Manchester United’s 2-0 defeat to Olympiakos on Tuesday was their first ever loss to Greek opposition, adding to the list of records and landmarks set in David Moyes’ first season at Old Trafford.
The Premier League champions have suffered also historic defeats to West Bromwich Albion, Everton, Newcastle, Swansea and Stoke. Meanwhile, Moyes registered the club’s best away win in Europe for more than half a century, broke their transfer record and awarded the most lucrative contract ever at Old Trafford.
Here is how various milestones have been set in an eventful six months:
It all started off so well for David Moyes with victory in the season's curtain-raiser, the Community Shield.
Aug. 11 -- Manchester United 2-0 Wigan: Moyes becomes the first United manager to win a trophy in his competitive debut in charge, lifting the Community Shield courtesy of two goals from Robin van Persie.
Aug. 17 -- Swansea City 1-4 Manchester United: Moyes becomes the first United manager since Dave Sexton, who beat Birmingham 4-1 in 1977, to make a winning start in the league.
Sep. 22 -- Manchester City 4-1 Manchester United: United equal their heaviest defeat at the Etihad Stadium. It is their joint biggest loss away to City since 1989.
Sept. 28 -- Manchester United 1-2 West Bromwich Albion: United lose at Old Trafford to Albion for the first time in 35 years, since Ron Atkinson’s Baggies beat Sexton’s side 5-3 in 1978. United are 12th after making their worst start to a league season since 1989-90.
Nov. 27 -- Bayer Leverkusen 0-5 Manchester United: Moyes records his biggest win and United’s biggest away from home in the European Cup since the Busby Babes beat Ireland’s Shamrock Rovers 6-0 in 1957, 56 years earlier.
Dec. 4 -- Manchester United 0-1 Everton: Everton, who had only taken one point from their previous seven trips to Old Trafford, win away at United for the first time since the first week of the inaugural Premier League season, when they triumphed 3-0 in 1992.
Dec. 8 -- Manchester United 0-1 Newcastle United: Yohan Cabaye’s goal means Newcastle win at Old Trafford for the first time in 41 years. They had gone 32 games away at United without tasting victory since 1972. It means United lose successive home Premier League games for the first time since 2002.
Jan. 4 -- Manchester United 1-2 Swansea: Michael Laudrup’s side knock Moyes’ team out of the FA Cup, courtesy of Wilfried Bony’s last-minute goal, as Swansea, who first visited Old Trafford in 1931, finally record their first win there. It is only the second time since 1984 that United go out of the FA Cup in the third round.
Jan. 7 -- Sunderland 2-1 Manchester United: United, who were also beaten by Tottenham on New Year’s Day, lose three successive games for the first time since 2001 with defeat in the Capital One Cup semifinal first leg.
Jan. 24 -- Juan Mata joins from Chelsea for 37.1 million pounds. It breaks United’s transfer record, set when Dimitar Berbatov came from Tottenham in 2008 for 30.75 million pounds. Together with the summer signing of Marouane Fellaini for 27.5 million pounds, it takes United’s spending for the season to 64.6 million pounds -- another club record.
Feb. 1 -- Stoke City 2-1 Manchester United: Stoke, who had only taken one point from 11 previous Premier League games against United, defeat them for the first time in the league since 1984. It means United have made their worst start to a season, over 24 league games, in the Premier League era.
Feb. 21 -- Wayne Rooney signs a five-and-a-half year deal which, at 300,000 pounds per week, makes him the best paid player in United’s history. As it is worth around 85 million pounds by the time it expires in 2019, it is the biggest contract ever awarded by an English club.
Feb. 25 -- Olympiakos 2-0 Manchester United: Olympiakos become the first Greek side ever to beat United in European competition.
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