It couldn't happen, could it?
Well, probably not. But the fact that "Manchester United" and "relegation" are being used in the same sentence speaks to how poor the Red Devils have been to start the season.
Manchester United entered play on Sunday, Nov. 8 in the Premier League's bottom three. It's the first time in 40 years the Red Devils have been in the relegation zone this late in the season.
With a match against Aston Villa on Sunday, United could get itself away from the bottom three – or drop even more points in an unlikely early relegation battle.
Has Manchester United ever been relegated?
Yes. The last time United was relegated from England's top flight was in 1973-74. It was a short stay in the second tier, as United bounced straight back up by winning the Second Division in 1974-75.
The Red Devils were relegated from the top flight four other times prior to 1974: 1894, 1922, 1931 and 1937.
United has never been relegated since the Premier League began in 1992. Its worst Premier League finish came when it ended the 2024-25 season in 15th place.
Is Manchester United in danger of relegation?
With the season not even a third of the way through, United is still far from any real fears of relegation.
But the Premier League can be unforgiving, even for the biggest of clubs. Just ask Tottenham, which needed to wait until the final day of last season to escape relegation.
United is in need of three points against Villa on Sunday to avoid heading into the November international break in the bottom three.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Has Manchester United ever been relegated? Red Devils' history explained
