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. 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.
As winners of the previous season's FA Cup, they faced Premier League winners Leicester City in the 2016 FA Community Shield, with United prevailing 2–1 to win the first trophy of the season. On 26 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 league position, having finished in sixth place, they qualified as Europa League winners, beating Ajax 2–0 in the Europa League Final on 24 May 2017. That triumph also made United the fifth team to have won all three main European club trophies.
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 (plus Dimitar Berbatov, who joined the club during the following transfer window, and Michael's brother, Graeme Carrick) 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.
DateOpponentsH / AResultF–AScorersAttendance16 July 2016Wigan AthleticA2–0Keane 49', Pereira 58'13,31422 July 2016Borussia DortmundN1–4Mkhitaryan 59'38,28525 July 2016Manchester CityN—Match cancelled due to inadequate playing conditions30 July 2016GalatasarayN5–2Ibrahimović 4', Rooney (2) 55', 58' (pen.), Fellaini 62', Mata 74'30,2003 August 2016EvertonH0–058,5974 June 2017Michael Carrick XIH2–2Vidić 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 (including four shared titles).
DateOpponentsH / AResultF–AScorersAttendance7 August 2016Leicester CityN2–1Lingard 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.
DateOpponentsH / AResultF–AScorersAttendanceLeagueposition14 August 2016BournemouthA3–1Mata 40', Rooney 59', Ibrahimović 64'11,3551st19 August 2016SouthamptonH2–0Ibrahimović (2) 36', 52' (pen.)75,3261st27 August 2016Hull CityA1–0Rashford 90+2'24,5602nd10 September 2016Manchester CityH1–2Ibrahimović 42'75,2723rd18 September 2016WatfordA1–3Rashford 62'21,1187th24 September 2016Leicester CityH4–1Smalling 22', Mata 37', Rashford 40', Pogba 42'75,2566th2 October 2016Stoke CityH1–1Martial 69'75,2516th17 October 2016LiverpoolA0–052,7697th23 October 2016ChelseaA0–441,4247th29 October 2016BurnleyH0–075,3258th6 November 2016Swansea CityA3–1Pogba 15', Ibrahimović (2) 21', 33'20,9386th19 November 2016ArsenalH1–1Mata 68'75,2646th27 November 2016West Ham UnitedH1–1Ibrahimović 21'75,3146th4 December 2016EvertonA1–1Ibrahimović 42'39,5506th11 December 2016Tottenham HotspurH1–0Mkhitaryan 29'75,2716th14 December 2016Crystal PalaceA2–1Pogba 45+2', Ibrahimović 88'25,5476th17 December 2016West Bromwich AlbionA2–0Ibrahimović (2) 5', 56'26,3086th26 December 2016SunderlandH3–1Blind 39', Ibrahimović 82', Mkhitaryan 86'75,3256th31 December 2016MiddlesbroughH2–1Martial 85', Pogba 86'75,3146th2 January 2017West Ham UnitedA2–0Mata 63', Ibrahimović 78'56,9966th15 January 2017LiverpoolH1–1Ibrahimović 84'75,2766th21 January 2017Stoke CityA1–1Rooney 90+4'27,4236th1 February 2017Hull CityH0–075,2976th5 February 2017Leicester CityA3–0Mkhitaryan 42', Ibrahimović 44', Mata 49'32,0726th11 February 2017WatfordH2–0Mata 32', Martial 60'75,3016th4 March 2017BournemouthH1–1Rojo 23'75,2456th19 March 2017MiddlesbroughA3–1Fellaini 30', Lingard 62', Valencia 90+3'32,6895th1 April 2017West Bromwich AlbionH0–075,3975th4 April 2017EvertonH1–1Ibrahimović 90+4' (pen.)75,2726th9 April 2017SunderlandA3–0Ibrahimović 30', Mkhitaryan 46', Rashford 89'43,7795th16 April 2017ChelseaH2–0Rashford 7', Herrera 49'75,2725th23 April 2017BurnleyA2–0Martial 21', Rooney 39'21,8705th27 April 2017Manchester CityA0–054,1765th30 April 2017Swansea CityH1–1Rooney 45+3' (pen.)75,2715th7 May 2017ArsenalA0–260,0555th14 May 2017Tottenham HotspurA1–2Rooney 71'31,8486th17 May 2017SouthamptonA0–031,4256th21 May 2017Crystal PalaceH2–0Harrop 15', Pogba 19'75,2546th
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.
DateRoundOpponentsH / AResult F–AScorersAttendance7 January 2017Round 3ReadingH4–0Rooney 7', Martial 15', Rashford (2) 75', 79'74,39629 January 2017Round 4Wigan AthleticH4–0Fellaini 44', Smalling 57', Mkhitaryan 74', Schweinsteiger 81'75,22919 February 2017Round 5Blackburn RoversA2–1Rashford 27', Ibrahimović 75'23,13013 March 2017Quarter-finalsChelseaA0–140,801
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.
DateRoundOpponentsH / AResultF–AScorersAttendance21 September 2016Round 3Northampton TownA3–1Carrick 17', Herrera 68', Rashford 75'7,79826 October 2016Round 4Manchester CityH1–0Mata 54'74,19630 November 2016Round 5West Ham UnitedH4–1Ibrahimović (2) 2', 90+3', Martial (2) 48', 62'65,26910 January 2017Semi-finalsFirst legHull CityH2–0Mata 56', Fellaini 87'65,79826 January 2017Semi-finalsSecond legHull CityA1–2Pogba 66'16,83126 February 2017FinalSouthamptonN3–2Ibrahimović (2) 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 (1996–97 and 2004–05) and Feyenoord once before (1997–98). 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 Donbas, the away game against Zorya Luhansk was played at Chornomorets Stadium in Odesa.
DateOpponentsH / AResultF–AScorersAttendanceGroupposition15 September 2016FeyenoordA0–131,0004th29 September 2016Zorya LuhanskH1–0Ibrahimović 69'58,1793rd20 October 2016FenerbahçeH4–1Pogba (2) 31' (pen.), 45+2', Martial 34' (pen.), Lingard 48'73,0632nd3 November 2016FenerbahçeA1–2Rooney 89'35,3783rd24 November 2016FeyenoordH4–0Rooney 35', Mata 69', Jones 75' (o.g.), Lingard 90+2'64,6282nd8 December 2016Zorya LuhanskA2–0Mkhitaryan 48', Ibrahimović 88'25,9002nd
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 (European Champion Clubs' Cup/UEFA Champions League, UEFA Cup/Europa League, and the now defunct UEFA Cup Winners' Cup). This win also qualified them as the fifth English team in the following season's Champions League.