Former Chelsea striker makes 'rubbish' claim ahead of Man Utd v Newcastle United

Former Blackburn Rovers and Chelsea striker Chris Sutton believes Newcastle United have now ‘hit their stride’ and ‘should’ claim a rare three points at Manchester United on Monday night.

After falling to a disappointing defeat at Brentford on the first weekend of December, Eddie Howe’s men have hit their best form of the season after claiming maximum points from home games against Leicester City and Aston Villa and an away day at Ipswich Town. Progress was also made in the Carabao Cup as a Sandro Tonali brace helped Newcastle to a 3-1 home win against Brentford that has set up a two-legged semi-final clash with Arsenal. Those results have taken Newcastle into seventh place in the Premier League table and they sit six points adrift of the top four and are well placed to challenge for a return to European football after a one-season absence.

Although the Magpies record at Old Trafford is poor, the form of their hosts should increase hopes Howe’s men can claim only a second away league win since 1972 when they face the Red Devils on Monday night. The appointment of former Sporting CP head coach Ruben Amorim is yet to spark an upturn in form from the side he inherited from Erik ten Hag and Monday’s hosts are sat in fourteenth place in the Premier League table after losing four of their last five games.

Sutton praised Newcastle’s upturn in form and believes they should be favourites to secure another win on Monday night as he described their hosts as ‘rubbish’.

He told BBC Sport: “I said before Christmas that I thought Newcastle would hit their stride and they have done exactly that. The way they are playing, they should win at Old Trafford and make it four league wins in a row. Manchester United's form is the exact opposite. I am not concerned about Amorim getting the sack but it really does not help when your goalkeeper keeps on conceding goals direct from a corner - that is under-12s stuff. I remember it happening when I was watching my son play when he was about 15 and he got done off a corner. I told him you would never see it happen to a professional goalkeeper, but it has happened twice in two weeks to Manchester United - first to Altay Bayindir and then Andre Onana. You could not make it up.

He continued: “I need to apologise here though, because I was far too kind to Manchester United last week when I said they would get a draw at Wolves. Their fans give me so much stick on social media whenever I say they will lose that it must have got to me a bit - I have become a bit of a chicken and have put them down to get a draw when my gut feeling has been for them to lose. That has got to stop, because they are rubbish. That is not on Amorim because we will judge him when he has a chance to bring in his own players but, for now, we have to see them for what they are, which is a really poor side.”