Joe Willock and Callum Wilson scored to give Newcastle United a well-earned 2-0 victory over Manchester United yesterday that lifted them into third place in the Premier League standings.
Both teams have 50 points from 27 games but Newcastle have the better goal difference in the race to finish in the top four and qualify for the Champions League next season.
Eddie Howe’s side dominated play at St James’ Park, narrowly missing the target from several excellent chances. Their persistence was rewarded in the 65th minute when Allan Saint-Maximin’s headed cross found Willock for a close-range header.
Wilson put the game to bed in the 88th minute, heading in a cross from Kieran Trippier.
The victory was some sort of revenge for Newcastle losing 2-0 to Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United in the League Cup final in February.
Newcastle began by forcing the highest of tempos. At times it was thrillingly exhilarating but the concern for home fans was that it did not seem humanely possible for their team to maintain such ferocity and intensity for too long.
Howe could certainly have done with his side scoring an early goal but when Jacob Murphy created a decent opening courtesy of a cleverly chipped cross David de Gea came to Manchester United’s rescue.
Yet although De Gea’s fine double save kept out both Alexander Isak’s initial header and Willock’s follow up from the rebound, Manchester United, and Diogo Dalot in particular, were being persistently destabilised by Allan Saint-Maximin’s electric left-wing advances.
Indeed as Sean Longstaff sent a header swerving narrowly wide after connecting with one of Saint-Maximin’s crosses Ten Hag looked almost as agitated as Antony became whenever he entered Dan Burn’s orbit.
Perhaps sensibly, Manchester United’s manager instructed Antony and Marcus Rashford to temporarily, swap flanks, thereby briefly putting a stop to the former’s increasingly feisty duel with Burn.
That switch may well have come as a relief to Howe who will doubtless have noted those moments when Antony had the beating of his centre half turned emergency left back. As excellent as Burn has been this season there is a reason why a natural, high calibre, left back ranks high on Newcastle’s summer shopping list.
