At 4 AM, Manchester United's Annual Finale! Amorim Under Pressure: A Loss Could Create Six Humiliations
Beijing time, December 31 at 4 AM, the 19th round of the Premier League sees Manchester United host Newcastle. With B Fee and Ugart suspended, Manchester United's annual finale is set to be a tough match. For coach Amorim, losing this game would create six humiliating records.
[B Fee Suspended, Double Core Absence in Manchester United's Midfield]
In the last round of the Premier League, Manchester United lost 0-2 to Wolves, with B Fee receiving a red card and thus suspended for this match; Uruguayan midfielder Ugart received his fifth yellow card of the season and will also miss the game against Newcastle. The double core of Manchester United's attack and defense, B Fee and Ugart, are both absent, along with Lindelof, Mount, and Luke Shaw, as five players from the Red Devils are out of action.
The last time Manchester United lost at home in the league to Newcastle was in December 2013, when Moyes led the team to a 0-1 defeat. This is also the only time in the last 39 league home games that the Red Devils have failed to beat the Magpies. However, in the fourth round of last season's League Cup, Newcastle defeated Manchester United 3-0 at the Theater of Dreams, leaving Ten Hag helpless.
[Can't Afford to Lose! A Loss for Manchester United Would Create Six Humiliating Records]
After 18 Premier League matches, Manchester United has only managed to secure 22 points, ranking 14th. They trail Liverpool at the top of the table by 23 points and are 8 points ahead of Leicester City in the relegation zone, which is the level of a mid-to-lower table team. In the match against Newcastle, Amorim is under considerable pressure, and OPTA points out that if Manchester United loses, it will create six humiliating records:
Manchester United has already suffered two consecutive home defeats in the league, with the last three consecutive home defeats occurring between December 1978 and February 1979, 46 years ago.
In December, Manchester United has already lost four league matches. The last time they lost five league matches in a single month was in September 1962.
The last time Manchester United lost at home in their Premier League annual finale was in 2011, with a 2-3 defeat to Blackburn.
The last time Manchester United finished the league season ranked lower than seventh was in 1989.
With 22 points from 18 matches, Manchester United is destined to create their worst-ever half-season record in the Premier League, surpassing the previous record of 28 points in the first half of the 2019-20 season.
The last time Manchester United lost at home in the league to Newcastle was in December 2013. Ten Hag has never lost at home in the Premier League to the Magpies, can Amorim hold the line?
[Predicted Lineups]
Manchester United (3421): Onana / De Ligt, Maguire, Lisandro Martinez / Mazraoui, Casemiro, Menu, Dalot / Garnacho, Amad Diallo / Hloren
Newcastle (433): Dubravka / Trippier, Schalke, Burn, Hall / Guimaraes, Tonali, Joao / Murphy, Isak, Gordon