michael Carrick XI | H | Vidić 28', Carrick 82' | 70,027 |
FA Community Shield
As a result of winning the 2015–16 FA Cup, Manchester United faced Leicester City, who won the 2015–16 Premier League, in their 30th FA Community Shield appearance. Manchester United won the match to claim their 21st Community Shield.| Date | Opponents | H / A | Result F–A | Scorers | Attendance |
| 7 August 2016 | Leicester City | N | Lingard 32', Ibrahimović 83' | 85,437 |
Premier League
The Premier League season kicked off on 13 August and concluded on 21 May. United went undefeated for a season-record 25 matches between October and May, although 12 of them were draws.| Date | Opponents | H / A | Result F–A | Scorers | Attendance | League position |
| 14 August 2016 | Bournemouth | A | Mata 40', Rooney 59', Ibrahimović 64' | 11,355 | 1st | |
| 19 August 2016 | Southampton | H | Ibrahimović 36', 52' | 75,326 | 1st | |
| 27 August 2016 | Hull City | A | Rashford 90+2' | 24,560 | 2nd | |
| 10 September 2016 | Manchester City | H | Ibrahimović 42' | 75,272 | 3rd | |
| 18 September 2016 | Watford | A | Rashford 62' | 21,118 | 7th | |
| 24 September 2016 | Leicester City | H | Smalling 22', Mata 37', Rashford 40', Pogba 42' | 75,256 | 6th | |
| 2 October 2016 | Stoke City | H | Martial 69' | 75,251 | 6th | |
| 17 October 2016 | Liverpool | A | 52,769 | 7th | ||
| 23 October 2016 | Chelsea | A | 41,424 | 7th | ||
| 29 October 2016 | Burnley | H | 75,325 | 8th | ||
| 6 November 2016 | Swansea City | A | Pogba 15', Ibrahimović 21', 33' | 20,938 | 6th | |
| 19 November 2016 | Arsenal | H | Mata 68' | 75,264 | 6th | |
| 27 November 2016 | West Ham United | H | Ibrahimović 21' | 75,314 | 6th | |
| 4 December 2016 | Everton | A | Ibrahimović 42' | 39,550 | 6th | |
| 11 December 2016 | Tottenham Hotspur | H | Mkhitaryan 29' | 75,271 | 6th | |
| 14 December 2016 | Crystal Palace | A | Pogba 45+2', Ibrahimović 88' | 25,547 | 6th | |
| 17 December 2016 | West Bromwich Albion | A | Ibrahimović 5', 56' | 26,308 | 6th | |
| 26 December 2016 | Sunderland | H | Blind 39', Ibrahimović 82', Mkhitaryan 86' | 75,325 | 6th | |
| 31 December 2016 | Middlesbrough | H | Martial 85', Pogba 86' | 75,314 | 6th | |
| 2 January 2017 | West Ham United | A | Mata 63', Ibrahimović 78' | 56,996 | 6th | |
| 15 January 2017 | Liverpool | H | Ibrahimović 84' | 75,276 | 6th | |
| 21 January 2017 | Stoke City | A | Rooney 90+4' | 27,423 | 6th | |
| 1 February 2017 | Hull City | H | 75,297 | 6th | ||
| 5 February 2017 | Leicester City | A | Mkhitaryan 42', Ibrahimović 44', Mata 49' | 32,072 | 6th | |
| 11 February 2017 | Watford | H | Mata 32', Martial 60' | 75,301 | 6th | |
| 4 March 2017 | Bournemouth | H | Rojo 23' | 75,245 | 6th | |
| 19 March 2017 | Middlesbrough | A | Fellaini 30', Lingard 62', Valencia 90+3' | 32,689 | 5th | |
| 1 April 2017 | West Bromwich Albion | H | 75,397 | 5th | ||
| 4 April 2017 | Everton | H | Ibrahimović 90+4' | 75,272 | 6th | |
| 9 April 2017 | Sunderland | A | Ibrahimović 30', Mkhitaryan 46', Rashford 89' | 43,779 | 5th | |
| 16 April 2017 | Chelsea | H | Rashford 7', Herrera 49' | 75,272 | 5th | |
| 23 April 2017 | Burnley | A | Martial 21', Rooney 39' | 21,870 | 5th | |
| 27 April 2017 | Manchester City | A | 54,176 | 5th | ||
| 30 April 2017 | Swansea City | H | Rooney 45+3' | 75,271 | 5th | |
| 7 May 2017 | Arsenal | A | 60,055 | 5th | ||
| 14 May 2017 | Tottenham Hotspur | A | Rooney 71' | 31,848 | 6th | |
| 17 May 2017 | Southampton | A | 31,425 | 6th | ||
| 21 May 2017 | Crystal Palace | H | Harrop 15', Pogba 19' | 75,254 | 6th |
FA Cup
Manchester United entered the FA Cup in the third round with the other Premier League clubs, as well as those from the Championship. The third round draw was made on 5 December and it drew United with a home tie against Championship side Reading, managed by Jaap Stam, who returned to Old Trafford for the first time since leaving United in 2001 after a three-year spell. United cruised to a 4–0 victory on 7 January with first-half goals from Wayne Rooney – who equalled Bobby Charlton's 249-goal record for the club in the process, Anthony Martial and a second-half brace from Marcus Rashford. League One champions Wigan Athletic, managed by Warren Joyce who left his Manchester United Under-23 coaching role in November to join Wigan, were drawn as United's fourth round opponents on 9 January for another home tie. United beat the Latics 4–0 and were subsequently drawn away to Championship side Blackburn Rovers in the fifth round. United came from behind to secure a 2–1 victory, thanks to goals from Marcus Rashford and substitute Zlatan Ibrahimović. In the quarter-finals, United were drawn away to Premier League rivals Chelsea. In a fiercely contested game, Ander Herrera was sent off and N'Golo Kanté scored the winning goal to end Manchester United's defence of the FA Cup.| Date | Round | Opponents | H / A | Result F–A | Scorers | Attendance |
| 7 January 2017 | Round 3 | Reading | H | Rooney 7', Martial 15', Rashford 75', 79' | 74,396 | |
| 29 January 2017 | Round 4 | Wigan Athletic | H | Fellaini 44', Smalling 57', Mkhitaryan 74', Schweinsteiger 81' | 75,229 | |
| 19 February 2017 | Round 5 | Blackburn Rovers | A | Rashford 27', Ibrahimović 75' | 23,130 | |
| 13 March 2017 | Quarter-finals | Chelsea | A | 40,801 |
EFL Cup
As one of seven English clubs who qualified for European competition in the 2015–16 season, United received a bye to the third round of the EFL Cup, the draw for which took place on 24 August 2016. United were drawn away against Northampton Town. The match was played 21 September 2016 and Manchester United won 3–1; Michael Carrick opened the scoring in the 17th minute, but Northampton's Alex Revell equalised from the penalty spot shortly before half-time. However, goals from Ander Herrera and Marcus Rashford midway through the second half secured the win for United. The draw for the fourth round took place shortly after the match and United were drawn at home against rivals Manchester City. The game was played on 26 October 2016 with the Reds winning 1–0 via Juan Mata's goal in the 54th minute.Manchester United were again drawn at home in the fifth round, this time against West Ham, and United cruised to a 4–1 win, with two goals each for Zlatan Ibrahimović and Anthony Martial. Former Manchester United youth player Ashley Fletcher scored the only goal for the Hammers in the 35th minute. The draw for the semi–finals saw United paired with Hull City. The first leg was played at Old Trafford on 10 January 2017, with Mata and substitute Marouane Fellaini giving United a 2–0 win. Two weeks later, United lost the second leg at the KCOM Stadium 2–1 but progressed to the final 3–2 on aggregate.
Their opponents in the final, played on 26 February, were Southampton, who had beaten Liverpool in the semi-finals. Ibrahimović and Lingard gave United a 2–0 lead, only for Manolo Gabbiadini to level the scores with a goal on either side of the half-time break; however, Ibrahimović scored in the 87th minute to give United a 3–2 victory.
| Date | Round | Opponents | H / A | Result F–A | Scorers | Attendance |
| 21 September 2016 | Round 3 | Northampton Town | A | Carrick 17', Herrera 68', Rashford 75' | 7,798 | |
| 26 October 2016 | Round 4 | Manchester City | H | Mata 54' | 74,196 | |
| 30 November 2016 | Round 5 | West Ham United | H | Ibrahimović 2', 90+3', Martial 48', 62' | 65,269 | |
| 10 January 2017 | Semi-final First leg | Hull City | H | Mata 56', Fellaini 87' | 65,798 | |
| 26 January 2017 | Semi-final Second leg | Hull City | A | Pogba 66' | 16,831 | |
| 26 February 2017 | Final | Southampton | N | Ibrahimović 19', 87', Lingard 38' | 85,264 |
UEFA Europa League
Group stage
As FA Cup winners, United entered the Europa League at the group stage. The draw took place on 26 August 2016 and saw United paired with Turkish league runners-up Fenerbahçe, Dutch cup winners Feyenoord and the fourth-placed team from the Ukrainian league, Zorya Luhansk. They had met Fenerbahçe in Europe twice before and Feyenoord once before. The fixture schedule saw United first head to the Netherlands to play Feyenoord on 15 September, then a home game against Zorya Luhansk two weeks later, followed by a double-header against Fenerbahçe, first at home then away. The programme then closed with the return games against Feyenoord and Zorya Luhansk. Due to the war in Donbass, the away game against Zorya Luhansk was played at Chornomorets Stadium in Odessa.| Date | Opponents | H / A | Result F–A | Scorers | Attendance | Group position |
| 15 September 2016 | Feyenoord | A | 31,000 | 4th | ||
| 29 September 2016 | Zorya Luhansk | H | Ibrahimović 69' | 58,179 | 3rd | |
| 20 October 2016 | Fenerbahçe | H | Pogba 31', 45+2', Martial 34', Lingard 48' | 73,063 | 2nd | |
| 3 November 2016 | Fenerbahçe | A | Rooney 89' | 35,378 | 3rd | |
| 24 November 2016 | Feyenoord | H | Rooney 35', Mata 69', Jones 75', Lingard 90+2' | 64,628 | 2nd | |
| 8 December 2016 | Zorya Luhansk | A | Mkhitaryan 48', Ibrahimović 88' | 25,900 | 2nd |
Knockout phase
The draw for the round of 32 was made on 12 December, with Manchester United drawn against French side Saint-Étienne, who finished top of group C. The tie saw Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba come up against his elder brother, Florentin, who plays as a defender for the French side. Manchester United's only previous meeting with Saint-Étienne came in the first round of the 1977–78 European Cup Winners' Cup; the second leg was played at Home Park in Plymouth after Manchester United were banned from playing within of Old Trafford, following crowd trouble at the first leg in Saint-Étienne. The home tie saw Zlatan Ibrahimović score his maiden hat-trick for the club, while a goal from Henrikh Mkhitaryan in the second leg was enough to send United through. In the round of 16, United played Russian side Rostov, winning 2–1 on aggregate. United were drawn against Belgian side Anderlecht in the quarter-finals where Mkhitaryan scored in his fourth consecutive European away game. In the return leg, an extra-time strike from Marcus Rashford sent United into the semi-finals, 3–2 on aggregate. A Rashford strike against semi-final opponents Celta Vigo gave United a first win in Spain since 2010. A 1–1 draw in the return leg secured United's progress 2–1 on aggregate. United faced Dutch side Ajax in the final, with goals from Pogba and Mkhitaryan in either half leading them to victory for their first ever Europa League crown. With this victory, they became only the fifth club to have won all three major European trophies. This win also qualified them as the fifth English team in the following season's Champions League.| Date | Round | Opponents | H / A | Result F–A | Scorers | Attendance |
| 16 February 2017 | Round of 32 First leg | Saint-Étienne | H | Ibrahimović 15', 75', 88' | 67,192 | |
| 22 February 2017 | Round of 32 Second leg | Saint-Étienne | A | Mkhitaryan 16' | 41,492 | |
| 9 March 2017 | Round of 16 First leg | Rostov | A | Mkhitaryan 35' | 14,223 | |
| 16 March 2017 | Round of 16 Second leg | Rostov | H | Mata 70' | 64,361 | |
| 13 April 2017 | Quarter-finals First leg | Anderlecht | A | Mkhitaryan 36' | 20,000 | |
| 20 April 2017 | Quarter-finals Second leg | Anderlecht | H | Mkhitaryan 10', Rashford 107' | 71,496 | |
| 4 May 2017 | Semi-finals First leg | Celta Vigo | A | Rashford 67' | 26,202 | |
| 11 May 2017 | Semi-finals Second leg | Celta Vigo | H | Fellaini 17' | 75,138 | |
| 24 May 2017 | Final | Ajax | N | Pogba 18', Mkhitaryan 48' | 46,961 |