In this round of the Premier League, Aston Villa defeated Manchester United 2-1 at home.
Midfielder Ugarte, who started the game, once again became the focus of post-match discussions. Although Manchester United were not completely passive in terms of the game situation, the team was twice breached by Rogers through his individual ability. Although Kunia equalized the score midway through, they still failed to take any points away.
After the game, some fans once again mentioned the so-called "Ugarte Curse" on social media. According to fan statistics, in the Premier League games where Ugarte started, Manchester United's record is 0 wins, 1 draw and 8 losses in 9 games, taking only 1 point.
This data has also been compared with historical records: this is the second-longest "winless streak when starting" record for a Manchester United player in Premier League history, second only to Kleberson's performance between 2004 and 2005. At that time, Manchester United's record during that period was 7 draws and 3 losses, which was still significantly better than the current situation.
Ugarte's start in this game was mainly due to Casemiro's suspension and Mainoo's injury absence. In the previous game against Bournemouth, Mainoo helped the team turn the tide after coming off the bench, and some fans also compared the performances of the two: “When Mainoo comes on, we can turn the tide. He is simply the opposite of the Ugarte Curse.”
Ugarte joined Manchester United from Paris Saint-Germain for about £42 million in the 2024 summer transfer window, and the club sold McTominay to Napoli for £25 million almost at the same time. However, the Uruguayan player has not had a positive impact on the team as many expected.
It is worth noting that Ugarte was deeply trusted by Amorim during his time at Sporting CP, but he has not replicated the tactical effect at Manchester United. With Bruno Fernandes set to be sidelined for several weeks due to injury, Manchester United's midfield is further shorthanded. Given the current data and usage, Amorim may find it difficult to continue relying on Ugarte in the short term, and whether the team will seek to strengthen the midfield in the January transfer window has also become one of the focuses of external attention.
