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Last Season
SJP
Unlikely Lads
Manchester United (a) Premier League
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Date: Friday 26th December 2025, 8pm Live on Sky Sports Venue: Old Trafford
Conditions: Maddening |
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Manchester United |
Newcastle |
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1 - 0 |
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| Half time: | 1 - 0 | |
| Score Sheet: | ||
(24) Dorgu |
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Teams |
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Lammens Dalot Heaven Shaw Martinez Casemiro Ugarte Cunha Mount Sesko Dorgu |
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Ramsdale L.Miley Schar Thiaw Hall Tonali Guimaraes Ramsey J.Murphy Woltemade Gordon |
| Substitutes: | ||
|
(46)
J.Fletcher for Mount (60) Zirkzee for Sesko (61) Yoro for Casemiro (88) Fredricson for Martinez (88) Malacia for Shaw |
Wissa for
Woltemade (68) Barnes for J.Murphy (68) Joelinton for Ramsey (68) Willock for Tonali (77) |
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Subs not used |
||
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Bayindir T.Fletcher S.Lacey Mantato |
Pope A.Murphy Alabi Shahar Neave |
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| Bookings: | ||
Shaw
Cunha |
Tonali
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| Dismissals: | ||
| None |
None
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Referee: Anthony Taylor - first NUFC appointment
this season
for the FIFA-listed Cheshire-based whistler, who is an avowed
Altrincham fan and former club director. He oversaw three games last season involving us: the 3-1 PL win at Forest, 3-0 PL home conquest of Aston Villa and 1-2 defeat BY Brighton in the FA Cup at SJP. "We know we're you're from" sang travelling fans tonight, embracing the theory that Taylor isn't as neutral as required - although he had little opportunity to influence Manchester City's 3-0 win over Manchester United earlier this season when appointed to the Manchester derby. Quite why PGMOL chose him for what was the only PL game played on Boxing Day is unclear - apart from trying to reduce their carbon footprint by cutting down his travelling. Making Taylor referee for this game was totally avoidable - doing so reinforced those conspiracy theories. His lack of awareness in coping with the home side feigning head injuries after virtually ever cross into their box also became predictably painful - Dorgu must surely be suffering a concussion.... VAR: Stuart Attwell. |
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Attendance: As yet undisclosed by MUFC or the PL, including 3,000 away fans.
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Goals |
24 mins
Manchester United
attacked down their left flank, Matheus Cunha's shot blocked at his near
post by Aaron Ramsdale and Malick Thiaw thumping the loose ball out for a
throw-in.
Diogo Dalot sent a long throw towards the front post that was headed by Nick Woltemade
into his own area, dropping for Patrick Dorgu to volley goalwards from a
central position around 17 yards away from goal. Aaron Ramsdale got a hand to it but
was unable to
keep the ball out. 0-1
Half time: Red Devils 1 Magpies 0
Full time: Red Devils 1 Magpies 0
We Said |
Eddie
Howe said:
"The
quality of player is there - you can see that - but we’re finding a
way to concede goals when we don’t look like we should and we’re not
scoring the goals that we should at the other end. It’s a deadly mix
for us.
"I thought this was
another step forward in terms of performance, but no one really wants to
hear that. No one wants to analyse that too deeply because the result is the
most important thing. We’re well aware of the world that we live in.
"You could make an argument that we should have got something from today,
but haven’t, and we’ve had that feeling too many times on the road this
year. We’re a team and the team hasn’t functioned well enough.
"Second half was a lot better than the first but we didn't do
enough, we have to do more. It was not through a lack of effort, we
were very dominant in that second period and I thought if we scored
we would go on to win.
"We started very well in the first 15 minutes, we were slightly
rocked with the goal and we didn't react well to that. The game was
there for us to take.
"We didn't look as good physically as we did against Chelsea when we
were excellent. There wasn't a tactical problem for us at any stage
of the game, we're disappointed with how we defended the goal and
long throws was something we prepared for and then disappointed with
our actions.
"We cut through them a lot of times, put in a lot of crosses and the
chances were not there. If we had scored that equalising goal the
momentum was with us but it was not to be.
"I thought Anthony played well, direct, full of running, yes the
goal was not there. We need more goalmouth action and to be clinical
in front of goal. They managed the game well, but they were allowed
to."
They Said |
Reuben Amorin said:
"Yeah, really pleased, especially in the
second half. I think we suffered all together. You can say that we defend well
because we didn't suffer the goal, but they have chances to score a goal. We
needed a little bit (of) luck sometimes.
"We had so many games this season that we didn't win (where we) play(ed)
better than the opponent. Today, I think we did well, just that in the first
half, in the second half we suffer, but we managed to win.
"The feeling (of achieving a clean sheet) is good, but if you compare to
other games, we suffer so much more today. But in certain moments, we put
everything on the line. We were inside the box, but we are putting our body in
front of the goal.
"We were defending every cross. We are trying to push out of the box when the
ball went back. So, that is a good feeling to have, a clean sheet, but if you
look at the game, we had so many games that we control so much better, the
opponent, and we suffer goals.
"Sometimes you just need a little bit (of) luck, Especially if you see
the second half. We managed to defend, sometimes with a back six, but we suffer
together, and that is a good feeling, and I'm always talking about when we had
good performance, and I felt that we are here and talking about the game. If we
have always this spirit, we are going to win so many games.
"So, I think it's something that we need, to feel that, that we can win
sometimes without playing so well, we can win games with the spirit and with the
togetherness in the team."
|
Stats |
Eddie
Howe took charge of the Magpies for the 200th
time in all competitions.
Anthony Gordon reached 100th league and
cup starts for Newcastle while Jacob Murphy made his 200th
Premier League appearance as a Magpie.
Since Alexander Isak's penalty in a 1-1 draw at
Brighton in May, United have failed to recover from going behind in
any league or cup game to win or draw. This was their eleventh
failed attempt.
There was a first PL bench selection for 16 year-old Manchester-born
midfielder Sam Alabi.
2025/26 lost 0-1
2024/25 won 2-0 Isak, Joelinton
2023/24 lost 2-3 Gordon, Hall
2023/24 won 3-0 Almiron, Hall, Willock (LC)
2022/23 drew 0-0
2021/22 lost 1-4 Manquillo
2020/21 lost 1-3 Saint-Maximin
2019/20 lost 1-4 M.Longstaff
2018/19 lost 2-3 Kenedy, Muto
2017/18 lost 1-4 Gayle
2015/16 drew 0-0
2014/15 lost 1-3 Cisse(pen)
2013/14 won 1-0 Cabaye
2012/13 lost 3-4 Perch, og(Evans), Cisse
2012/13 lost 1-2 Cisse (LC)
2011/12 drew 1-1 Ba(pen)
2010/11 lost 0-3
2008/09 drew 1-1 Martins
2007/08 lost 0-6
2006/07 lost 0-2
2005/06 lost 0-2
2004/05 lost 1-2 Ambrose
2003/04 drew 0-0
2002/03 lost 3-5 Bernard, Shearer, Bellamy
2001/02 lost 1-3 Shearer
2000/01 lost 0-2
1999/00 lost 1-5 og(Berg)
1998/99 drew 0-0
1997/98 drew 1-1 Andersson
1996/97 drew 0-0
1995/96 lost 0-2
1994/95 lost 0-2
1993/94 drew 1-1 Cole
Manchester United remain the team to have scored most goals against the Magpies. That stands at 342 in 180 league and cup games; four more than Liverpool have netted in 190 games. The only other 300+ side are Manchester City (306 goals in 195 games).
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Waffle |
Newcastle's spluttering season continued with a frustrating Boxing
Day defeat to an under-strength side that
had kept just one clean sheet in
18 previous league and cup fixtures.
Seeking their third league and cup win in four visits to Old
Trafford, Eddie Howe's side began brightly but failed to turn that
dominance into a lead before conceding a speculative volley from a
cleared corner just past the mid point of the opening half.
Unchanged from the side that faced Chelsea on Saturday,
the Magpies spent the rest of the half in an unconvincing
attempt at regaining parity, redoubling their efforts following the resumption.
However what became a stranglehold on the game against a home side
content to defend failed to translate
into meaningful chances; Red Devils goalkeeper Senne Lammens seldom
tested by anything other than bungled crosses and wasted set pieces.
Aside from a 60th minute shot by Benjamin Sesko that rattled Aaron
Ramsdale's crossbar, the hosts were content to soak up pressure from
a visiting side who were twice caught out by sucker punches in the
form of quick counter attacks.
Having scored the only two competitive goals of his senior career on
this ground for Newcastle, Lewis Hall came close to topping an
energetic display with another one - seeing a 62nd minute effort
strike rebound off the goal frame.
Jacob Ramsey comically tripped himself over with the goal at his
mercy early in the second half, while Anthony Gordon, Lewis Miley
and Harvey Barnes surely only had to get their shots on target to
equalise and open the floodgates.
Nick Woltemade presented little threat save for one header before
the interval, while Howe's insistence on the same like-for-like
replacements saw Yoane Wissa replace the German, rather than be
tried alongside him. Service and support to the former Brentford
player was no better.
The goal that divided the sides came when Danish midfielder Patrick
Dorgu
registered his first strike in English football, volleying
home when Woltemade's
clearing header from a long throw reached him.
Home defender Lisandro Martinez escaped what appeared to be a blatant handball
in his own area on 64 minutes, contact deemed by VAR
not to be enough to overrule Anthony Taylor's non-decision.
Also worthy of note was Sandro Tonali's booking for his Stars in
their eyes, "tonight I'm going to be Trevoh Chalobah"
shoulder charge on Dorgu. Halfway line?, stewards enquiry. Penalty area?, play on.
A display and outcome not quite as catastrophic as the derby defeat
shared some unwelcome characteristics: they may have provided a
threat to this opponent missing on wearside, but the Magpies once again
donating three points to a thoroughly mediocre side who looked
significantly inferior on paper. It's hard to refute the charge that
we beat ourselves. Again.
Newcastle go to Turf Moor on Tuesday looking to improve on a meagre
six points from nine away games. That may be an inferior tally to
both the club's 2008/09 and 2015/16 relegation campaigns, but is one
more than the Magpies possessed after 10 PL road trips in 2023/24.
This is very much a retrievable situation, but that line has been
trotted out since before the clocks went back.
Having gone public before the game to state that stadium and
training ground plans were in limbo, Howe finds himself defending a
side similarly unable to accomplish their allotted tasks - amid
increasing concerns that he and they have been found out and have
become a known quantity.
As one fellow traveller remarked on the homeward trek, "same sh*t,
different drive."
Biffa