Breathless and invigorating and a touch scrappy: this was the tale of a goalless draw contested in bright autumnal sunshine that Manchester United and Newcastle United will each feel they should have won.
Erik ten Hag stated his team wished to tell the story of the game but the visitors ensured they did not and, instead, the fare was akin to basketball in an end-to-end nature that largely bypassed measured midfield play.
In the closing moments Casemiro released Marcus Rashford who rounded Nick Pope but on passing to Fred the midfielder’s radar was awry: it was as fair summation of what was on show all afternoon with Rashford somehow missing a point-blank header in added time.
Manchester United’s start was sharp. Fred, from distance, was the first to pull the trigger though his aim was askew. Lisandro Martínez stabbed the ball away from Miguel Almirón.