Manchester United’s struggles in the Premier League persisted as they suffered a 2-0 home defeat to Newcastle United on Monday in the 19th round. Goals from Alexander Isak in the 4th minute and Joelinton in the 19th minute gave the Magpies all three points, boosting their tally to 32 points, and placing them in fifth position. Meanwhile, United remained stuck on 22 points, sitting in fourteenth place. The match began with an early strike from Isak, who converted a perfectly delivered cross from Hull on the left with a header into the net.
Gordon showcased his skill by expertly passing Noussair Mazraoui on the left before delivering a low cross that was cleared by the defence. The ball rebounded to Joelinton, who unleashed a powerful shot, but it sailed over the bar.
After taking the lead, Newcastle maintained their attacking pressure, with Gordon coming close to doubling their advantage. He received a cross near the goal but surprisingly missed the target, shooting wide.
Isak missed a chance to double his tally when he collected the ball on the right, entered the penalty area, and attempted to chip the ball over Andre Onana. However, his effort was weak, allowing the Cameroonian goalkeeper to gather it easily.
Joelinton made up for the missed opportunity by similarly scoring the second goal to the first. He met Gordon’s cross from the left with a header that found the back of the net.
United struggled to create any significant attacking threat, as Newcastle easily dominated the match.
Lewis Hall tried his luck with a powerful right-footed shot from distance, but Onana was quick to react and made an excellent save. The goalkeeper was again called into action when Kieran Trippier aimed for a goal from a direct corner, but Onana was once more equal to the task and saved it brilliantly.
With the pressure mounting, Newcastle thought they had scored a third goal when Isak received the ball in the penalty area, controlled it, and fired it to the far-right corner. However, the assistant referee flagged for offside, ruling out the goal.
Sandro Tonali nearly added to Newcastle’s lead when the ball fell to him inside the penalty area, but his shot struck the left post, keeping the score at 2-0.
In an attempt to shake up his team, United manager Ruben Amorim made an early substitution, bringing on Maino for Zirkzee, hoping to inject some energy into his struggling side.
Manchester United’s first real chance came in the 34th minute when Rasmus Højlund surged down the left wing, entered the penalty area, and fired a shot that narrowly missed the right post.
After a brief lull in action, United threatened again as Amad Diallo delivered a pass to Casemiro inside the penalty area. However, the Brazilian midfielder missed the opportunity with a wayward shot that went wide of the goal, leaving the score at 2-0 in favour of Newcastle as the first half came to a close.
United came out stronger in the second half, intensifying their pressure in search of an early goal.
Harry Maguire came close to pulling one back for the home side with a powerful header, but the ball hit the left post and stayed out.
The Red Devils continued to push forward, and this time, Bruno Fernandes rose to meet a cross from a corner. His header, however, drifted just past the left post.
Christian Eriksen then had a chance to reduce the deficit, meeting a rebound off the Newcastle defence with a first-time shot inside the penalty area, but the ball sailed over the crossbar.
Despite these efforts, Manchester United was unable to score, and the match ended with Newcastle securing a 2-0 victory.
According to the statistics network “Squawka,” Newcastle secured only their second-ever victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford in the Premier League.
This defeat marks the fourth consecutive loss for the Red Devils across all competitions, bringing a disappointing end to their year.
According to the same source, Newcastle achieved a remarkable feat, winning four consecutive matches without conceding a goal, a first for them since April 2012.
Squawka also reported that Manchester United suffered three straight home defeats, marking their first such run at Old Trafford since 1979. This defeat also marks the first time the Red Devils have lost five league matches in a single month since 1962.
Additionally, it’s the first time in history that Manchester United has lost their final league matches in two consecutive years, a trend that last occurred in 1985 and 1986.
This result also sees United finishing the year in 14th place, their lowest since 1989. According to Opta, four teams in Premier League history have finished the year in 14th place and were later relegated: Newcastle (2008-2009), Burnley (2009-2010), Norwich City (2013-2014), and Leeds United (2022-2023).
As the first half of the season concludes, Manchester United remains in 14th place with 22 points, while Newcastle has climbed to fifth, 10 points behind the top spot.
