Monday 28 December 2015 16:53, UK
Manchester United will seek to avoid five consecutive defeats in competitive matches for the first time since 1936 when they host Chelsea on Monday.
The Old Trafford side are already on their worst run of form in 54 years after a fourth loss in a row when they were beaten 2-0 at Stoke on Boxing Day.
Manager Louis van Gaal is under increased pressure after that Premier League result and it has been suggested he could be just days from leaving the club.
The Dutchman has hinted he could quit his role and it appears he is feeling the heat after he walked out of a press conference last week.
The Stoke result came after previous reverses against Wolfsburg, Bournemouth and Norwich, which have contributed to an unexpected sequence of seven games without a win.
Under Matt Busby in 1961, United were beaten by Birmingham, Arsenal, Bolton and Sheffield Wednesday - the last time they lost so many successive fixtures.
But they went on an even worse run under manager Scott Duncan in the old First Division in 1936.
In November of that year, United suffered a 6-2 thrashing at Grimsby Town and that was the catalyst for four more defeats in quick succession.
A 5-2 home loss to Liverpool was next and a 3-2 defeat at Middlesbrough followed after back-to-back 2-1 reverses away to Leeds and at home to Birmingham.
In all, United went 11 games without a win around that time, with draws against Chelsea, Charlton and West Brom their only matches without losing.
Remarkably, United's worst run of successive defeats was in 1930, when they lost 14 games in a row over two seasons.
They lost their final two games in the 1929/30 campaign to Leeds and Sheffield United before being beaten in each of their first 12 Division One outings the following campaign.
In all, United went more than six and a half months without a win and were relegated at the end of that term as they finished bottom of the table, nine points behind second-bottom Leeds.
They also went down a division the last time they lost five in a row.
United currently sit sixth in the Premier League table, three points off the final Champions League place.
The omens are not great for United as they prepare to face Guus Hiddink's men, as their recent record against Chelsea is poor.
They are without a win in eight games in all competitions against the Stamford Bridge outfit and have lost five of those meetings.
United's last victory against Chelsea was more than three years ago when Javier Hernandez's goal gave them a 3-2 Premier League success in London.
