Ruben Amorim's Manchester United host Eddie Howe's Newcastle United, with both teams looking to take three points ahead of the new year programme of fixtures.
Both teams decimated by absences
The Red Devils have flirted with entering the Premier League's top five for the past few games, but haven't got there yet. Were they to beat the Magpies, they would do so, temporarily at least.
Newcastle, on the other hand, could draw level with United if they were to emerge triumphant from their Old Trafford appointment.
Both teams are decimated by absences as they're without seven players each.
Bruno Fernandes is the latest absentee for United. The captain was substituted at half-time for only the third time in his career at the Theatre of Dreams, after it looked as if he'd tweaked his hamstring during the fixture against Aston Villa.
Bruno the biggest miss
Given that the Portuguese talisman has only missed 17 of his 325 Man Utd matches since making his debut in 2020 - and the team has won 48.1% of league matches in which he has featured, dropping to 33.3% in his absence - his omission will be the most keenly felt.
Kobbie Mainoo is also sidelined after picking up an injury in training, whilst this game comes just a bit too quickly for centre-back duo Matthijs de Ligt and Harry Maguire.
All of Bryan Mbeumo, Amad Diallo and Noussair Mazraoui are away on Africa Cup of Nations duty for their respective countries, though Amorim will have Casemiro back from suspension after he'd picked up five yellow cards.
Nick Pope could give Howe a boost as he's expected to return, but all of William Osula, Kieran Trippier, Tino Livramento, Dan Burn, Sven Botman, Jamaal Lascelles and Emil Krafth are ruled out.
Recent games favour Newcastle
In terms of recent head-to-head results, things are very much in the visitors' favour, with the Magpies having won five of the last six fixtures between the sides, including two matches 'to nil' at Old Trafford.
Indeed, apart from a 3-2 win for the Red Devils back in May 2024, Man Utd have only scored one goal (in a 4-1 defeat at St. James' Park in April 2025) in the other five fixtures.
However, it should also be pointed out that Newcastle have actually won just one of their last 10 league visits to the Theatre of Dreams (2-0 in December 2024), and of their eight away games so far this season, they've also only come away with the three points on a single occasion.
Both sides are in reasonably decent current form, Man Utd going down 2-1 at Villa after a four-game unbeaten run, which saw them draw with Bournemouth and West Ham as well as beating Wolverhampton Wanderers and Crystal Palace.
Amorim's defence needs to tighten up
Newcastle have lost just once in their last six, a devastating 1-0 defeat to arch-rivals, Sunderland. They have beaten Burnley, Everton and Manchester City, while drawing against Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea.
Defensively, Amorim needs to ensure his back four tighten up significantly. Though the Red Devils have scored 31 goals in this Premier League season (joint second most with Arsenal), they've also conceded 28, which is the most of the top 14 clubs in the English top-flight.
They rank top of the league for total shots (281) and shots on target (97), and those 31 goals scored have only been bettered by Man City.
Shorn of their top scorer Mbeumo (six) - who also has the most shots on target (24) - and top assister Fernandes (seven) - who has created the most chances (51) and played the most passes (976) - Man Utd will have to look towards Matheus Cunha (most total shots, 47) to get the goals to win the game.
In 13 of their 17 league games so far this season, both teams have scored, and their season to date can probably best be encompassed by their performance against Bournemouth, a 4-4 draw that was exciting and exhilarating at times, but also exasperating.
If the hosts can start to rack up a clean sheet or two here and there, that will almost certainly impact their campaign in a positive manner.
Can Woltemade add to his tally at Old Trafford?
Newcastle have precisely the reverse problem.
22 goals conceded is one of the better defensive records in the 2025/26 Premier League season, but they've only scored 23 goals, giving them a poor +1 goal difference.
Seven of those scored have come from summer signing, Nick Woltemade, who'll likely never live down the own goal winner that handed Sunderland that derby victory.
His 11 shots on target are also the most, whilst Bruno Guimaraes continues to oil the wheels for the Magpies, creating the most chances (20) and making the most passes (775).
Regardless of whether goals have already been scored by the latter stages of the match, the last 15 minutes could be spicy, as both teams have scored their most and conceded their most between the 75th and 90th minutes.
A festive treat awaits...
