Manchester United are bidding to maintain their unbeaten run under Michael Carrick as they take on Newcastle United in the Premier League this week.
The Magpies are having a mixed season, with Eddie Howe struggling to juggle the physical demands of a top five challenge in the Premier League combined with a bid to progress to the latter stages of the Champions League.
The team are currently 13th in the Premier League with 36 points, a return they'll no doubt be disappointed with at this stage. Howe will likely point to the injuries the team have endured this season, which is true, but it's also fair to say the team have underperformed, even when the squad's fitness levels have been high.
Their overall form heading into this game is solid, with four wins from their last six games in all competitions, but their form chart reads more more modestly when restricted only to Premier League games, with only one win in their last seven (a 2-1 win away at Tottenham). At the weekend, Newcastle fell to a 2-3 defeat at home to Everton, a hugely disappointing result all things considered.
They have, though, been one of the more entertaining sides to watch this season, with all of their last ten games in all competitions seeing BTTS occur, while all of their last nine games have seen over 2.5 goals scored.
Man United, meanwhile, have worked their way into 3rd place in the league following a renewed run of form under Michael Carrick. Performances - in the last two games specifically - have been far from perfect, but they seem quite adept at getting the job done when needed, and they'll feel confident ahead of this game.
Benjamin Sesko has added a new dimension to the team, with the Slovenian bursting into form under Carrick. Sesko now has seven goals in his last eight appearances for the club, including a goal in each of his last three, so he's really starting to deliver in a red shirt.
United claimed a scrappy 2-1 win over Crystal Palace at Old Trafford at the weekend, a result that extends their unbeaten run under Carrick to seven, including six wins, with four of those seven seeing BTTS occur. Given this game pits on side in the ascendency against one fighting against the form tide, we think the visitors look good to come out on top.
Newcastle 1-2 Man United
