That’s it for today. I’ll leave you with Louise Taylor’s report from St James’ Park – goodnight!
Post-match reaction
Dan Burn
Yeah, really special. For a long time we’ve always disliked Man Utd as Newcastle fans, so we owed them one this season. We’ve always wanted to beat Man Utd. It was a great performance and we’re glad to get the win and the clean sheet. Antony’s very skilful and has given us a few good games, but when I play at home I have that extra emotion – it goes a little too far sometimes!
Tht was a big result today and gives us a really good chance [of Champions League football]. Our next three games are away so it’s about recovering and going again.
Callum Wilson
[Was it about revenge?] Yeah I think we’re disappointed with the final. We knew it had gone but it left a sour taste and we had to put it right today. Our fans deserved that. As a striker all you can do is respond [to being left out] and put yourself forward. No one likes to be on the bench, especially strikers. When you get called upon, I think that’s the perfect way to respond.
xG deparment (c/o Sky Sports)
Newcastle 3.57-0.43 Man utd
The updated Premier League table
Interesting, very interesting.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal | 29 | 43 | 72 |
| 2 | Man City | 28 | 45 | 64 |
| 3 | Newcastle | 27 | 22 | 50 |
| 4 | Man Utd | 27 | 4 | 50 |
| 5 | Tottenham Hotspur | 28 | 12 | 49 |
Full time: Newcastle 2-0 Man Utd
I don’t know if that counts as revenge for the Carabao Cup final, but it’s certainly a statement victory from Newcastle. They were terrific from the start, with too much intensity for Man Utd and plenty of quality at key moments. Joe Willock and the substitute Callum Wilson got the goals, while Kieran Trippier, Bruno Guimaraes, Alexander Isak and Allan Saint-Maximin were all superb.
United looked extremely tired and added another desperate away performance to a troubling portfolio. They have plenty to think after taking one point, and scoring no goals, in their last three Premier League games. But this is Newcastle’s day, arguably their finest since Eddie Howe took over.
Updated
90+4 min Schar rampages forward, plays a one-two with the tireless Guimaraes and shoots just over.
90+2 min Rashford plays a through ball straight into the arms of Nick Pope. “That sums it up really,” says Martin Tyler on Sky.
90+1 min “I have never met a single Sunderland fan but I’m positive that they love Allan Saint-Maximin,” says Phil Podolsky. “Because if you don’t love him, whatever your club allegiance, you don’t love football. Simple as.”
90 min Five minutes of added time.
89 min Newcastle would probably have taken any kind of victory today, given the importance of the game, but the manner of this win will give them so much confidence for the run-in. It’s been utterly emphatic.
Updated
Shaw’s needless foul led directly to the goal. Trippier put in yet another brilliant ball, and Wilson got in front of Lindelof to flick an accomplished header past de Gea.
St James' Park is rocking 🔥
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 2, 2023
Callum Wilson 👏 pic.twitter.com/3vjSjV7ETY
Updated
GOAL! Newcastle 2-0 Man Utd (Wilson 88)
Game, set and third place to Newcastle.
Updated
87 min Shaw commits a petulant foul on Longstaff near the corner flag. Man Utd have been dreadful today.
87 min Anderson’s cross is headed wide by Burn at the far post. Not even he could get high enough to get over the ball.
86 min Bruno Guimaraes crunches Pellistri fairly to stop Manchester United getting out, and eventually Gordon wins a corner. Guimaraes is good enough for any team in the world, and I’m still not really sure why Brazil used him so little at the World Cup.
Updated
84 min Shaw’s corner is headed over at the near post by Lindelof, a half chance that was also his first touch of the game.
84 min: Newcastle substitution The goalscorer Joe Willock, who is feeling his hamstring as he walks off, is replaced by Elliot Anderson.
83 min: Triple substitution for Man Utd Fred, Facundo Pellistri and Victor Lindelof replace Scott McTominay, Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane. Hmm.
82 min: Just wide from Martial! Fernandes lofts a medium-range pass into the area towards Martial. He controls it beautifully, away from Botman, and hits a shot that takes a big deflection off Schar and flies just wide.
81 min Newcastle look as comfortable as you can be when the lead is only 1-0. Nick Pope hasn’t had a serious save to make all afternoon.
80 min: Newcastle substitution Callum Wilson replaces the outstanding Alexander Isak.
79 min Pope miscontrols a bobbling backpass and is almost robbed by Martial. But he gets to the ball first and launches it out to Willock on the left wing. He runs at Varane, cuts inside and shoots well wide from the edge of the area.
78 min Schar took a kick to the head when he ducked into that loose ball, and there’s a break in play while he receives treatment.
76 min: Newcastle hit the bar and the post! Trippier’s deep inswinging corner from the left is headed towards goal by Joelinton, three yards out. De Gea pushes it against the underside of the bar, an outrageous reaction save, and then Schar heads the rebound against the post! Martial was on the line and may have helped to force the ball against the post and away.
Updated
75 min Fernandes’s very deep cross is headed back across goal by Varane and claimed comfortably by Pope. Newcastle break and Gordon drives a dangerous low cross that is turned behind by Dalot.
74 min McTominay shakes off any lethargy, powering down the right and curling a good cross that is headed behind by Botman. Rashford was waiting behind him.
73 min With a few exceptions (Martinez, Antony, Fernandes), Manchester United have been so lethargic today.
72 min Dalot plays a square pass into Sabitzer on the edge of the area. He miscontrols the ball but recovers to rattle a shot that is crucially blocked by Botman.
73 min Bruno robs Bruno on the halfway line and Newcastle break. Isak gives the ball back to Bruno Guimaraes, whose low cross is cleared. Man Utd have struggled to deal with Newcastle’s intensity at times today.
72 min “Will Casemiro feature in April?” asks Yash Gupta. “What’s the status around his return? Asking for a friend who’s interested in a match at the end of April.”
He missed two more league games and will be available again for the trips to Forest and, yes, Spurs in the second half of April.
71 min “Isak’s hold-up play has been extremely clever, especially in tight areas outside the penalty area,” says Chris Paraskevas. “Reminds me of peak Antoine Sibierski (...don’t laugh, he was very useful!)”
He looks a proper player, doesn’t he. The Newcastle fans are going to adore him over the next few years.
70 min Buckle up, it’s time for the as it stands league table.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal | 29 | 43 | 72 |
| 2 | Man City | 28 | 45 | 64 |
| 3 | Newcastle | 27 | 21 | 50 |
| 4 | Man Utd | 27 | 5 | 50 |
| 5 | Tottenham Hotspur | 28 | 12 | 49 |
68 min: Newcastle substitution Anthony Gordon and Joelinton replace Allan Saint-Maximin, who has been terrific, and Jacob Murphy.
67 min Saint-Maximin was about to be substituted before that goal, maybe Willock as well.
"THIRD TIME LUCKY FOR WILLOCK" ⚫⚪
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 2, 2023
Newcastle take the lead ✅ pic.twitter.com/I1zZDMhrQO
Updated
What a fine team goal! Isak turned Varane smartly on the edge of the D and slipped an excellent through pass towards Guimaraes on the right side of the area. He stood up a deep cross towards Saint-Maximin, who headed it powerfully back across goal to give Willock a simple close-range header.
Updated
GOAL! Newcastle 1-0 Man Utd (Willock 65)
Third time lucky for Joe Willock!
Updated
62 min: Double substitution for Man Utd Anthony Martial and Jadon Sancho replace Antony and Wout Weghorst. Antony is a little unfortunate to come off – and pretty aggrieved – as he’s been United’s liveliest attacker by far, but I suppose it was him or Rashford.
Updated
59 min McTominay wins a corner off Burn. Shaw takes it short to Sabitzer, whose cross hits a Newcastle defender and bounces through to Pope. One or two United players appealed for handball but that was about it.
57 min Schar receives possession on the halfway line and moves into the space. Nobody challenges him, so he keeps going and slashes a shot from 25 yards that swerves not far wide of the right-hand post.
56 min A tame long-range curler from Antony is easily saved by Pope. I suppose it counts as United’s first shot on target.
56 min Poor Wout Weghorst has had just seven touches so far.
55 min Newcastle try an elaborate short corner and make a mess of it.
54 min Saint-Maximin, who is having his best game in a while, charges past Dalot and lifts a cross that is headed behind by McTominay.
52 min “I’ve a response for Mr. Carr: my answer is both,” says Matthew Richman. “Even Martinez who I simply don’t see as turned so easily, and Antony who I think is simply never given anyone to link up with after he gets into a good position upfield. Worth bearing in mind all of the challenges this season presents, even without the backdrop of the farcical state of the team when he took over. Colour me immensely impressed.”
51 min Sabitzer and Fernandes are playing further forward in the classic Ajax 4-1-2-3 formation, and though Newcastle are still the more dangerous team, United’s shape looks a lot better.
50 min “Given the inconsistencies of Spurs, Liverpool, etc is the biggest challenge to securing a top four spot for Manchester United going to be fixture congestion?” says David Wall. “After today they have 11 league games, plus at least the FA Cup semi-final and two Europa League quarter final ties to play. Perhaps it’s a good problem, a sign that you’ve done well so far in the season, but there’s only so far that you can push players before their levels inevitably drop physically and mentally.”
Yes, I’d say it’s already a problem – they look shattered. This squad isn’t ready to compete on four fronts, especially without Casemiro and Christian Eriksen.
47 min Trippier smashes the free-kick towards the near post, where Schar heads over and then falls over. He’ll be checked for concussion.
47 min Dalot fouls Saint-Maximin just outside the area on the left. Trippier is over it…
46 min Newcastle begin the second half, with no substitutions but a tactical change: Scott McTominay is playing much deeper in the centre of midfield.
“I have a genuine, non-loaded question for the Man United fans,” says Stephen Carr. “Have Ten Hag’s signings made the difference this year or is it just the quality of his coaching overall? I only ask as I’ve watched Antony several times and can’t quite work out what it is that he does and Martinez seems like he gets sucked in and turned an awful lot.”
Updated
Half-time reading
Half time: Newcastle 0-0 Man Utd
Newcastle have been superior in every facet of the game bar the one that matters most. David de Gea made a terrific double save to deny Alexander Isak and Joe Willock, who had another excellent chance shortly before half-time. Erik ten Hag has won plenty of games at half-time this season; he has a big 10 minutes coming up.
Updated
45 min One minute of added time.
43 min After more good play from Saint-Maximin, Isak’s shot from the edge of the area is blocked by Martinez. The crowd appealed for handball but it looked like Martinez’s arms were behind his back.
42 min: Chance for United! Shaw drills a right-wing corner deliberately beyond the far post, where the unmarked Antony slashes a volley over the bar. That wasn’t a bad chance.
40 min: Great chance for Willock! Newcastle are missing some serious opportunities here. Isak did brilliantly to kill a nothing ball on the halfway line, escape Martinez and spread the play to Saint-Maximin on the left. He ran into the area and then squared the ball to the onrushing Willock, who blootered it over the bar from 15 yards.
A big chance for Joe Willock 😬 pic.twitter.com/uH6ArnNpTy
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 2, 2023
Updated
39 min Antony releases Dalot on the right with a clever flick behind his standing leg. Dalot moves forward and curls a wicked cross that just evades Rashford at the far post. Trippier did well to ease Rashford away from the ball.
38 min: Just wide by Longstaff! I thought that was in. The lively Saint-Maximin crackled at a backpedalling defence before playing a square pass to Longstaff, 25 yards out. He took a touch and scorched a rising drive back across goal. It beat the flying de Gea and whistled this far wide.
That’s Newcastle’s ninth attempt at goal. United have had one, in more ways than one.
37 min Rashford tries to play a one-two with Fernandes, who goes down in the area after a challenge from behind by Schar. Stuart Attwell gives a goalkick, though it probably should have been a corner. It definitely wasn’t a penalty.
Updated
36 min Here’s that early double save from David de Gea, the highlight of the first half so far.
BIG DOUBLE SAVE! How has De Gea kept those two out?! 😮 pic.twitter.com/tcukGitfMs
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 2, 2023
35 min: Chance for Newcastle! Isak has a shot blocked desperately after a fine Newcatle move, culminating in a penetrative reverse pass from Murphy.
34 min At the other end Willock has another shot blocked.
33 min Rashford lofts an excellent long pass to release Bruno Fernandes on the left wing. He waits for support and curls a deep cross towards the onrushing Dalot, whose sidefoot volley hits Burn and loops gently into the arms of Pope.
31 min Trippier’s swirling corner is headed clear from under the crossbar by Varane. De Gea thought he was illegally blocked by a Newcastle player, but the referee didn’t give anything.
31 min Willock’s shot from the edge of the area hits Varane and spins behind for a corner.
28 min United are having a bit more of the ball (58 per cent in the last 10 minutes), though I can’t remember the last time they forced Nick Pope to touch it.
27 min “It really is painful as a Manchester United fan watching the team labour like this,” says Matthew Richman. “I can’t blame them - the fixture congestion is one thing but the two players brought in to manage midfield pressure (Eriksen and Casemiro) are also out. I didn’t go in today with high expectations but keeping my eyes on this is just punishing.”
26 min Rashford and Antony have switched wings. Rashford thinks he is fouled by Burn; Stuart Attwell disagrees.
25 min Trippier lifts the ball into Guimaraes in the area. He chests it off to Murphy, who spanks a half-volley high and wide. Lovely play from Newcastle though.
24 min Rashford has been very quiet so far. All United’s attackers have really, with the partial exception of Antony.
22 min Burn fouls Antony again, and the two players briefly square up. Stuart Attwell gives Burn a warning.
22 min It’s a statement of the offensively obvious, but United are so much calmer, never mind better, when Casemiro is in the team.
20 min “I must say that I am impressed how similar Scott McTominay and Wout Weghorst look: both are tall, long-legged, blond and slim,” says Bogdan Kotarlic. “I often confused them while watching United games. Am I the only one who think that they almost look like twins?”
19 min: Another chance for Newcastle! Saint-Maximin’s flat cross is headed just wide of the near post by the stooping Longstaff, though he might have been offside.
Updated
18 min At the other end, Antony curls miles wide from the right side of the area. A poor effort, especially as there was a square ball on to the unmarked McTominay.
17 min Saint-Maximin’s shot from the edge of the area is comfortably saved to his left by de Gea, who is much the busier keeper at the moment.
16 min: Brilliant double save from de Gea! Newcastle really should be in front. Murphy’s chipped cross from the right was headed towards goal by Isak at the near post, with de Gea diving to his right to push it away. The ball rebounded to Willock, who whistled a follow-up straight at the prostrate de Gea. I’d need to see a replay but the second one looked like a great chance.
Updated
15 min Newcastle work the ball with care and precision from left to right. Longstaff stands up a cross that just evades the leaping Isak.
Updated
14 min The lively Antony tries to run Burn, who fouls him and then kicks him in the chest (accidentally, I think, although Antony doesn’t agree) as he runs past.
Updated
12 min Guimaraes nutmegs Weghorst 20 yards from his own goal, prompting the lustiest roar of the day so far. Moments later, Weghorst screws a shot into the side netting from Antony’s pass. It was a half chance, which stemmed from McTominay cruching Guimaraes high up the field. That’s a really intriguing contest.
11 min Newcastle continue to make the running, and a timely statbox shows they’ve had 64 per cent of the possession so far.
9 min “Just before the match, I finished listening to a podcast about Panter,” says Joe Pearson. “So to wind you up, I am indeed listening to ‘Cowboys from Hell’ on this sunny midwestern morning rather than Peter Drury. Pantera seems appropriate for Newcastle, somehow.”
8 min Schar has a shot saved by de Gea, though the whistle had already gone for something or other. Newcastle have started well.
Updated
7 min Newcastle almost score on the break. Trippier’s very deep cross is headed back across goal by Isak towards Longstaff, who chests it down and cloths a close-range volley that is blocked by Martinez. A goalmouth scramble ensues, and United eventually force the ball away.
6 min Antony beats Burn through sleight of hip and plays a good pass down the side to release Sabitzer on the right side of the area. His low cross is crucially blocked, I think by Botman.
5 min It’s been a lively start to the game, and both teams look bang up for it. Varane almost celebrated a moment ago when Martinez conceded a throw-in with a good tackle on Isak.
3 min Trippier’s corner is cleared at the near post.
2 mikn Longstaff wins an early corner off the sliding Fernandes, an early example of the defensive work he’ll need to do today.
2 min It looks like McTominay is marking Guimaraes, who tends to make Newcastle tick. That’s interesting because it means Fernandes and Sabitzer will be playing deeper a lot of the time.
Updated
1 min Peep peep! Wout Weghorst gets the match under way.
The players are ready for business. It’s a lovely day in the north-east, and there’s a cracking atmosphere.
The top (of the) table
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal | 29 | 43 | 72 |
| 2 | Man City | 28 | 45 | 64 |
| 3 | Man Utd | 26 | 6 | 50 |
| 4 | Tottenham Hotspur | 28 | 12 | 49 |
| 5 | Newcastle | 26 | 20 | 47 |
“Glad this is a 1.30am kick off down under,” writes Chris Paraskevas. “Had way too much to eat at the Leagues Club (i.e. mini-casino) and need time to digest. Settling in for a fixture that’s brought us the following ‘golden’ moments: Albert Luque’s disallowed goal, David Edgar’s ‘goal’, Nicky Butt being the most obvious Man Utd agent ever (FA Cup semi).”
As for the actual golden moments, and excluding the obvious, I’ve always loved the imagination and duplicity of this Keith Gillespie goal in 1994. I wonder if that was the moment when Kevin Keegan decided he needed to have Gillespie, whatever the cost.
Updated
Life moves pretty fast. Eighteen months ago, Brendan Rodgers was one of the favourites for the Manchester United job.
The working man’s ballet
Team news
Newcastle are unchanged from the win at Nottingham Forest last month. Joelinton, back from suspension, is among the substitutes.
United make three changes from their dramatic FA Cup win over Fulham a fortnight ago. Diogo Dalot, Raphael Varane and Antony come in for Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who is ill, Harry Maguire and Jadon Sancho. The lesser spotted Anthony Martial is among the substitutes.
Newcastle United (4-1-2-3) Pope; Trippier, Schar, Botman, Burn; Guimaraes; Longstaff, Willock; Murphy, Isak, Saint-Maximin.
Substitutes: Dubravka, Lascelles, Targett, Manquillo, Ritchie, Anderson, Joelinton, Gordon, Wilson.
Manchester United (possible 4-1-2-3) de Gea; Dalot, Varane, Martinez, Shaw; McTominay; Fernandes Sabitzer; Antony, Weghorst, Rashford.
Substitutes: Bishop, Butland, Lindelof, Maguire, Malacia, Fred, Pellistri, Martial, Sancho.
Updated
Preamble
Hello and welcome to live coverage of Newcastle United v Manchester United at St James’ Park. It’s a long time since these clubs were rivals. A brief enmity peaked in a tunnel at Elland Road in 1996 and slowly faded thereafter. Roy Keane and Alan Shearer did their best to reignite it, but it pretty much ended when, twenty years ago next week, Manchester United won 6-2 at St James’ Park to end Newcastle’s title challenge. Since then, bar one excruciatingly one-sided FA Cup semi-final in 2005 and maybe a couple of league games, the teams have lived in different worlds.
Newcastle aren’t a wee club in the north-east any more; they never really were, but that’s another story. This season they are peers of Manchester United, fighting for the same trophies and the same Champions League place. Both aspire to something even grander in the medium-term, and if United are taken over by Qatar this could even develop into the Premier League’s biggest rivalry.
It’s a bit early for that, so let’s rewind to April 2023. Today’s game, though not quite as important as February’s Carabao Cup final, is still a big one. Both teams are challenging with Spurs for the two remaining Champions League places. Newcastle, who start in fifth, will go above Spurs and United if they win this afternoon.
The last time Newcastle were in the top three in April and May was, yep, 20 years ago – a time when we were all moving our feet to Junior Senior, Avril Lavigne didn’t know who you were and the two Uniteds were sitting at English football’s top table.
Kick off 4.30pm.
Updated
