Newcastle United vs. Manchester United: Winners and Losers from Premier League
Newcastle United and Manchester United shared the points in a 3-3 thriller Tuesday night in the Premier League.
Manchester United took a two-goal lead in the first half as Wayne Rooney and Jesse Lingard scored, but Newcastle pulled a goal back through Georginio Wijnaldum just before halftime and equalized via Aleksandar Mitrovic midway through the second half.
Rooney's second goal restored Man United's advantage 11 minutes from time, but Paul Dummett pulled the hosts level for a second time in the 90th minute.
The draw saw Manchester United drop to sixth place with 34 points through 21 matches. Newcastle remained in the relegation zone, in 18th place with 18 points.
Here, Bleacher Report selects winners and losers from the match.
Winners: Neutrals
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In the context of the current season, Newcastle versus Manchester United might not have seemed a prime candidate for an entertaining match. But it turned into exactly that, and neutrals were the winners because of it.
For most of the season, manager Louis van Gaal's Manchester United have failed to entertain, playing a dour brand of football that has often inspired frustration from fans at home matches. Newcastle, for their part, had scored just 19 goals before Tuesday—five fewer than their guests.
With Newcastle facing a relegation fight, we might have seen another tight game at St. James' Park. But Wayne Rooney's early penalty might have opened up the match, and it certainly set the tone for a thrilling night of football.
After the match, Newcastle boss Steve McClaren told BBC Sport:
"The crowd responded magnificently, and we wanted to show everyone what we are about. People said that United were boring and that we lack character—but we kept fighting until the end and we have got a goal that feels like a winner. People thought it would be a 0-0, and it was a classic at 3-3. It must have been a great game for the neutral—it was a heart attack for the coaches.
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The trick now for both teams is turning a thrilling spectacle into a good result. Up next for Manchester United is a trip to Liverpool on Sunday in a rivalry game. Despite the fact that Liverpool's ranks have been depleted by injuries, United will have to play a strong game to beat their bitter rivals at Anfield.
Newcastle, meanwhile, remain entrenched in the relegation scrap. The Magpies' next opportunity to turn around their fortunes comes on Saturday, with a home game against high-flying West Ham United.
Loser: Worrying Trends for Manchester United
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Tuesday's draw continued a couple of worrying trends for Manchester United.
As Squawka reported on Twitter, Louis van Gaal's men have now kept just one clean sheet in their last six Premier League matches. That's a worrying trend, especially for a team widely derided as "boring." That is, if attacking isn't the team's forte, defending must fill the gap. Shipping three goals at Newcastle must be a worrying sign for LVG.
The second trend is United's away form. Following this stalemate, United are now winless in their last four trips away from Old Trafford in the Premier League. That run includes losses at Stoke City and Bournemouth, hardly the type of opponents most would expect to beat Manchester United under normal circumstances.
But this season, Manchester United under Van Gaal have been anything but normal.
"Having complained so bitterly about 0-0 stalemates or boring sneaky wins then perhaps for the moment we should indulge ourselves in a bit of entertainment," Stuart Mathieson wrote at the Manchester Evening News. "Nonetheless, there is still a lot wrong with a side who have a two-goal cushion and lose it and then a late lead and lose it."
Winner: Wayne Rooney
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Wayne Rooney was the standout offensive performer in a match filled with exciting attacking play.
In the ninth minute, the striker slotted in from the penalty spot to stake Manchester United to an early 1-0 lead. He played a leading role in his side's second as well, holding up play on the counter before laying off a clever reverse pass to Jesse Lingard. The latter finished through Rob Elliot's legs for 2-0.
After Newcastle tied up the match, Rooney struck what he must have thought was the winner in the 79th minute. Memphis Depay angled in from the left and had a shot blocked, but the ball bounced perfectly for Rooney, who fired a precise shot into the top corner with his first touch.
With three goals in his last two league appearances, Rooney has scored more than he did in his previous 23 games, per Opta Joe. Two of those goals were penalties, but Rooney's assist and second strike were excellent, and they suggested that he could be rounding into a patch of good form.
After this brace, Rooney now trails Sir Bobby Charlton by eight goals for most in Manchester United history (249-241). If he keeps up his current form, Rooney could set the new record this spring.
Not Really a Winner or a Loser: Referee Mike Dean
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Referee Mike Dean had a difficult assignment in this match, which featured multiple penalty decisions, all of which were difficult.
For the record, Dean actually did well in a thankless task. The first penalty, awarded to Manchester United, was spot on. Some on Twitter argued that Newcastle's Chancel Mbemba did not intentionally handle the ball in the box, but replays showed that he turned his head in plenty of time to see what was happening. His arm remained up after that, suggesting he knew what he was doing when he stretched his arm toward the ball.
"Penalty looked very soft at first view, but Mbemba does look back, and lead with his arm," tweeted NBC Sports commentator Arlo White. "Mike Dean was well placed."
"If (the) cross had dropped on the defender's arm in that position without touching Fellaini, it would have been stone wall pen," argued BBC Sport's Simon Stone. "Arm shouldn't be out."
"100 percent a penalty. The defender wasn't jumping, he knew the ball had gone over his head and had his arm up which stopped MF's header," added former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher.
Dean caused further controversy in denying Newcastle two penalties before awarding them one in the second half. But while all his decisions were justified on at least some level, he's also a loser here because of that part about his job being a thankless task.
No matter what Dean called, he was going to draw criticism from some quarters. Making those decisions in real time is quite difficult, which is a job few of us could do with any level of competence.
Loser: Chris Smalling
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Chris Smalling has been one of Manchester United's top performers this season. The center-back has shown remarkable improvement and has established himself as a dependable presence in his team's back four.
This, however, was not his best night.
Smalling failed to track Georginio Wijnaldum's run in the 42nd minute, and the Dutchman promptly volleyed in Newcastle's first goal. Then, Smalling conceded the penalty that led to the equalizer, dragging down Aleksandar Mitrovic in plain sight of referee Mike Dean.
And in the 90th minute, Smalling got in the way of Paul Dummett's powerful shot, only to see the ball deflect into the net past David de Gea.
That last bit was purely bad luck, but this was a night Smalling will want to put behind him as quickly as possible.
