Opinion: Is this the perfect opening day fixture?

On the face of it, an opening day game at Old Trafford is the stuff of dreams for any team.

But there’s already a bit of bite to our first fixture of the new season, which is being shown live on Sky Sports.

The match has its own narrative; Albion have enjoyed terrific wins over United since their promotion to the Premier League and none more so than the 4-0 victory over them at the Amex in May. But then of course the Red Devils have a new head coach in Erik ten Hag – will they be a renewed force under the Dutchman? Can Albion start the new campaign the same way they finished the last?

That win last month goes down as our greatest in the top-tier, not just in performance terms but also the scoreline was our biggest league victory since promotion in 2017.

Albion were playing their best football under Graham Potter and Manchester United’s season was unravelling. But there is of course the history.

Albion secured their Premier League status for a second consecutive season thanks to Pascal Gross’s header in the 1-0 victory over United in May 2018, before the pair faced each other again the following August.

That was another exciting affair as first-half goals from Glenn Murray, Shane Duffy and Gross left United with too much to do in the second half, as Albion ran out 3-2 winners.

Albion then endured a seven game losing streak at the hands of United. Some humblings and a couple of close-calls, notably Bruno Fernandes’s penalty after the full-time whistle in September 2020.

But in the two years since that strange occasion at an empty Amex, things have changed for both clubs.

Potter’s team has developed into one of the most attractive to watch in the Premier League, which culminated in a record finish of ninth last season.

United were managed by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer when Neal Maupay’s handball saw the Red Devils awarded a penalty after the final whistle in the 2020 tussle, and they had Ralf Rangnick in the dugout before ten Hag was appointed for the coming campaign.

Albion’s squad at this point has the same make-up of last season, while United’s is set to change, notably with the departure of Paul Pogba at the end of June when his contract expires.

That all sets up Sunday 7 August as more than just an interesting opening day game.

A first ever win at Manchester United would immediately make Albion contenders to do even better than last season, while you can already predict the headlines that await ten Hag if they lose.

A victory for United though would provide the perfect lift off for the former Ajax boss, while Potter is unlikely to face much criticism given the gulf in finances between the two teams.

Given all this build up it’ll probably end in a 0-0 draw, which wouldn’t be the worst result for Albion.