Manchester United struggles deepened as they fell 4-1 to Newcastle United at St James’ Park, marking their 14th Premier League loss.
The result sees Newcastle complete a historic league double over Manchester United for the first time since the 1930-31 season.
Despite the absence of head coach Eddie Howe, who was hospitalized due to illness, the Magpies delivered a commanding display to bolster their top-four hopes, moving to fourth with 56 points.
Newcastle opened the scoring in the 24th minute when Sandro Tonali fired home a volley following a brilliant setup from Alexander Isak. Manchester United briefly responded with a well-taken equalizer by Alejandro Garnacho in the 37th minute after a swift counterattack initiated by Manuel Ugarte.
However, any hopes of a comeback were short-lived. Just minutes into the second half, Harvey Barnes restored Newcastle’s lead, finishing off a run by Tino Livramento. The winger struck again in the 64th minute, exposing a lack of urgency in United’s backline to notch his second goal of the game.
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Goalkeeper Altay Bayindir, making his Premier League debut in place of André Onana, endured a difficult afternoon. His poor clearance late in the match handed Joelinton the chance to tee up Bruno Guimarães for Newcastle’s fourth, sealing a fifth consecutive win in all competitions for the Magpies.
The defeat leaves Manchester United languishing in 14th position and matches their highest number of losses in a league season since 1989-90. They have now conceded first in 19 Premier League matches this season — their highest since 2013-14.
United captain Bruno Fernandes admitted the team is underperforming, stating their current league standing does not reflect the club’s stature.
Meanwhile, Newcastle assistant manager Jason Tindall praised his players for delivering a performance that would have made Howe proud.
With six games remaining, Manchester United will need a swift turnaround in form, starting with their Europa League quarterfinal second leg against Lyon, if they hope to salvage a disappointing campaign.
Reported by ESPN
