Manchester United suffered an unexpected defeat at the hands of Newcastle United at St. James’ Park today. A goal by Matt Ritchie in the second half proved to be the difference between these two sides. Here is how we rated Jose Mourinho’s men for their sub-par display against Rafael Benitez’s entourage.
David de Gea 6/10
The custodian had dealt well with a number of long shots and his stupendous save to deny Jonjo Shelvey’s powerful shot in the early stages of the game was exemplary.
Antonio Valencia 6/10
Valencia was good defensively but a lot more was expected from him in the final third.
Chris Smalling 4/10
He was poor at the back and was lucky not to have conceded a penalty in the first half. His needless dive earned the Magpies a set-piece, which was perfectly utilized.
Phil Jones 6/10
The centre-back showcased the traits of a genuine leader as he marshalled the backline on the pitch and imposed his strong physical presence.
Ashley Young 6/10
Young took time to settle as he made a series of forgettable crosses and misplaced passes. However, he became stronger later on after his side were striving to find the back of the net.
Nemanja Matic 6/10
The Serbian moved the ball around pretty well and read the game better than most of his teammates.
Paul Pogba 4/10
Pogba looked off-colour once again as he was constantly dispossessed and he seemingly appeared to lack the requisite ambition on the pitch.
Anthony Martial 6/10
The Frenchman was lively on the pitch and galloped forward time and again to chalk something substantial. However, he lacked clinical attitude in front of goal.
Jesse Lingard 5/10
Lingard ran tirelessly but couldn’t find the final ball. His work-rate was commendable but what he lacked was the final output.
Alexis Sanchez 7/10
The former Arsenal man was a menace in the final third and his driving runs were appealing to watch. He was unarguably one of the best players for the Red Devils on the pitch.
Romelu Lukaku 6/10
Lukaku was very tough in the air and he manoeuvred a sensational through ball to release Sanchez. But the game-changing goal is still missing.
Substitutions
Michael Carrick 6/10
Carrick replaced Pogba in the second half to calm down the midfield, which he did.
Juan Mata 6/10
The Spaniard was brought on for Lingard and he did spice up things but not enough to earn a point.
Scott McTominay 5/10
McTomninay replaced Matic and was quite good, particularly in the aerial duels.