Manchester United are coming off a draw against Arsenal in the Premier League and another one at AZ Alkmaar earlier this week. Now, The Red Devils will travel to St. James’ Park looking to secure a big win before the international break to take on a Newcastle side that’s currently threatened by relegation. Kick-off for this match has been listed at 16:30 BST.
Team News
Paul Pogba has been ruled out due to an ankle injury. Anthony Martial remains out, and the same goes for a long list of defenders including Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Luke Shaw, Phil Jones and Eric Bailly. Expect Ashley Young and Harry Maguire to return to the starting XI after not playing against AZ earlier this week. And Jesse Lingard has been ruled out as well after suffering a minor problem against the Dutch side on Thursday.
On the other hand, Newcastle will have Jonjo Shelvey again but The Magpies will have several absentees one more time. Isaac Hayden is suspended after his red card in the 5-0 defeat to Leicester City, and Matt Ritchie will miss the game through injury as well. Dwight Gayle and Florian Lejeune remain as long-term absentees for Steve Bruce’s side.
Form guide
Manchester United have been extremely inconsistent so far this season. They own a W2, D3, L2 mark in the Premier League, and already sit quite far from the top of the standings. Even though they are undefeated in the UEFA Europa League (W1, D1) there has been a lot of criticism for their sloppy play against two minor opponents. For what is worth, United are now riding a four-game winless run in all competitions (counting 90 minutes only).
Meanwhile, Newcastle United have not won in their last five matches across all competitions. The Magpies’ last win came on a shocking 1-0 away victory at Tottenham. But they have gone D2, L3 since then (excluding extra time). This season, the St. James’ Park outfit sit in 19th place of the standings with five points in seven matches (W1, D2, L4). If the season ended today, they would get relegated.
What is our previous all-time record against Newcastle United?
These two sides have met 167 times in the past. The very first meeting came in 1895 when both sides played in the former Second Division. Counting all matches in all competitions, United still have the edge. They own 86 wins against Newcastle’s 42 and 39 draws.
Predicted outcome
Manchester United will have several absentees for this game. Plus, they will go out on the road for the second straight match in the past week. However, they have the better squad in comparison to Newcastle and need a positive result to end their negative run of form. Despite playing away from home, I believe The Red Devils should secure the three points against a troubled Newcastle side this Sunday.
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