Image: Cristiano Ronaldo, Man Utd, 2022/23 - © ProShots
Cristiano Ronaldo's journey at Manchester United has come to an unexpected end following a controversial interview with Piers Morgan. The interview aired after Man Utd's final game before the World Cup break, and it prompted Ronaldo's immediate departure from the club. While it was anticipated that he would leave during the summer transfer window after requesting a transfer, he stayed on until now.
Returning to Man Utd in the summer of 2021 in a shocking transfer from Juventus, Ronaldo had an impressive individual season in 2021-22. However, the team's performance was disappointing, as they failed to secure a place in the Champions League. Ronaldo expressed his desire to join a Champions League team and attempted to leave the club in July and August, but he couldn't find a new destination.
Reluctantly, Ronaldo continued to play under new Man Utd manager Erik ten Hag in the 2022-23 season. However, the tension between Ronaldo and Ten Hag grew evident. In the first Premier League game of the season against Brighton, Ronaldo started on the bench but came on in the second half to help inspire a better performance. Despite his efforts, the team lost 2-1. The following week, Man Utd suffered a devastating 4-0 defeat against Brentford, with Ronaldo unable to turn the tide.
Questions about Ronaldo's future at Old Trafford arose when he was left on the bench for the home victory over Liverpool, a match he typically thrives in. He was also a substitute in the away game against Southampton, where he struggled to make an impact after sustaining a knee problem early on. However, in the 1-0 away win against Leicester, Ronaldo showcased a brighter performance as a substitute, even coming close to scoring with a spectacular overhead kick.
Despite the transfer deadline passing on September 1, Ronaldo remained at Man Utd. He was on the bench for the victory against Arsenal, but he couldn't contribute with a goal or assist. His first goal of the season came from a penalty spot against Sheriff in the Europa League. Ronaldo's status didn't improve, as he was left on the bench during the humiliating 6-3 defeat to Man City in the Manchester derby. He also failed to score against Omonia Nicosia in the Europa League.
Finally, on October 9, Ronaldo scored his first Premier League goal of the season against Everton. He came off the bench and netted the winner with an assist from Casemiro. Ronaldo made successive starts against Omonia Nicosia and Newcastle but failed to score in both matches. However, controversy erupted in the game against Tottenham when Ronaldo refused to come on from the bench as a substitute and left the match early. As a consequence, he was excluded from the squad for the 1-1 draw against Chelsea.
After apologizing, Ronaldo returned and played the full 90 minutes in the wins against Sheriff and West Ham. He scored in the former and provided an assist in the Europa League win over Real Sociedad. However, he made little contribution in the 3-1 defeat to Aston Villa. Before the World Cup break, Ronaldo sat out the games against Aston Villa in the EFL Cup and Fulham in the Premier League.
As the season progresses, Ronaldo's individual club statistics for Manchester United will be closely monitored. So far in the 2022-23 season, he has made 16 appearances, including 10 starts, scoring three goals and providing two assists. His journey at Man Utd still has many fixtures ahead, and his performances will be crucial in determining the team's success.
Cristiano Ronaldo: 2022-23 Stats
- Appearances: 16
- Starts: 10
- Goals: 3
- Assists: 2
Ronaldo: Matches Played
- Man Utd 1-2 Brighton, August 7 - Premier League
- Minutes played: 37
- Goals: 0
- Assists: 0
- Brentford 4-0 Man Utd, August 13 - Premier League
- Minutes played: 90
- Goals: 0
- Assists: 0
- Man Utd v Liverpool, August 20 - Premier League
- Minutes played: 4
- Goals: 0
- Assists: 0
- Southampton 0-1 Man Utd, August 27 - Premier League
- Minutes played: 22
- Goals: 0
- Assists: 0
- Leicester 0-1 Man Utd, August 30 - Premier League
- Minutes played: 22
- Goals: 0
- Assists: 0
- Man Utd 3-1 Arsenal, September 4 - Premier League
- Minutes played: 32
- Goals: 0
- Assists: 0
- Man Utd 0-1 Real Sociedad, September 8 - Europa League
- Minutes played: 90
- Goals: 0
- Assists: 0
- FC Sheriff 0-2 Man Utd, September 15 - Europa League
- Minutes played: 81
- Goals: 1
- Assists: 0
- Man City 6-3 Man Utd, October 2 - Champions League
- Minutes played: 0
- Goals: 0
- Assists: 0
- Omonia Nicosia 2-3 Man Utd, October 6 - Europa League
- Minutes played: 0
- Goals: 0
- Assists: 0
- Everton 1-2 Man Utd, October 9 - Premier League
- Minutes played: 61
- Goals: 1
- Assists: 0
- Man Utd 1-0 Omonia Nicosia, October 13 - Europa League
- Minutes played: 90
- Goals: 0
- Assists: 0
- Man Utd 0-0 Newcastle, October 16 - Premier League
- Minutes played: 72
- Goals: 0
- Assists: 0
- Chelsea 1-1 Man Utd, October 22- Premier League
- Minutes played: 0
- Goals: 0
- Assists: 0
- Man Utd 3-0 Sheriff, October 26 - Europa League
- Minutes played: 90
- Goals: 1
- Assists: 0
- Man Utd 1-0 West Ham, October 30 - Premier League
- Minutes played: 90
- Goals: 0
- Assists: 0
- Real Sociedad 0-1 Man Utd, November 3 - Europa League
- Minutes played: 90
- Goals: 0
- Assists: 1
- Aston Villa 3-1 Man Utd, November 6 - Premier League
- Minutes played: 90
- Goals: 0
- Assists: 0
- Man Utd 4-2 Aston Villa, November 10 - EFL Cup
- Minutes played: 0
- Goals: 0
- Assists: 0
- Fulham 1-2 Man Utd, November 13 - Premier League
- Minutes played: 0
- Goals: 0
- Assists: 0
Ronaldo: Man Utd's Remaining Fixtures
- Man Utd v Nottingham Forest, December 26 - Premier League
- Wolves v Man Utd, December 31 - Premier League
- Man Utd v Bournemouth, January 2 - Premier League
- Man Utd v Man City, January 14 - Premier League
- Arsenal v Man Utd, January 21 - Premier League
- Man Utd v Crystal Palace, February 4 - Premier League
- Leeds United v Man Utd, February 11 - Premier League
- Man Utd v Leicester City, February 18 - Premier League
- Man Utd v Brentford, February 25 - Premier League
- Liverpool v Man Utd, March 4 - Premier League
- Man Utd v Southampton, March 11 - Premier League
- Brighton v Man Utd, March 18 - Premier League
- Newcastle v Man Utd, April 1 - Premier League
- Man Utd v Everton, April 8 - Premier League
- Nottingham Forest v Man Utd, April 15 - Premier League
- Man Utd v Chelsea, April 22 - Premier League
- Tottenham v Man Utd, April 25 - Premier League
- Man Utd v Aston Villa, April 29 - Premier League
- West Ham v Man Utd, May 6 - Premier League
- Man Utd v Wolves, May 13 - Premier League
- Bournemouth v Man Utd, May 20 - Premier League
- Man Utd v Fulham, May 28 - Premier League
Cristiano Ronaldo 2021-22 Stats
Cristiano Ronaldo at Man Utd: Goals, Assists, Results & Fixtures in 2021-22
Ronaldo's return to Man Utd after 12 years away from the club in the summer of 2021 was met with immense excitement. Despite an excellent individual season, it was a disastrous campaign for the team. Man Utd suffered their worst season since the inception of the Premier League in 1992, finishing sixth and winning no trophies. They had their lowest points tally, worst goal difference, and the most defeats ever in the Premier League era. Their Champions League journey ended in the last-16 stage, and they failed to qualify for the next edition. Ronaldo, however, had a remarkable personal record of 24 goals in 38 appearances across all competitions. In the Premier League, he scored 18 goals, placing him among the top scorers alongside Mohamed Salah and Heung-Min Son. Ronaldo delivered crucial goals on multiple occasions and displayed his prowess with hat-tricks against Norwich and Tottenham.
Cristiano Ronaldo 2020-21 Stats
Ronaldo's final full year in Italy, the 2020-21 season, wasn't a rewarding one for Juventus from a team perspective. They were eliminated from the Champions League by Porto in the last-16 stage, and their historic run of nine consecutive Serie A titles was halted by Inter, resulting in the departure of coach Andrea Pirlo. However, Ronaldo did win the Coppa Italia trophy with Juventus, contributing to their success in the final against Atalanta. On an individual level, Ronaldo claimed the Capocannoniere for the first time in Italy's top flight, securing the award for being the league's top scorer with 29 goals in 33 games. In total, he registered 36 goals from 44 outings across all competitions, making it another impressive season for the Portuguese superstar.
