Newcastle United welcome Manchester United to St James’ Park this evening as the visitors take to the pitch for the first time in over two weeks.
Covid-related disruptions to the Premier League’s calendar saw Man United’s fixtures against Brighton and Brentford postponed earlier this month, with the Red Devils’ Carrington training ground closed for a brief period thereafter. It remains to be seen whether the lack of action will help or hinder Ralf Rangnick’s seventh-placed team, who may be slightly short of match sharpness but who have had a bit more time to get used to their new interim coach’s style of play. A victory here would take them fifth.
Meanwhile, Newcastle’s fortunes have not improved much in their relegation battle since Eddie Howe’s appointment as head coach, and an admittedly tough recent run of games has seen the Magpies beaten 4-0 by Man City, 3-1 by Liverpool and 4-0 by Leicester. Their last win came on 4 December as they edged past Burnley 1-0, and even a victory here would not haul 19th-placed Newcastle out of the relegation zone. As our own Tony Evans writes, the club must cut through their own barriers on and off the pitch as a kinder run of fixtures approaches after tonight.
Follow all the build-up, team news and live match updates from Newcastle vs Manchester United, below.
