Manchester United at risk of equalling unwanted 62-year record vs Newcastle
Manchester United will be determined to end 2024 on a high when they welcome Newcastle United to Old Trafford in the Premier League on Monday evening.
United, who have lost three of their last four meetings with the Magpies, suffered a third successive defeat in all competitions on Boxing Day, losing 2-0 to Wolves at Molineux. Second half goals from Matheus Cunha and Hwang Hee-chan were enough to seal maximum points for the home side.
That defeat in the Black Country marked a third reverse in just eight days for United and head coach Ruben Amorim, following earlier setbacks against Tottenham Hotspur (3-4) and Bournemouth (0-3).
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Having lost each of their last two Premier League outings without scoring, United will be aiming to avoid a third successive league defeat for the first time since December 2015 - a run that also started with a defeat to Bournemouth (1-2).
As well as being in danger of losing three successive league matches for the first time in nine years, United, staggeringly, are at risk of losing five league games in a calendar month for the first time since September 1962 - a whopping 62 years ago.
United have also been beaten by Arsenal (0-2) and Nottingham Forest (2-3) in the league this month, meaning half of their eight league defeats this season have been inflicted on them since December 1.
Newcastle, on current form, are the last team United would want to face, with the Magpies having won each of their last four matches in all competitions, scoring 14 goals in the process.
A victory for Newcastle at Old Trafford would elevate them to 32 points and 10 ahead of United, highlighting the size of the contest.
Amorim, who has refused to play down the size of the challenge he walked into last month, has lost five of his first 10 games in charge, meaning he has the worst record of any new United boss since Walter Crickmer in the early 1930s. The last thing he will want is to have another unwanted, 62-year record attached to his name.
