Carrick's Red Devils Head to St James' Park Seeking to Extend Impressive Streak

Michael Carrick's Manchester United arrive at St James' Park on Wednesday night with momentum firmly on their side, despite the interim boss being a lifelong Newcastle supporter. The Red Devils have absolutely no intention of doing their childhood club any favours.

United sit third in the Premier League table following their comeback victory over 10-man Crystal Palace at the weekend, courtesy of strikes from Bruno Fernandes and Benjamin Sesko. That win has formed part of a remarkable run that sees Carrick match the joint-best opening by any Premier League manager in history, accumulating 23 points from his opening nine matches across both spells in temporary charge.

The 44-year-old remains in position only until the campaign concludes, yet the quality of United's recent performances has sparked genuine discussion about whether the role should become a permanent arrangement.

When these teams met earlier in the season at Old Trafford, Ruben Amorim was still in the dugout. Patrick Dorgu's solitary goal secured a 1-0 victory for the hosts on that occasion.

Newcastle's situation presents a stark contrast. The Magpies remain involved in the FA Cup and have navigated through to the Champions League last 16, yet their domestic form has been woeful. A 3-2 reversal at home to Everton last weekend represents their fifth defeat in the last six Premier League outings, leaving them languishing in 13th place.

Team News and Expected Lineups

Jacob Ramsey featured against Everton and even registered a goal, though illness forced his withdrawal at the interval. He's since returned to training and should retain his starting berth, but Nick Woltemade's recent illness clouds his availability significantly.

Bruno Guimaraes, despite recent speculation linking him with Old Trafford, will miss this fixture as his hamstring injury continues its recovery process. Tino Livramento edges closer to action following nearly two months sidelined with a similar complaint, while Lewis Miley remains unavailable through a leg problem. Fabian Schar won't feature until April due to an ankle issue, and Emil Krafth has been ruled out indefinitely following knee surgery.

Newcastle are expected to line up: Pope; Trippier, Thiaw, Botman, Hall; Tonali, Ramsey, Joelinton; Murphy, Gordon, Barnes (4-3-3).

United's defensive options have taken a battering through illness and injury. Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw both came off during the Crystal Palace match, with Carrick confirming illness rather than injury as the culprit. Should they remain unwell, Ayden Heaven will partner Leny Yoro at centre-back with Noussair Mazraoui shifting to left-back.

The visitors are already without Lisandro Martinez through a minor calf strain and Matthijs de Ligt, who's missed 16 consecutive matches across all competitions with a back issue. Patrick Dorgu, who could've provided cover at left-back, remains sidelined following the hamstring he picked up during January's 3-2 triumph at Arsenal. Mason Mount has resumed first-team training and edges towards a comeback, though this midweek trip may arrive too soon.

United are anticipated to deploy: Lammens; Dalot, Yoro, Maguire, Shaw; Casemiro, Mainoo; Mbeumo, Fernandes, Cunha; Sesko (4-2-3-1).

The Statistical Picture

Newcastle have won their last three home Premier League meetings with United—equalling their combined tally from the previous 18 encounters. Eddie Howe has orchestrated four of Newcastle's 11 league victories against the Red Devils; only Joe Harvey, who managed six between 1969 and 1973, has done better for the Magpies.

The home side's evening kick-off record shows just two defeats in their last 20 such fixtures, losses arriving courtesy of West Ham in November 2024 and Liverpool in August 2025. However, they've now lost three consecutive home league games, a concerning streak that last occurred between August and October 2018 when they lost five on the bounce.

United, seeking to complete the double following their earlier 1-0 victory, haven't managed such a feat since 2020-21. They've suffered just one reverse in their last 11 away Premier League assignments—a 1-2 reversal at Aston Villa in December—representing a marked improvement on their dreadful form beforehand, when they won just once in 11 road trips.

The visitors have clawed back nine points from losing positions this calendar year, surpassing every other Premier League outfit. They've lost only once in their last eight league matches when falling behind. Their unbeaten run now extends to 11 matches, the longest such sequence since January-May 2021 when they managed 14 consecutive games without defeat.

Sesko has been absolutely prolific since Amorim's January departure, averaging a goal every 49.7 minutes. Four of his seven goals across all competitions this year have come via Fernandes' boot. The Portuguese playmaker has registered involvement in 10 goals across his last 10 away league appearances—two goals and eight assists—with those eight away assists matching Ryan Giggs' single-season United record from 2001-02. Across the league campaign, Fernandes has racked up 13 assists, trailing only David Beckham's 15 from 1999-2000 and Nani's 14 from 2010-11 in United's annals.

The Prediction

United's recent record at St James' Park makes for grim reading, with 2020 the last time they departed with three points. Newcastle, though, have endured a torrid home stretch and may harbour divided focus with a Champions League last-16 Barcelona tie and FA Cup fifth-round Manchester City encounter looming.

This figures to be a cagey affair between two sides nursing injury concerns. A draw with both teams scoring appeals at 7/2, whilst Newcastle to score first sits at 1/1 given United's tendency to fall behind in away fixtures.

Sesko has struck last in four of United's previous five league outings. At 13/2 to repeat that trick here, he represents an intriguing option for those seeking a goalscorer bet.