Man Utd's next five fixtures after Newcastle defeat | OneFootball

While there was an acceptance that it was going to take Ruben Amorim time to oversee an improvement at Old Trafford, few foreshadowed the Portuguese coach admitting that Manchester United are in a relegation battle within two months of taking the job.

A fourth-straight defeat in their final outing of 2024 means the Red Devils are 14th in the Premier League table and seven points clear of the drop zone.

Their performance on Monday night in their 2-0 loss at home to Newcastle did not point towards a team capable of staging any sort of resurgence anytime soon. However, things may have panned out differently for the hosts had Amorim opted against deploying a 64-year-old midfield pivot against the Premier League's in-form engine room.

Perhaps the new coach will take solace in knowing his team at least competed for the final hour against the Magpies, but there's still a sense that things may get worse for the Red Devils before they improve.

A busy January is on the horizon with United involved in three competitions. Here's an overview of their next five games.

Liverpool vs Man Utd - Premier League

United next face the league leaders at Anfield / Michael Regan/GettyImages

This is just what the doctor ordered...

A daunting trip to the league leaders beckons for Amorim's frail outfit, with Liverpool entering their opening encounter of 2025 in rampant form. The Reds have a healthy advantage at the division's summit and have been scoring goals at an incessant rate as of late.

They've hit Tottenham for six and West Ham for five in two of their previous three outings. Arne Slot's side have lost just once in the league all season and will be intent on putting their great rivals to the sword on Sunday.

Liverpool won the reverse fixture at Old Trafford 3-0 while Erik ten Hag was still in town, and United haven't tasted victory at Anfield since January 2016.

Arsenal vs Man Utd - FA Cup

The Red Devils were recently beaten at the Emirates / Julian Finney/GettyImages

United struggled to lay a glove on Arsenal when the two sides met in north London on 4 December, but a relatively sturdy defensive display was undermined by their inability to contain the Gunners from set-pieces. Jurrien Timber and William Saliba were on the scoresheet in a 2-0 victory.

The once fierce rivals meet again in the third round of the FA Cup. With United exiting the Carabao Cup in December and mid-table their Premier League ceiling, this competition has undoubted importance for Amorim this term. They are, of course, the holders, and they'll surely face up against a rotated Gunners team at the Emirates.

Nevertheless, they could've done with an easier draw.

Man Utd vs Southampton - Premier League

Ivan Juric is now in charge of Southampton / Bryn Lennon/GettyImages

After visiting two of the toughest grounds in the country back-to-back, United are offered some respite by facing Southampton at Old Trafford.

The Saints are the division's bottom dwellers, but they look a slightly sterner outfit with disciplinarian Ivan Juric at the helm. The new manager's reign has started with two slender defeats, but there's reason for optimism.

A potential banana skin for United in this sort of form.

Man Utd vs Brighton - Premier League

Brighton beat Man Utd at the Amex / Eddie Keogh/GettyImages

Joao Pedro struck late on to hand Brighton a memorable 2-1 victory in the reverse fixture at the start of the season. That triumph arrived amid a supreme opening for the Seagulls, but Fabian Hurzeler's side have struggled to win games as of late.

Their last win arrived on 23 November - even United have won games (four, to be precise) since then - but they have performed well without much reward. Brighton's performances in their draws to conclude 2024 point towards a team capable of going on a run in the new year. They should be healthier by the time this fixture rolls around, too.

Man Utd vs Rangers - Europa League

United are in the top eight of the Europa League league phase table / Gabriel Kuchta/GettyImages

Man Utd's third successive home fixture arrives in the Europa League against British opposition. Amorim oversaw wins over Bodo/Glimt and Viktoria Plzen at the start of his tenure to leave United in the top eight of the league phase table.

However, they will be usurped if they're beaten by Rangers at Old Trafford. It'll be just the fifth competitive meeting between the two clubs.

The Scots are just a place and point behind United in the table having drawn with Tottenham at Ibrox on their previous outing. This is the penultimate matchday of the initial phase, and United will be keen to avoid playing two extra games in a bid to reach the round of 16.