Ruben Amorim should be looking ahead to Manchester United's return to Premier League action this weekend with a renewed sense of optimism.

United produced one of the most solid performances of his time in charge by beating Sunderland 2-0 immediately before the international break.

The result eased pressure that had been mounting on the Portuguese head coach in the aftermath of a woeful defeat at Brentford the week before.

Since then, minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has backed Amorim, talking in terms of it taking three years for the former Sporting coach to make his mark at Old Trafford - and reminding supporters how long it took Sir Alex Ferguson to navigate choppy waters following his arrival at the club in 1986.

Yet Amorim knows few will take Ratcliffe's words at face value if he fails to make meaningful progress on last season's 15th place, United's worst top-flight finish since the 1973-74 relegation season.

The Sunderland win lifted United to 10th, only the second time this season they have ended a match round in the top half of the table. It was just their 10th victory in 34 Premier League games since Amorim replaced Erik ten Hag in November last year. They are still to win two successive league games.

United could not have a much tougher assignment on Sunday than Liverpool at Anfield (16:30 BST), where they have not won since 2016 and, until last season, had scored once in eight visits.

Few think United will return from Merseyside with three points. In terms of expectation, it is the fixtures after that where the real peril comes - Brighton at home, Nottingham Forest and Tottenham away.

In theory it is a good chance to pick up a decent points haul and push up the table towards the European places. In the dressing room and the boardroom, this is United's stated aim this season and would prove progress has been made.

Yet, in each of the past two seasons, United have lost at home against Brighton and at the City Ground and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Last term, Amorim was in charge for each of them.

So four huge games await United, starting at Liverpool. They could shape how this season turns out for United.

Below is a list of the upcoming fixtures and a look at what happened last season, with Amorim's post-match assessments and fan verdicts.

It is fair to assume much better is expected this time around.

Man Utd: Why next four games could be key for Ruben Amorim