The 18th round of the 2025/26 Premier League season will take place, with Newcastle United traveling to Old Trafford to face Manchester United. Newcastle manager Walter Madd has stated that his finishing ability and physical prowess have greatly benefited the team.

Thanks to Walter Madd's brace, Newcastle United drew 2-2 with Chelsea in the last round of the Premier League. After a run of 2 wins, 2 draws, and 1 loss in their last 5 matches, Newcastle United currently sits in 11th place in the standings with 23 points.

In terms of head-to-head records, Newcastle has won 4 and lost 1 of their last 5 matches against Manchester United, giving them a psychological advantage.

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe said, "I think we should be honest and objective when facing every opponent. My approach is to analyze the opponent's strengths and weaknesses. We don't particularly care about the opponent's reputation or which team they are, but focus on the game itself, looking for their weaknesses while also protecting our own. So the overall process will not change; it will always be the same approach."

“We have a good record against Manchester United recently, but that doesn’t mean anything in this game. It will be a completely new and separate game, and as I said, they have improved and have been very strong in recent games, even including the game against Aston Villa. Although they didn’t win, I think they played very strongly and well.”

In addition, 23-year-old German striker Walter Madd has contributed 7 goals and 1 assist for Newcastle in the Premier League this season, and his overall performance has been very impressive.

Eddie Howe said, "Everyone could see that when Walter Madd scored, he had a very good connection with the fans, and you could see that the fans were really happy for him, and he was happy to share the celebration with the fans in the stands. I think that was his best game for the team, especially in the first half, he was outstanding."

“We saw his ability to contribute to the team again, especially in linking up the attack. He drops back appropriately to help us finish attacks in different areas of the pitch. But most importantly, he is always in the right place when the ball comes into the box. The second goal was incredible; it was a very brilliant finish. He might have been a little frustrated because he missed a much easier chance before halftime, which would have been a wonderful moment if he had taken it.”

Eddie Howe added, "But overall, it was a very strong performance. He also helped the team a lot in terms of physicality and athleticism, so I'm very happy with his performance."