Newcastle hold a four-point lead over Manchester United as the two sides prepare to face off at St. James’ Park in the Premier League on Saturday.
The Magpies currently sit ninth in the table, while Man Utd find themselves sixteenth – three points ahead of the bottom three.
Newcastle have only lost one of their opening four games and kicked things off with a 2-0 victory over West Ham at the London Stadium last month.
Steve Bruce’s side were then beaten 3-0 by Brighton but bounced back well to secure a hard-earned 1-1 draw with Tottenham on Matchday 3.
Last time out, the Magpies claimed a 3-1 victory over Burnley, with Callum Wilson bagging a second-half brace for his new club.
Following his recent move from Bournemouth, Wilson already has four goals in four Premier League games for Newcastle.
The striker has helped his side lose just one of their previous seven games in all competitions, with Allan Saint-Maximum – 1 goal, 1 assist – also catching the eye.
Granted, Man Utd have played a game less than Newcastle. But the Red Devils have lost two of their opening three league outings this term.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side lost 3-1 to Crystal Palace on the opening day, before scraping a dramatic 3-2 victory over Brighton on Matchday 2.
However, Man Utd were completely humiliated last time out, losing 6-1 to Tottenham at Old Trafford, with Anthony Martial being shown a red card midway through the first half.
The defeat to Spurs was only the third time that Man Utd had conceded six goals in a single Premier League game.
Having said that, Solskjaer and his player can take confidence from the fact that Man Utd are unbeaten in their last eight away games in the Premier League.
Head-to-head: Man Utd have enjoyed playing Newcastle in recent years. The Red Devils have claimed three wins in their previous four meetings.
Solskjaer’s side thrashed Newcastle 4-1 the last time the two sides met, with Martial netting a brace back in December 2019.
Team news: Newcastle could be without as many as 11 players this weekend. Martin Dubravka, Dwight Gayle, Miguel Almiron and Matt Richie are all definitely ruled out.
Martial is suspended for Man Utd, while new signing Edinson Cavani isn’t likely to feature due to coronavirus regulations.
Newcastle have made a promising start to the 2020/21 campaign, but Man Utd’s recent record against the Magpies is difficult to ignore.
Forebet predicts that Man Utd will bounce back from their 6-1 thrashing and return to winning ways on Saturday. 1-2 is the most likely scoreline.