Man United poised to retain best top division away record

Manchester United bounced back from defeat at Everton by snatching the points in typically last-gasp fashion against Southampton in their next match away from home.

United can be backed at 19/10 to repeat last season’s feat of achieving the Premier League’s best away record now they’re up and running on the road.

Their next three trips could go a long way to determining the value of this price; the Red Devils are to face Newcastle and title-rivals Chelsea after a trip to old rivals Liverpool.

However, punters should not be put off by a price of almost 2/1 by this tough run of games given Alex Ferguson’s sides’ records in them.

Up until last season, United were unbeaten in nine league and cup trips to Tyneside, seven of which they came away from victorious.

Similarly, United are unbeaten in their last five with Chelsea, both home and away, which suggests that, even though they have fallen by the wayside at Stamford Bridge in three of their last four league encounters, Fergie has found a way to stifle the European Champions’ recent game plans.

Anfield has also been a place where United have suffered a few defeats in recent seasons, yet they have won five of their last 10 Premier League visits to the red half of Merseyside and are unbeaten in seven.

If United can remain unscathed following these three tricky fixtures, their next three away days are at Aston Villa, Reading and Norwich; all very winnable for a team of the 19-time English champions’ calibre.

The completion of these six games will take us almost up to the midway point in the season and, should United still be sitting on the solitary away loss, this hefty, early-season price will have shrunk in accordance.

Whether United wish to be the proud of owners of the Premier League’s strongest away record this year is another matter.

Their reasoning for being opposed to the idea is simple – the side who has achieved this accolade in each of the past six seasons has failed to win the title. Steady away form combined with an imperious home record has been the championship-winning formula of late.

Yet, with the Red Devils’ adding to their firepower this summer, goals aplenty at Old Trafford as well as up and down the country could well be on the cards.

This strengthens the possibility that United will become the first side to win the league with the best away record since they achieved the feat themselves in 2006/07.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.