(Football news) Erik ten Hag’s men are reeling from a 1-0 loss to Arsenal on Sunday night, prior to which the Magpies hit back against Brighton & Hove Albion to come away with a point in a 1-1 draw.
Compared to their chastening 4-0 trouncing at the hands of Crystal Palace last Monday, Manchester United’s defence was not quite as leaky as the Old Trafford roof in Sunday’s main event with Arsenal, where the Red Devils were being cheered on by both sides of the city.
However, the hosts’ toothless attacks were comfortably repelled by Mikel Arteta’s defensive masters, and thanks to one lapse in concentration for Casemiro – who criminally kept Kai Havertz onside from a long ball over the top – the Gunners returned to the summit courtesy of a first-half Leandro Trossard finish.
By failing to give noisy neighbours Manchester City a helping hand, Ten Hag’s dismal side remain in an unremarkable eighth place in the rankings, three points behind Newcastle and Chelsea with two games left to go, meaning that they could officially be eliminated from top-seven contention if midweek results do not go their way.
Of course, avenging last year’s FA Cup final loss to Manchester City at Wembley would punch the Red Devils’ ticket to the Europa League, but the 20-time English champions – who have supposedly cancelled their 2023-24 awards dinner amid their miserable predicament – will end the season with numerous unwanted records either way.
Indeed, 19 losses in all tournaments is their most since 1977-78, 82 goals shipped is their worst in 53 years, and they could suffer 10 losses in all competitions at Old Trafford for the first time in a single season on Wednesday; whether such unsightly statistics are considered sack-worthy by Sir Jim Ratcliffe remains to be seen.
On the other side of the coin, Newcastle’s 2024-25 campaign may not feature any form of continental competition either if their final two results are dissatisfactory, but there should be no threat to Eddie Howe’s seat in the St James’ Park dugout for the time being.
The 46-year-old had masterminded emphatic successes over Championship-bound Burnley and Sheffield United before the visit of Brighton & Hove Albion to the North East on Saturday, where in a contest that will not live long in the memory, Joel Veltman and Sean Longstaff cancelled out one another with a pair of first-half strikes.
Nevertheless, a solitary point was enough to keep the sixth-placed Magpies mathematically in contention for fifth – at least until Tottenham Hotspur do battle with Manchester City on Tuesday evening – but only goal difference is keeping them clear of Chelsea following the Blues’ beating of Nottingham Forest.
However, Howe’s men would need to lose by a monumental 13 goals to be overtaken by Manchester United on Wednesday, where the Magpies shall endeavour to prolong their recent purple patch over the Red Devils, having emerged triumphant from each of their last three contests in all tournaments.
Two St James’ Park Premier League wins and a dominant 3-0 EFL Cup success at Old Trafford have come Newcastle’s way in that sequence, but they have not won a Premier League match at the Theatre of Dreams since December 2013, when David Moyes was in control of the Manchester United reins.
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