The two teams sit level on points going into the contest, tied for 8th place in the league standings
Boxing Day is finally upon us, where every single Premier League team will be in action.
That’s when Manchester United will host Newcastle United at Old Trafford in one of the holiday’s most interesting fixtures.
The Red Devils had finally felt like they turned a corner this season after beating Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City in consecutive games. However, they’ve had to deal with yet another fall from grace since then, and find themselves in a crisis once again.
United may have suffered their worst result of the campaign so far this past weekend, as they lost 2-0 away to last place Watford.
Taking place at Vicarage Road, the Hornets hadn’t even had the lead at home going into the contest this campaign. They would break that streak five minutes into the second half in peculiar fashion, as a volley from Ismalia Sarr took a weird bounce before flying towards goal.
It should have been as easy catch for David De Gea, but he was too focused on potentially starting a counter attack, and the ball slipped through his fingers into the back of the net. The goalkeeper realized the gravity of his error as soon as it happened, but there was nothing left to do at that point.
Another moment of madness would lead to Watford’s second goal, as Aaron Wan-Bissaka completely took out Sarr in the area, giving the referee no other choice than to point to the spot. Troy Deeney converted the resulting penalty kick, which sealed the win and all three points for Watford.
The Red Devils fully deserved to lose on the night, as they were toothless going forward, which has become the status quo when they come up against weaker opposition.
Things have been going better for Newcastle United, who have won three out of their last four, digging themselves out of the relegation zone as a result.
Their most recent victory came at home to Crystal Palace on Saturday afternoon.
It was a tense first half, as the Magpies had more of the possession, but the better chances had fallen to Palace. It was a similar story in the second half as well, with both sides desperate to find a breakthrough.
That would come in the 83rd minute, with the Magpies being the ones to finally break the deadlock. A flick-on header from Andy Carrol made its way towards the middle of the penalty area, eventually picking out Miguel Almiron. Reacting quickly, the Paraguayan was able to volley home from close range to score his first ever goal for Newcastle, clinching another massive victory in the process.
Now, going into Thursday’s contest, Newcastle United and Manchester United sit level on points, which is quite remarkable considering we are at the halfway point of the season.
Last time out
The reverse fixture between these two sides came back at the start of October, where the roles were somewhat reversed. The Magpies were worried after a dreadful start to their campaign, while the Red Devils were still optimistic about their chances.
The result would do a lot to change things, as Newcastle were able to snatch a surprise win on the afternoon at St James Park.
Man Utd came out the blocks slow, unable to create much against a defensive team parking the bus. It was a lame opening 45 minutes as a result, and much didn’t change after the halftime interval.
Even though the Red Devils controlled possession, it would be Newcastle who managed to take the lead on the counter. Jetro Willems flew forward down the wing before cutting the ball back towards the top of the penalty area. The pass found Matthew Longstaff, who took a touch before rifling a shot into the bottom corner.
The away side pressed on in search of an equaliser, but were unable to find it, as the Magpies were able to hold on for all three points.
Team news
Manchester United received a massive boost this past weekend when Paul Pogba returned to the team versus Watford, coming off the bench to play the final half hour. Now, there’s hope that the Frenchman will be able to start on Boxing Day, but that has not been confirmed.
Diogo Dalot also made a recent return to the field, as the full back featured for the U-19’s match versus AC Milan, so he should be back with the first team soon.
Eric Bailly and Timothy Fosu-Mensah are on still on the road to recovery, while Marcos Rojo will also be out for the foreseeable future.
For Newcastle United, Paul Dummett is questionable after sustaining a groin injury. Meanwhile, the likes of Jamaal Lascelles, Matt Ritchie, Ki Sung-yueng and Allan Saint-Maximin are all confirmed to be unavailable for selection.
Predicted lineup
Manchester United: De Gea, Wan-Bissaka, Maguire, Lindelof, Williams, McTominay, Fred, Greenwood, Pogba, Rashford, Martial
Newcastle United: Dubravka, Manquillo, Fernandez, Schar, Lejeune, Hayden, Shelvey, Almiron, Atsu, Joelinton, Carroll
What to watch for
One more last chance?
Due to recent performances, the pressure is back on Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
He was close to regaining the faith of fans after beating Spurs and winning the Manchester Derby, but that all went out the window after he couldn’t win versus Everton and Watford.
The team isn’t improving under the Norweigan. They consistently fail to break down teams sitting deep, which means dropping points to weaker opposition week after week. If this continues, there’s no way the Red Devils will sneak into the top four.
Thursday’s game against Newcastle might be his last chance to prove he’s the man for the job.
An increasing amount of supporters have called for him to be sacked, especially with Mauricio Pochettino still available.
Surely Solskjaer cannot survive another bad result.
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