Manchester United fell to a 14th league defeat at the hands of Newcastle United on Sunday evening, setting in stone that the 2024/2025 campaign will be their worst-ever of the Premier League era.
To make matters worse, the Reds sit 14th-placed, but could easily drop as low as 17th given that only three points separate them and West Ham.
Barring a relatively quick (13 minutes) response to Sandro Tonali’s opener via Alejandro Garnacho on the counter, it was a hugely comfortable victory for the Magpies on their home turf. It ultimately came down to one side having everything to play for as they chase Champions League qualification and another whose hopes of salvaging something from the campaign are now dead and buried.
United are putting all their focus on Thursday’s Europa League quarter-final second leg at home to Olympique Lyonnais. With the scoreline tied at 2-2, there is everything to play for in the 90 minutes – and potentially longer – at Old Trafford.
Dejected Bruno Fernandes deserves better from his teammates
Post-match on Tyneside, one journalist spotted a ‘disconsolate’ Bruno Fernandes’ reaction to the night’s affairs.
He has enjoyed a stellar season on a personal level, notching 16 goals and 18 assists in all competitions, but is one the players who’ll care very little about such achievements unless his side is getting the results needed. Yet again this term, that’s been far from the case for United.
“A disconsolate Bruno Fernandes spent a couple of minutes deep in conversation with Casemiro after that painful defeat before leading the players over to applaud what few Utd fans were left. Credit to them, though, they were singing right to the end,” said Chris Wheeler on X/Twitter.
After the crunch midweek European contest, Ruben Amorim’s men host Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday before travelling to take on Bournemouth. Both sides have the opportunity to do the league double the 20-time champions – a feat already accomplished by Brighton and Hove Albion, Tottenham Hotspur and Nottingham Forest.
