Manchester United suffered their 14th Premier League defeat of the season—matching their highest number of losses in a single campaign since 1989-90—after a 4-1 thrashing by Newcastle United on Sunday.
Despite manager Eddie Howe’s absence due to illness, Newcastle continued their strong form, strengthening their push for a Champions League spot as they climbed to fourth in the table with 56 points.
Howe, who was reportedly hospitalized, watched his side take an early lead through Sandro Tonali’s well-executed volley in the 24th minute. United responded with a swift counter-attack, capped off by Alejandro Garnacho’s impressive finish in the 37th minute to level the score.
But Newcastle took control again early in the second half when Harvey Barnes restored the lead, and he doubled his tally in the 64th minute to make it 3-1. A late blunder by United’s debutant goalkeeper Altay Bayindir gifted Bruno Guimarães a fourth goal, sealing a dominant win that moved Newcastle above Manchester City. Meanwhile, Manchester United slipped to 14th place in the table.
“We know it’s been a difficult season—there’s no hiding that,” United captain Bruno Fernandes told Sky Sports. “This club should be much higher in the standings. But right now, we’re not getting the results we need. We have to refocus—there’s a big match ahead, and we need to clear our heads and push forward.”
The result gave Newcastle their first league double over Manchester United since the 1930-31 season—an achievement that, in today’s context, seems far less daunting. United have now suffered home and away defeats to four different teams this season, the highest number in a single campaign since 1957-58.