Manchester United 3, Newcastle United 2
Jose Mourinho was “amazed” by the fan reaction as Manchester United came from 2-0 down to win 3-2 in the last minute against Newcastle United.
With 20 minutes to go to and 2-0 down and in disarray, Juan Mata and Anthony Martial pulled the scores level before Alexis Sanchez nodded in the winner in the last minute.
Mourinho made three changes for Manchester United from the 0-0 draw with Valencia, with Antonio Valencia out of the squad following an incident with the club captain liking an Instagram post calling for Mourinho to be sacked.
Alexis Sanchez and Marouane Fellaini stepped down to the bench.
Ashley Young, Scott McTominay, and Anthony Martial came back into the side at the end of a wretched week for the Reds.
Barely a minute in to the action and Newcastle fans were claiming Jose was “getting sacked in the morning” and shortly afterwards chant in support for their manager Rafa Benitez.
Moments later there was a “Get out of our club” chant aimed at Mike Ashley who was in the Old Trafford director’s box.
Then came three minutes of mayhem when the visitors raced into a 2-0 lead after a two goal salvo by Kenedy (from an Ayoze Perez through ball) and Yoshinori Muto (from Jonjo Shelvy’s cross) left the Reds reeling.
United were an abject shambles and Mourinho only confused the proceedings by replacing Eric Bailly with Juan Mata after just 19 minutes and putting Scott McTominay into the centre of defence.
If Chris Smalling wasn’t confused enough already he was partnered by Pogba and Matic at the start of the second half when McTominay was replaced by Marouane Fellaini at half time.
Juan Mata hauled United back into the game with a great free kick from 20 yards out on the right with 20 minutes to go.
Matt Ritchie could have restored Newcastle’s two goal cushion but his tame flick from two yards out was stopped on the line by De Gea.
Fellaini and Smalling saw shots saved by Dubravka and United went for the equaliser.
A half time defensive reshuffle saw McTominay replaced by Marouane Fellaini with Paul Pogba and and Nemanja Matic joining Chris Smalling at centre back as United switched to a 3-5-2 formation.
For long periods United continued to be a shambles until two moments of magic brought them back to parity as the Magpies faded badly in the final quarter.
Juan Mata’s free kick from 20 yards out gave United hope after 70 minutes and Anthony Martial’s 1-2 with Pogba – a cheeky backheel by the midfielder – gave Martial the space to curl in the equaliser six minutes later.
With Newcastle fading, it was the Reds who chased the winner and Sanchez grabbed a dramatic one in the last minute of normal time when he headed home Ashley Young’s right wing cross.
PLAYER RATINGS – Manchester United 3, Newcastle United 2
David De Gea: 7. Kept United in the game with a couple of good saves.
Ashley Young: 7. Guilty of going missing twice for Newcastle’s first half goals. Redeemed himself with the cross for Alexis Sanchez’ winner.
Chris Smalling: 6. Didn’t marshall the defence well after Bailly went off but could have scored a goal as United went for it in the second half.
Eric Bailly: 5. Absent for Newcastle’s goal blitz. Taken off after just 19 minutes for Juan Mata as United reshuffled.
Luke Shaw: 6. Rarely any chance to go forward with Matt Ritchie on his flank.
Scott McTominay: 5. Forced into an unfamiliar central defensive role after Eric Bailly was hauled off and was replaced by Marouane Fellaini at half time.
Nemanja Matic: 6. Sloppy in midfield, gave away a ball which Mo Diame could have profited off more than once. Went into central defence and a back header could have gone past De Gea for an embarrassing own goal.
Marcus Rashford: 5. Two very bad misses with headers going wide from Lukaku and Pogba.
Paul Pogba: 8. Had a shot blocked by Martin Dubravka while his cross should have been converted by Marcus Rashford. His backheel for Martial’s equaliser was sublime though and the Frenchman led the fightback even when it looked lost for the Reds.
Anthony Martial: 7. Looked lost on the left flank. Popped up with a bit of magic for the equaliser.
Romelu Lukaku: 6. His cross should have been converted by Marcus Rashford. Was slow and poor in front of goal himself.
Juan Mata (on for Eric Bailly 19): 7. Tried to get United going. Second half shot went wide. Free kick to get United back in the game was superb.
Marouane Fellaini (on for Scott McTominay 46): 6. Proved a danger going forward, could have scored himself.
Alexis Sanchez (on for Marcus Rashford 67): 7. Scored a dramatic winner for United at the death.
GOALS – Manchester United 3, Newcastle United 2
Man Utd 0, Newcastle Utd 1: 6. Kenedy latched onto a great through ball by Ayoze Perez following a Newcastle throw-in and smashed it inside of the back post after going past Eric Bailly.
Man Utd 0, Newcastle Utd 2: 10. Yoshinori Muto turns and shoots past David De Gea from 10 yards out after a right wing cross by Jonjo Shelvey was flicked onto him and Eric Bailly missed it again.
Man Utd 1, Newcastle Utd 2: 70. Juan Mata’s free kick goes in from 20 yards out.
Man Utd 2, Newcastle Utd 2: 76. Anthony Martial ran onto Pogba’s backheel and curled in the equaliser!
Man Utd 3, Newcastle Utd 2: 90. Alexis Sanchez hits the winner with a header from Ashley Young’s cross from 7 yards out – the Old Trafford crowd finally sing Jose Mourinho’s name in unison
MATCH STATS – Manchester United 3, Newcastle United 2
Man Utd: De Gea, Young, Smalling, Bailly (Mata 19), Shaw, McTominay (Fellaini 46), Matic, Rashford (Sanchez 67), Pogba, Martial, Lukaku
Man Utd Subs not used: Romero, Lindelof, Pereira, Fred
Booked: McTominay 45+1, Pogba 63
Goals: Mata 70, Martial 76, Sanchez 90
Newcastle Utd: Dubravka, Yedlin, Lascelles, Fernandez. Manquillo, Shelvey, Diame, Ritchie, Perez (Joselu 88), Kenedy (Murphy 67), Muto (Atsu 78)
Newcastle Utd Subs not used: Darlow, Clark, Schar, Hayden
Booked: Ritchie 58, Diame 69
Goals: Kenedy 7, Muto 10
Attendance: 74,519