Newcastle 4-1 Manchester United: What Were The Main Talking Points As The Magpies Breeze Back Into The Top-Four?

Putting in what was a rampant performance on Sunday afternoon, Newcastle stormed their way back into the Premier League’s top-four as they breezed their way to a 4-1 romp against Manchester United.

Backed by a vocal home support at St. James’ Park, Newcastle’s didn’t show any signs of any issue despite Eddie Howe’s absence from the dugout following his hospital omission earlier in the week.

Opening the scoring midway through the first-half as Italian midfield Sandro Tonali produced a sublime volley, Newcastle looked like they were in the mood to make a heavyweight statement.

While Alejandro Garnacho might have dragged United level eight minutes before the break, Newcastle simply ran rampant after returning from the interval.

With Harvey Barnes producing a classy 15-minute brace, skipper Bruno Guimaraes put the cherry on top of the cake as the Brazilian talisman tapped home following a costly mistake from stand-in goalkeeper Atlay Bayindir.

In the midst of what has become a famous fairytale, Newcastle skyrocket their way back into the top-four and are leading the chase to book another iconic Champions League ticket.

As for Man United, while the Reds might have their sights firmly set on Thursday’s Europa League second-leg meeting against Lyon, Ruben Amorim’s men will be bracing themselves for another public backlash over the coming days.

On an afternoon when Newcastle made a major Champions League statement, we have taken a look at the main talking points from Sunday’s showdown at St. James’ Park.

Newcastle extend on their fairytale

Ending their 70-year wait for a piece of domestic silverware last month as they were corned EFL Cup champions thanks to a famous 2-1 victory against Liverpool at Wembley, Newcastle are enjoying what has been a remarkable purple patch.

Although some might have worried that Sunday’s hosts might have shown some signs of an emotional hangover when they returning from March’s international break, Newcastle have only continued to shine.

Running rampant in the second-half here and laying down a real marker, the Magpies have now won all of their previous four Premier League appearances by an aggregate score of 10-2.

Skyrocketing their way up the standings and now sat in the driving seat to book a lucrative Champions League ticket, Newcastle find the mood around St. James’ Park at a red-hot high.

With Nottingham Forest suffering a last-gasp 1-0 loss when they welcomed Everton to the City Ground on Saturday afternoon, they now sit just one-point adrift of moving into bronze medal position.

Pressure mounts on Amorim’s shoulders

While there might have been plenty of excitement around Old Trafford back in November following Amorim’s arrival, Manchester United have drastically failed to find any kind of stability under the Portuguese tactician.

Completely blown away at St. James’ Park, some sections of the Old Trafford support are starting to wonder if Amorim’s appointment was the correct decision by United’s new board.

Suffering late frustration earlier in the week as they eventually had to settle for a 2-2 stalemate away at French outfit Lyon, Amorim faces what could be a career-defining showdown when they return to Old Trafford on Thursday night.

Firmly stuck in the bottom-half of the Premier League table, United have now won just a pair of their previous nine appearances across all competitions and the pressure on Amorim’s shoulders is reaching a boiling point.

Making the public decision to drop Andre Onana ahead of Sunday’s trip at St. James’ Park, United’s under pressure boss will have a major headache over his side’s glaring defensive issues.

The Magpies free-scoring attack

While Newcastle might have failed to find much attacking fluidity prior to their famous EFL Cup triumph back on March 16th, Sunday’s hosts have found a remarkable free-scoring touch in the final third.

Although striking sensation Alexander Isak might have failed to add to his 20 Premier League goals here, that didn’t slow down the Champions League chasers.

Alongside welcoming back England international Anthony Gordon off the bench here, Harvey Barnes appears to be hitting top gear at a crucial rime of the season.

Along with getting on the scoresheet as Newcastle stormed their way to a 3-0 victory against relegation scrappers Leicester on Monday night, the ex-Leicester ace has now bagged three goals in his back-to-back Premier League appearances.

Notching 12 goals in just their last five meetings against Premier League opposition, Newcastle are enjoying their most clinical spell of 2025.

Match Report

Newcastle: Pope, Trippier, Schar, Burn, Livramento, Bruno Guimaraes, Tonali, Joelinton, Murphy, Isak, Barnes

Subs: Wilson, Krafth, Gordon, Miley, Longstaff

Manchester United: Bayindir, Mazraoui, Lindelof, Yoro, Amass, Dalot, Eriksen, Ugarte, Garnacho, Fernandes, Zirkzee

Subs: Hojlund, Mount, Dorgu, Mainoo, Shaw

Goals: Newcastle: Tonali (24’), Barnes (49’, 64’), Bruno Guimaraes (77’) – Manchester United: Garnacho (37’)

Yellow Cards: Yoro, Ugarte

Red Cards: N/A

Referee: Chris Kavanagh