Manchester United was unable to break a spirited Newcastle team as Eddie Howe’s men were successful in grabbing a point against Rangnick’s quality side.
Goals from Allan Saint-Maximin and Edinson Cavani were the only showings of the night that was already filled with common defensive mistakes, missed attacking chances, and some cruel decision-making.
Here are our three points from the match:
Newcastle impressing for the first time:
Magpies have reason to be hopeful after their performance last night.
Newcastle United had only one win this season and was three points from safety going into tonight’s game, but their fans may have gained a lot of hope following that performance.
Over the course of 90 minutes, the Magpies showed signs of life, hustling, and harrying Manchester United, creating enough opportunities to win the game, and most crucially, gaining the support of a noisy home crowd.
Joelinton was outstanding, Allan Saint-Maximin demonstrated his danger potential, and the back four appeared impregnable for the entirety of the game.
10 + 10 – Since joining prior to the 2019-20 campaign, Allan Saint-Maximin is the only @NUFC player in double figures for goals (10) and assists (11) in the Premier League. Gucci. #NEWMUN pic.twitter.com/OsTrKnhffP
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 27, 2021
Given that Newcastle’s defense has disintegrated more frequently this season, that may be the highest tribute awarded to Eddie Howe’s work on the training ground thus far. The seriousness of the injuries to Saint-Maximin and Callum Wilson, who left the ground with a suspected calf injury just before half-time, will be a concern.
If one or both of those players are sidelined for an extended period of time, all the money in the world may not be enough to save the club from falling into the relegation trap.
Ralf, you’ve wrecked it:
Man United came out on the pitch tonight for the first time since December 11 — the expectation was to see a team that was fresh and revitalized by the unexpected rest, but the reality was that they looked like they were playing their first pre-season game.
Ralf Rangnick’s team were overawed in the first half, were not much better in the second, and were arguably fortunate to escape with a point.
The Rangnick team’s trademark pressing style was missing tonight and some of the same issues that plagued Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s reign reappeared. At times, United’s midfield form was non-existent, and the players’ body language was visible, but in all the wrong ways.
Any criticism of United should take into account the impact the COVID outbreak may have had on the team. It was never revealed how many or which players contracted the illness, so names from the starting lineup could have been affected.
Some Star-Studded performances:
Tonight, we had to pay tribute to two of the best performers of the match.
With seven stops in total, David De Gea earned a point for his team, including a point-blank save from Saint-Maximin before denying Miguel Almirón with his fingertips in the final minutes.
This season, the Spaniard has rolled back the years and appears to be back to his finest shot-stopping form. Joelinton, the striker-turned-central midfielder, dominated the midfield in the opposite corner. The Brazilian won 23 of his duels, scored three goals and gave it his all for the home audience.
Joelinton joined Newcastle for a club-record £40 million in 2019, probably with the hope of replacing Salomon Rondon’s goals, but he’s never really delivered in front of goal.
But if the fans are treated to another performance like tonight’s, all of that will be forgotten.
