The Premier League’s solely Boxing Day fixture (20:00 GMT) pits the crew with probably the most wins within the division on 26 December towards the aspect with the joint-most defeats. Manchester United have earned 22 Boxing Day victories, whereas Newcastle have misplaced 16 instances on that date.
Improved Man Utd hindered by lack of unpolluted sheets
Head coach Ruben Amorim felt, with some justification, that his Manchester United aspect have been “the higher crew” throughout They’d extra pictures and higher-quality possibilities, whereas Amorim’s determination to congest the center of the pitch however preserve his wing-backs excessive and broad prevented Villa from constructing assaults.
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Nonetheless, the Crimson Devils have now misplaced 14 league matches for the third consecutive calendar 12 months; they final fared worse in 1989, with 18 defeats beneath Sir Alex Ferguson.
An absence of unpolluted sheets is hurting them. Whereas solely 4 groups – together with Newcastle – have confronted fewer pictures within the Premier League this season, United have stored one clear sheet – their joint-fewest after 17 video games of a top-flight marketing campaign. This season is already their fourth-longest await a second shutout.
[BBC]
Changing the irreplaceable
United will even be lacking their talisman Bruno Fernandes, certainly one of seven potential absentees towards Newcastle, due to a soft-tissue harm.
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How you can exchange Fernandes is a uncommon conundrum for a Manchester United supervisor to have to resolve – he’s the one Premier League participant to have made at the least 300 membership appearances in all competitions since his debut on 1 February 2020. The Portuguese has missed simply 17 of United’s 325 matches throughout that interval.
A number one query for Newcastle
Newcastle United have gained 5 of their previous six conferences with Manchester United in all competitions – as many as within the earlier 44 encounters – however come to Previous Trafford off the again of two chastening league outcomes.
They responded to a listless derby defeat by Sunderland with a high-octane first-half show towards Chelsea final weekend, which head coach Eddie Howe described as “the most effective we have performed” all season. Nonetheless, a second-half dip in depth as Newcastle conceded for the tenth league recreation in a row. It is their longest run with no clear sheet since a 14-match streak in 2021.
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Newcastle have been unfortunate to be denied a penalty when Trevoh Chalobah bodychecked Anthony Gordon with the rating at 2-1, however their lack of ability to see out a recreation has grow to be a urgent problem.
Howe’s aspect have dropped 10 factors from successful positions of their previous eight top-flight fixtures. The 13 factors they’ve given up throughout the season is a joint-league excessive with Brentford.
[BBC]