Newcastle 4-1 Manchester United
by Roger Domeneghetti
at St James’ Park

HARVEY BARNES was the star of the show in this emphatic victory, which will have been just the fillip Eddie Howe needed, absent after having been admitted to hospital on Friday.

However, as good as Newcastle were, United were abject, particularly in the second half when any recent improvement they have made evaporated.

With Andre Onana “rested” after his double blunder against the French team, Altay Bayindir made his Premier League debut for United. It was something of a baptism of fire.

He found himself picking the ball out of the net after 24 minutes, Sandro Tonali scoring with a powerful far-post volley.

If the finish was emphatic, the assist from Alexander Isak was delicious, balletic even; the Swede received the ball with his back to goal, flicked it up with one foot, spun round and touched into Tonali’s path with the other.

It was all Newcastle, Isak, twice and Burn both going close. And then suddenly United were level, Diogo Dalot playing the ball to Alejandro Garnacho in the space vacated by Tino Liveramento. The Argentinian kept his cool, stabbing his shot into the bottom corner.

United didn’t deserve to be on level terms at the break. Their hosts had been kind; failing to kill the game off.

The second half was a different matter altogether. It took just four minutes for Newcastle to make their evident superiority count.

Liveramento, continuing to press forward, sold Diogo Dalot a dummy, crossed beyond the far post where Jacob Murphy, who could have given up the chase, cut back for Barnes, who was left with a simple tap-in.

Fifteen minutes later, he had his second. As Barnes harried Noussair Mazraoui, the United defender slipped. Barnes sprinted forward and shot beyond the hapless Bayindir. The slip was unfortunate; these things happen but the fact neither Victor Lindelof nor Leny Yoro got a finger on Barnes, let alone a boot, was unforgivable.

Worse was to come. Newcastle’s fourth was also the result of unforgivable defending. Bayindir played the ball forward but only as far as Joelinton who headed into the path of Bruno Guimaraes, the skipper confidently making it four. Somewhere, Onana will have been having a quiet chuckle.

The result meant Newcastle had completed their first League double over United in 94 years. It also took them to fourth in the table with a game in hand on the teams around them.

For United, it ensures this season will see them record their lowest ever points tally in the Premier League.