Newcastle have piled more misery onto Manchester United to end 2024, and the stats after their woeful start to the season is not pretty reading for supporters of the Red Devils.
The Red Devils put in one of their worst first-half displays of the season and could have been more than two goals behind going into the break.
But ultimately goals from Aleksandar Isak and Joelinton proved enough for Newcastle – leaving the Red Devils just seven points clear of the relegation zone at the half-way stage of the campaign.
It is the first-time in Premier League history that Manchester United have been in the bottom-half of the table going into the second-half of the season.
There are a number of other stats that sum up United’s miserable start to the season.
Manchester United Stats After Poor First-Half To The Season
One of the more startling stats is that Manchester United’s defeat to Newcastle was their sixth in the month of December in all competitions – five in the Premier League and one in the Carabao Cup.
This is only the third month in the club’s history that they have lost six games in a month (previously doing so in April 1926 and September 1930). It is the first time they have done this in 94 years.
They also conceded 18 goals in December – the most in a month since they let in the same amount back in March 1964.
6 – Manchester United have lost six games in December, their most in a single month since September 1930 (7). Concerning. pic.twitter.com/cApZFtaubw
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 30, 2024
Since Ruben Amorim’s first game in charge on November 24, only Southampton (7) have lost more games in all competitions among Premier League clubs.
The Red Devils have also shipped in the joint-most goals in that time – 21, joint with Tottenham.
Newcastle were heavy favourites going into the match, despite stats showing their poor record at Manchester United.
It just the Magpies’ third victory at Old Trafford in their last 57 meetings at the famous ground.
The 2-0 loss was the first time that Manchester United have lost three league matches on the bounce at Old Trafford since 1979.
United Just Seven Points Above The Relegation Zone
Perhaps more worrying than the miserable stats, Manchester United fans will be more concerned about their place in the table.
Their 2-0 loss to Newcastle – along with Ipswich’s shock 2-0 victory at Chelsea – means they are now just seven points off the relegation zone.
Things don’t get any easier for Ruben Amorim’s side either who next travel to Anfield against Liverpool who appear to be in a strong position to match Manchester United’s record 20 league titles this season.
Gary Neville, on commentary for Sky, branded United as the ‘worst pound-for-pound team in the Premier League’ at present.
Amorim will be hoping to turn things around in the second-half of the season and get United competing for European places by the end of the campaign.
