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Five games into the season, Manchester United was soaring high. With the summer acquisition of Romelu Lukaku, Victor Lindelof, and Nemanja Matic, United was joint top of the league with neighbours, Manchester City.
13 points out of a possible 15, 16 goals scored and 2 conceded - it looked like the season would be one filled with drama and excitement with the two Manchester teams vying for the title.
However, it turned out to be a false start as United bowed out of the title race with a whimper and were unceremoniously kicked out of two cup competitions.
So, where exactly did it all go wrong? Here is a list of five matches that sum up a rather disappointing season for the Red Devils.
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#5 Liverpool 0-0 Manchester United (Premier League, 14 Oct 2017)
United dropped points in the race for the league title after a boring 0-0 draw at Anfield.
Form before the match
A week before the old rivals clashed at Anfield, United had trashed Crystal Palace 4-0 at home courtesy of a Marouane Fellaini brace. This had moved the Old Trafford outfit level on points with Manchester City as both clubs were tied on 19 points.
Liverpool, meanwhile, were sitting in 10th position on the league table after three draws and one defeat from their previous league matches.
How did the match progress?
The highly anticipated match started off with a wonder save from United's talismanic keeper David de Gea as he thwarted a close-range effort from Joel Matip before Mo Salah missed the rebound shot.
As the match dragged on, United was left ruing a Lukaku effort as a brilliant one-two between Anthony Martial and Henrikh Mkhitaryan allowed the big Belgian to take a shot but his strike was easily palmed away by Liverpool keeper Simon Mignolet.
How did it impact United?
As the match progressed, the chances came fewer and United eventually settled for a single point after a drab 0-0 draw. Meanwhile, their neighbours smashed Stoke City 7-2 at the Etihad Stadium to move 2 points clear at the top of the table.
#4 Huddersfield 2-1 Manchester United (Premier League, 21 Oct 2017)
A week after dropping points against rivals Liverpool, Huddersfield condemned United to their first defeat in 65 years against the Terriers' to end United's unbeaten start to the season.
Form before the match
Not even a week after dropping points against arch-rivals Liverpool, United's unbeaten start to the season was torn to pieces by a resilient Huddersfield Town.
The West Yorkshire side which is enjoying its first taste of Premier League life since its inception in 1908 had come into the match on the back of a disappointing run of three defeats and two draws in their previous matches.
How did the match progress?
The Red Devils had a first-half to forget - not only did they concede twice in the space of five minutes, but they also lost the in-form Phil Jones to injury. Jones' replacement - the £31m summer signing Victor Lindelof had an unfortunate hand in the Terriers' winner with Juan Mata partially responsible for the first one.
Initially, Mata had given the ball away cheaply to Aaron Mooy who eventually scored the first goal. Four minutes later, Lindelof miscalculated a long-kick by Huddersfield goalkeeper Jonas Lossl and Laurent Depoitre took advantage to double the lead.
Although United put up a much more efficient display in the second half with Marcus Rashford scoring a goal, it was not enough to help United stage a comeback. With this defeat, Huddersfield marked their first victory over the Old Trafford outfit in 65 years.
How did it impact United?
With this unexpected defeat, United lost further ground to Pep Guardiola's Cityzens which recorded a routine 3-0 victory against Burnley and opened up a five-point lead over their rivals.
#3 Bristol City 2-1 Manchester United (Carabao Cup, 20 Dec 2017)
United crashed out of the Carabao Cup (EFL Cup) after a late winner by Bristol's Korey Smith.
Form before the match
A Jesse Lingard double in the 24th October fourth round match against Swansea City had propelled United to the quarter-finals of the cup.
Their opponents for the quarter-final tie, Bristol City, had trounced Crystal Palace 4-0 in their corresponding fourth-round match to set up an exciting quarter-final clash for the Championship side.
How did the match progress?
United's tough run of fixtures in December probably took a toll on the Old Trafford side as a stunning Joe Bryan strike drew first blood for the Robins. The Championship side's lead didn't last for long as Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored an equalizer via a deflected free-kick in the 58th minute.
The match was destined for a dramatic end as both sides pushed hard for a winner. In the final minute of the match, Korey Smith struck to give the Championship side a well-deserved winner. The surprise victory meant Bristol City knocked out four Premier League sides in their run for the Carabao Cup.
How did it impact United?
Although the Carabao Cup was the last thing on their minds given Manchester City's unrelenting march towards the title, United's defeat to Bristol City meant there was one less cup to challenge for, a fact that didn't go down well with the Old Trafford faithful.
#2 Manchester United 1-2 Sevilla (UEFA Champions League, 13 March 2018)
United's Champions League were dramatically murdered by a quick-fire double by Sevilla substitute Wissam Ben Yedder.
Form before the match
With their exit from the Carabao Cup in December and a near-impossible task of catching up with City in the Premier League, United's only hope of saving their season was by winning the remaining two cups - the less important FA Cup and the higher priority UEFA Champions League.
The first leg of the Round of 16 clash in the UCL had ended in a drab 0-0 draw with Sevilla the better side. However, with home advantage, United was hoping for a routine victory which would take them to the quarter-finals of Europe's elite competition.
How did the match progress?
A 0-0 draw isn't always a good result to bring back home. Even a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford would seal United's exit from the competition. Perhaps, the anxiety had a good effect on the players as United started the game brightly.
Despite their lowly fifth position in La Liga at that time, Sevilla is a dangerous side and their constant threats to the United goal showed this.
United's failure to get a goal early on proved to be disastrous, as a minute after his introduction, Sevilla striker Wissam Ben Yedder drove a low shot past David de Gea that stunned Old Trafford.
With two goals needed in 18 minutes, Mourinho sent on Mata and Anthony Martial but before they could make an impact, Ben Yedder struck again, this time with a header. United tried to stage a spirited comeback after Lukaku's goal but it wasn't to be.
How did it impact United?
With the Premier League title out of reach, winning the UEFA Champions League trophy would have been more than a consolation for Jose Mourinho's side.
Despite the signing of Alexis Sanchez from Arsenal in the mid-season transfer window, the team was criticized relentlessly by fans and pundits alike.
#1 Manchester United 0-1 West Bromwich Albion (Premier League, 15 April 2018)
United over-celebrated their comeback win in the Manchester derby and handed over the title to their arch-rivals.
Form before the match
United walked into the game with their heads held high as they condemned their cross-town rivals to a dramatic 2-3 defeat a week before. Pegged back 2-0 at half-time, few would have expected the Red Devils to make a comeback as a defeat would have meant that City would win the title that day.
However, United had a different plan as they staged a dramatic and well-deserved comeback to win 2-3 at the home of their noisy neighbors and delay their inevitable title party.
West Brom, meanwhile, came into this match rooted to the bottom of the table with only three victories in the entire season.
How did the match progress?
After their derby day heroics, no one would have expected United to be dismantled in this fashion. Against a hapless side which had mustered just three victories in the entire season, United should have finished the game with a swagger but former United keeper Ben Foster did an excellent job of denying his old employers an easy victory.
As Jose's men kept struggling against a resilient Albion side, an unfortunate mistake by Matic handed Jay Rodriguez the perfect opportunity as he headed home a corner kick. United pressed hard after conceding but it was to no avail as West Brom held on for their first victory since January.
How did it impact United?
The title challenge was as good as over for Manchester United as far back as December but the manner in which the Red Devils gift-wrapped the title for the blue half of Manchester summed up their disappointing season.
