Newcastle United face off against Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s stuttering Manchester United this weekend, looking to emulate last season's St James' Park victory.
Matty Longstaff scored home and away against the Red Devils last season. He’s yet to feature during this campaign but is back in training and, while Saturday's game may come too soon, will play for the Under-23s against Fulham on Monday.
Manchester United have been beaten handsomely twice this season already, losing 3-1 to Crystal Palace and 6-1 to Tottenham Hotspur.
Their sole victory in the league to date came in fortuitous circumstances against Brighton & Hove Albion, with Bruno Fernandes netting a last-gasp penalty.
Solskjaer’s men have conceded 11 goals in three games - six more than Newcastle’s five goals allowed. Only West Bromwich Albion have conceded more this season, and it is clear that Manchester United’s main weakness lies in defence.
Fortunately, Newcastle will not be facing new signing Edinson Cavani this weekend, with the Uruguayan still in mandatory quarantine following his entry to the UK. But fellow new boy Alex Telles could feature at St James’.
Typically playing on the left side of a central defensive pairing is Harry Maguire, who will need to ease Telles through his debut, and in front on the left flank is Marcus Rashford.
The duo have been used to working with Brandon Williams and Luke Shaw at left-back, meaning there could be some teething problems adjusting to their new team-mate, especially if Allan Saint-Maximin is in the mood to cause havoc with his sharp, dynamic movement.
Maguire himself has been suffering from a dramatic loss of form and visible lack of confidence. Pressing the defender into making mistakes would not be a wise course of action for Newcastle.
Maguire thrives on having the ball at his feet, with time to pick a pass. Should Newcastle limit those opportunities, there is a greater chance of him making yet another error.
Manchester United have used three different central defensive pairings in each of their Premier League games so far, which partly explains their inconsistency. According to Understat, they have conceded 11 shots from corners already this season, underling their vulnerability from dead balls. Newcastle will have noted this deficiency and can exploit it with smart, patterned set-plays.
The Red Devils have also conceded three goals in the opening 15 minutes of matches, and three goals in the closing 15 minutes, suggesting the defence is taking some time to calibrate to the game, while also failing to be resolute late on.
Newcastle must ensure they remain in the game, and apply pressure from the first whistle. If three points are still up for grabs entering the latter stages of the contest, this weakness will be in the back of their opponents’ minds.
Understat also note that Manchester United have lost the xG battle in each of their three league games, conceding chances worth 1.91 goals, 2.98 goals and 3.3 goals in their three matches so far.
This points towards a systemic lack of organisation in defence, compounded by the fact they have conceded each of their 11 goals from inside the penalty area, from just 37 shots. On average this season, Manchester United concede a goal from every fifth shot they allow.
The message to Newcastle is clear: be intense, catch Manchester United on the back foot, punish structural weaknesses from set-plays and take shots on from within range.
This is one of Newcastle’s most difficult fixtures of the season on paper, but the form guide suggests the two teams are far more evenly-matched than many would assume.
