Manchester United 3-2 Newcastle: Premier League highlights and recap

Manchester United beat Newcastle 3-2 in the Premier League on Saturday, Oct. 6. Here are all the highlights from the match.

If one controversial newspaper report was to be believed, Jose Mourinho entered Manchester United’s home match against Newcastle on Saturday with nothing to play for. He would be sacked regardless of the result.

We’ll find out whether that report was true soon enough. Either way, Mourinho might take some solace from the fact his side produced the sort of rousing comeback for which the club were once famous, a come-from-behind 3-2 win secured with a 90th-minute Alexis Sanchez header.

United endured literally their worst start in a home game in Premier League history, conceding twice in the first 10 minutes for the first time in over 25 years. Both goals were the result of lazy defending from Mourinho’s side.

For the first, Ayoze Perez found far too much space following a simple throw-in, before playing in Kenedy, who turned a hopeless Ashley Young and powered into the bottom corner. For the second, Yoshinori Muto was left unmarked in the box before turning Young and finishing.

Mourinho responded by bringing on Juan Mata for Eric Bailly and moving Scott McTominay to center-back, a switch that did little to improve United’s play. If they saw more of the ball, it was simply a result of Newcastle dropping off to protect their lead.

The second half saw yet more changes, as Marouane Fellaini came on for McTominay, and Nemanja Matic moved into the defense, with Paul Pogba seeming to toggle between a defensive and midfield role.

United finally got a breakthrough in the 70th minute, Mata curling in a free-kick from the top of the box. The goal did what Mourinho’s tinkering could not: instill the players with sme belief they might still get something from the match.

Sure enough, United’s play improved, and Martin Dubravka was forced into two excellent stops, from Fellaini and Chris Smalling, before United finally equalized, Anthony Martial curling in at the near post following a lovely one-two with Pogba.

At that point, it was hard to see how Newcastle could keep United out for a further 15 minutes, such is the atmosphere at Old Trafford in moments like this, and the home side found their winner in the 90th minute through Sanchez, heading in Young’s cross at the back post.

Highlights

The win moves United up to eighth in the table. Newcastle stay 19th.