Newcastle United strengthened their push for a Champions League spot in the absence of unwell boss Eddie Howe with a crushing win over Manchester United at St James’ Park.
Howe was admitted to hospital on Friday having felt unwell for a number of days.
Assistants Jason Tindall and Graeme Jones took charge against the Red Devils and the players responded with an exceptional performance as they recorded a first league double over their opponents since the 1930-31 campaign.
Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim dropped first-choice goalkeeper Andre Onana after his two mistakes against Lyon in Thursday’s 2-2 Europa League quarter-final first-leg draw, but replacement Altay Bayındır was guilty of a serious error to seal an easy home win.
The Turkey international clipped a ball straight to Joelinton who headed into the path of Bruno Guimaraes to make it 4-1 in the 77th minute.
By then, though, Newcastle were in complete command.
They were the better side from the first minute to the last and opened the scoring when Alexander Isak’s lobbed pass over the visiting defence ended with Sandro Tonali finding the net.
Italy midfielder Tonali went close to doubling the lead from distance, while Bayındır did well to deny Isak, before Manchester United equalised against the run of play.
Alejandro Garnacho kept his composure eight minutes before the break to shoot beyond Nick Pope for his side’s first goal in three top-flight games.
But Newcastle moved up to fourth spot – just a point behind third-placed Nottingham Forest – when Harvey Barnes put the game out of reach with two second-half goals.
After tapping home Jacob Murphy’s pass across the six-yard area to make it 2-1 in the 49th minute, Barnes produced a ruthless finish 15 minutes later after a slip by Noussair Mazraoui. Bayindir’s howler compounded Manchester United’s misery on Tyneside.
The visitors, who lost Joshua Zirkzee to a suspected hamstring injury, dropped below Everton on goal difference to 14th in the table – and just three points off fourth-bottom West Ham – after a 10th defeat in 21 Premier League games under Amorim.
Man Utd hit rock bottom under Amorim
Amorim has experienced some difficult days since taking charge of Manchester United last October.
This was right up there as his side showed little fight on their way to another defeat in what has been a thoroughly miserable season.
Amorim’s side have now won just two of their past nine top-flight games and will finish the campaign with their lowest points total in the Premier League era.
The problems are mounting for the Portuguese boss, who gave a first senior start to 18-year-old defender Harry Amass, but he was taken off in the 55th minute.
Amorim decided to take Onana out of the firing line after his poor showing in France, but back-up Bayindir endured a game to forget on Sunday.
United, who are not mathematically safe from relegation with six games left and a 17-point gap to third-bottom Ipswich Town, must re-group quickly with a must-win game to come in the return leg against Lyon on Thursday at Old Trafford.
United have to win the Europa League to qualify for Europe next season but, after this humiliation against Newcastle, they face a tough task to get the job done against the French outfit, with the quarter-final tie evenly poised at 2-2.
Newcastle on a mission for Champions League
This highly impressive Newcastle performance will have lifted the spirits of the club and fans who are understandably concerned about Howe’s health.
The man who masterminded their Carabao Cup final triumph over Liverpool at Wembley four weeks ago remains in hospital, although details about his illness remain unclear.
Any fears Newcastle might switch off after winning their first major domestic trophy for 70 years have been well and truly dispelled – this was their third win in three games since their Wembley heroics.
While Nottingham Forest and Chelsea both slipped up this weekend in what is proving to be an exciting race for Champions League spots, Newcastle look like a team on a mission to claim a coveted place among Europe’s elite for the second time in three seasons.
Newcastle will move above Forest into third if they beat Crystal Palace in their game in hand at home on Wednesday and, crucially, five points clear of sixth-placed Chelsea with the top five assured of Champions League qualification.
This season has offered some truly memorable moments for the Toon Army, yet their team’s dismantling of Manchester United has to be right up there too.
Barnes offered hunger and energy, and thoroughly deserved his two goals, while Murphy is the first Newcastle player with 10 assists from open play in a Premier League season since Laurent Robert in 2001-02.
[BBC]