Manchester United clashed heads with Newcastle United at St. James’ Park earlier today hoping to pick up maximum points on the road. The Red Devils made a disjointed start to the game as they struggled to create too many openings in the first half.
The Magpies began to grow in belief and made a dominant start after the half-time break. Matthew Longstaff finally gave his side a shock lead in the 72nd minute when he scored with a powerful strike from long range. Newcastle defended valiantly to see out the victory and bag all three points from the contest. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men had another day to forget as the match finished with the final scoreline of 1-0 in favour of the home team.
Let’s take a look at how each Man United player performed during the encounter against the Magpies.
GK: David De Gea – 5/10
The Spanish goalie was hardly troubled during the game, but he couldn’t do much about Matthew Longstaff’s powerful strike inside the final quarter of the contest.
RB: Diogo Dalot – 4/10
He struggled to cope with Allan Saint-Maximin’s pace down the wide areas. He got injured in the second half and was substituted.
CB: Axel Tuanzebe – 7/10
The Man United centre-back defended valiantly to frustrate the Newcastle attackers. He put in another commanding display at the back today.
CB: Harry Maguire – 5.5/10
Solskjaer’s summer signing was defensively solid, but he was guilty of missing an excellent chance from point-blank range when his attempted header narrowly missed the target.
LB: Ashley Young – 6/10
The English veteran tried his best to be a creative outlet for the Red Devils down the left flank. However, his final delivery was poor on the day.
CM: Scott McTominay – 4/10
He was average at best for Man United in midfield as his passes lacked invention. McTominay needs to find a way to be more productive in the opposition half.
CM: Fred – 2/10
The Brazilian talent threw away possession too often during the game and put in a lacklustre display at the centre of the park.
RM: Andreas Pereira – 3/10
It was another disappointing performance from the Man United winger. He struggled to get himself involved in the final third and could do very little with the possession he had during the game.
CAM: Juan Mata – 4/10
The Spanish playmaker performed like a player past his prime. He never looked like he had the key to unlock the Newcastle defence.
LM: Daniel James – 4.5/10
The Welsh starlet looked a bit jaded today, which is probably due to his heavy involvement in recent weeks. He lacked the creative spark in the final third.
ST: Marcus Rashford – 2/10
The English striker was a passenger throughout the game and lacked the hunger and the desire to lead the line for an elite club like Man United. Solskjaer needs to bench him after the international break.
Substitutes:
CB: Marcos Rojo – 4/10
The Argentine centre-back should have done a lot better in the lead-up to Longstaff’s goal.
ST: Mason Greenwood – 5/10
He struggled to make an impact after coming on in the second half.
RM: Tahith Chong – N/A
There was not enough time left on the clock for him to influence the contest.
