Ten Hag dismisses criticism with insistence that Man Utd team ‘in development’
Manchester United travel to Newcastle United this evening as both sides look to put weeknight Champions League woes behind them and consolidate form in the Premier League.
Newcastle go into the game a point behind Manchester United in the table, although they have lost one fewer game than Erik ten Hag’s men. But at St James’ Park, Newcastle have been a powerhouse this season, winning six of their matches at home, and losing just one, having netted 14 goals in the process.
Both sides have been dealing with injury concerns this season, although Magpie woes are more acute, they were forced to field teenagers on the bench against Paris Saint Germain in midweek, and were unable to make any tactical substitutions.
Eddie Howe will be without 11 players for the match, while Ten Hag has been able to welcome back Luke Shaw in recent weeks, but United could be without seven senior members of the squad.
Follow all the live action from St James’ Park in the blog below and get the latest odds and tips for the game here.
Newcastle vs Manchester United
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CLOSE! Newcastle 1-0 Manchester United
57 mins: Schar fancies a goal today! Again he comes driving forward and his shot is decent, flying inches over the bar with Onana desperately leaping to try and cover it
Luke Baker2 December 2023 21:18
GOAL! Newcastle 1-0 Manchester United (Anthony Gordon) ⚽
55 mins: It’s been coming and Newcastle finally break the deadlock!
Nice work down the right by the Magpies and Trippier fizzes a low ball across the six-yard box. The sliding Almiron is inches short of getting there but Anthony Gordon is there at the back post to turn home. Fully, fully deserved.
Luke Baker2 December 2023 21:15
Newcastle 0-0 Manchester United
53 mins: Rashford bundles over Livramento near halfway. Not sure how much longer he and Martial will be on the pitch, they’ve offered very little. Hojlund and Antony feel like probable replacements.
Luke Baker2 December 2023 21:13
Newcastle 0-0 Manchester United
52 mins: Ha! Lovely nutmeg by Trippier on Garnacho near the corner flag. Superb stuff. The cross comes to nothing, sadly (or happily from Garnacho’s perspective)
Luke Baker2 December 2023 21:11
Newcastle 0-0 Manchester United
50 mins: This really is feeling like a matter of time until Newcastle score. Another defensive interception by Shaw from Schar’s hard-hit cross.
Luke Baker2 December 2023 21:09
Newcastle 0-0 Manchester United
48 mins: Shaw again defends brilliantly – he and Maguire were superb in the first half. Guimaraes gets beyond Mainoo to the byline and his low cross is going to be turned in by Isak, only for Shaw to slide in front and hook the ball out for a corner.
First corner defended well enough but a second inswinging corner from the other side gets Onan flapping and punching it away.
Luke Baker2 December 2023 21:08
KICK-OFF! Newcastle 0-0 Manchester United
46 mins: Back underway in the north east. Newcastle utterly dominated that first period – can they convert to three points?
Also, how long can their threadbare squad keep this tempo up? Not many options on the bench
Luke Baker2 December 2023 21:06
Newcastle 0-0 Manchester United
How long before Man United make changes in this second half? It wasn’t really good enough before the break.
Luke Baker2 December 2023 21:03
HALF-TIME! Newcastle 0-0 Manchester United
(Action Images via Reuters)
(Action Images via Reuters)
(Manchester United via Getty Imag)
(Getty Images)
Luke Baker2 December 2023 20:57
HALF-TIME! Newcastle 0-0 Manchester United
And there’s half-time! Newcastle by far the better side and struck the underside of the bar with a Trippier free-kick but it’s still 0-0.
(AFP via Getty Images)
Luke Baker2 December 2023 20:49