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Both Newcastle and Manchester United will look to get back to winning ways when they play their first Premier League game of 2012 at the Sports Direct Arena on Wednesday.
United in particular will still be hurting after suffering perhaps the biggest shock defeat of the season when they came undone 3-2 against bottom of the table Blackburn.
United boss Sir Alex Ferguson admitted he and his side were “shocked” following their defeat against Steve Kean’s side, but they will look to the quick fire games over the new year as the perfect opportunity to once more put the pressure back on Manchester City, who face a tough tie against Liverpool the day before kick off in Newcastle.
Alan Pardew’s men meanwhile had looked to build once more following their six game winless streak that came to an end with a 2-0 win over Bolton on Boxing Day, but any hopes of stringing together back to back wins came to an end with a 3-1 defeat against Liverpool.
The defeat was have been a particularly bitter pill to swallow for Newcastle after they went 1-0 up, and now they face the difficult task of going up against a Man Utd side that are looking to re-assert themselves in the title race.
Ferguson put the defeat down to the ever growing injury list at Old Trafford, and it appears he will have to once more make do without some of his senior players for the game against Newcastle, with the midfield proving to be particularly troublesome for the Scot.
Ryan Giggs missed the game against Blackburn and is a doubt for the game, while defensively United look short with Rio Ferdinand, Jonny Evans and Chris Smalling all struggling to be fit in time.
The game ended in a controversial 1-1 draw last time the two sides met earlier in the season, with Ferguson particularly aggrieved with the penalty decision given against what appeared to be a perfectly times Ferdinand challenge that gave the visitors a route back into the game at Old Trafford.
Match Winner
There’s no doubt Manchester United will be seeking revenge at the Sports Direct Arena for both the dropped points in the corresponding fixture and the disappointment of defeat against Blackburn.
United are clear favourites for the game despite the dropped points against Blackburn, with Bet365 offering odds of 1.67 (4/6) on the reigning champions getting back to winning ways.
Newcastle are placed at 10.50 (19/2) with BWIN to pick up an unlikely win while the draw is 3.75 (11/4) with SkyBet.
First Goalscorer
With plenty of goal scoring talent on display both sides will be confident of getting the first goal of the game.
Newcastle’s Demba Ba heads off the African Cup of Nations in January and will look to sign off with his side in a similar fashion that he done all season, and he is placed at 8.00 (7/1) with StanJames.
For United, both Wayne Rooney and Javier Hernandez will pose the main threat to the United goal, with Paddy Power placing the pair at 4.50 (7/2) and 5.50 (9/2) respectively.
Recommended Bets
First Goalscorer: Demba Ba, 8.00 (7/1) StanJames
Correct score: 2-1 Man Utd, 8.00 (7/1) BetFred
