Manchester United's woes continued on Monday as they suffered their fourth consecutive defeat, losing 2-0 to Newcastle United at Old Trafford.
Goals from Alexander Isak and Joelinton handed the Red Devils a miserable end to 2024, further intensifying the pressure on manager Ruben Amorim.
In just his second month as manager, Amorim admitted this week that his position is under threat unless results improve.
With only two wins from his first nine league matches, United are languishing in 14th place, just seven points above the relegation zone.
The Magpies struck early, with Isak and Joelinton finding the back of the net within the first 19 minutes.
Their fifth consecutive victory propelled them into fifth place in the Premier League standings.
Amorim watched in disbelief as Newcastle cut through United’s defense with ease, particularly in the first half.
It took just over three minutes for Isak to open the scoring. The Swedish striker was given too much space in the six-yard box to head home a cross from Lewis Hall, marking his sixth consecutive Premier League goal.
United struggled without the presence of suspended captain Bruno Fernandes, as Newcastle's midfield trio of Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes, and Joelinton dominated play against the ageing Casemiro and Christian Eriksen.
Isak missed a golden opportunity to double Newcastle’s lead, fluffing a dink over goalkeeper Andre Onana.
He also had a goal ruled out for offside. However, it wasn’t long before Joelinton added a second, meeting Anthony Gordon’s cross to give Newcastle a commanding lead.
Amorim reacted by substituting Joshua Zirkzee for Kobbie Mainoo after just 33 minutes, a move that was met with cheers from the frustrated Old Trafford crowd.
Tonali could have made it 3-0 when he struck the post following a slick move by the Magpies, but United were fortunate not to fall further behind.
Before the break, United nearly found a way back into the game. Rasmus Hojlund squandered a golden opportunity, firing wide with only Martin Dubravka to beat.
Casemiro then wasted an even better chance after Fabian Schar gifted possession to Mainoo.
Amorim’s halftime talk seemed to spark a slight improvement in United’s performance. They came out stronger in the second half, with Harry Maguire’s header hitting the post and Matthijs de Ligt’s follow-up blocked by Hall.
Despite being fit for the first time in five games, Marcus Rashford remained on the bench for the full 90 minutes.
Amorim instead turned to Alejandro Garnacho, but by then, Newcastle had weathered the storm and regained control of the match.
The defeat marks United’s third consecutive home league loss, their first such run since 1979, adding to a long list of troubling statistics during the club's decade of decline.
The fear for Amorim is that the losing streak could extend into 2025, with a daunting trip to runaway league leaders Liverpool on Sunday followed by a trip to Arsenal in the FA Cup third round.