Man Utd’s 878-day drought ends with Opta Top 10 return ahead of Real Madrid

Manchester United have muscled their way back into the global elite, re-entering Opta’s Power Rankings top ten for the first time in 878 days and nudging ahead of European giants Real Madrid in the process.

The Red Devils, absent from continental competition this term, now sit tenth with a score of 92.4 out of 100, fractionally above the Spanish side’s 92.3. It is their first appearance inside the bracket since September 2023, a stretch that began under former manager Erik ten Hag and has been sustained under interim guidance from Michael Carrick.

United’s resurgence is anchored by domestic consistency. They have lost only three Premier League fixtures this season, a stark contrast to the five defeats suffered in December alone last year. An ongoing nine-match unbeaten league run is the longest current streak in the division, while a five-game unbeaten stretch across all competitions has steadied the dressing room amid off-field turbulence.

The Opta model, updated weekly, measures performance on a 0-100 scale through a worldwide data algorithm. After finishing 15th domestically and losing the Europa League final, United plummeted to 45th in the rankings, trailing the likes of Al-Hilal, Crystal Palace and Bologna. Their steady climb back has been accelerated by victories over both Arsenal and Manchester City within the past 12 months, results that have carried significant analytical weight.

Arsenal currently lead the rankings, with City second, yet United’s upward trajectory underlines a squad finding form at the right time. Ruben Amorim declared last season that the club had “hit rock bottom”; the numbers now suggest the only way is up.

While the rankings carry no silverware, they offer a snapshot of momentum, and United’s return to the upper echelons signals tangible progress after nearly two-and-a-half years in the analytical wilderness.