Hapless Manchester United Suffer Humiliating 4-1 Defeat To Newcastle United

Harvey Barnes struck twice as Newcastle thrashed troubled Manchester United 4-1 to climb into fourth place in the Premier League on Sunday. Newcastle were without manager Eddie Howe, who was admitted to hospital on Friday after feeling unwell for several days. But Barnes provided a welcome tonic for Howe as his second-half brace at St James' Park boosted Newcastle's bid to qualify for the Champions League. With Howe's assistants Jason Tindall and Graeme Jones in charge of the League Cup winners, Sandro Tonali put Newcastle ahead before Alejandro Garnacho equalised late in the first half.

Barnes stole the spotlight after the interval, becoming the first Newcastle player to score twice in one league game against United since Alan Shearer in 2000.

Bruno Guimaraes punished a blunder from United keeper Altay Bayindir, who started in place of the dropped Andre Onana, to seal Newcastle's first four-goal haul against United since 2001.

In the race to reach the Champions League via a top five finish, Newcastle are just one point behind third-placed Nottingham Forest.

They have a game in hand on Forest, as well as fifth-placed Manchester City and sixth-placed Chelsea, who are two points adrift of the Magpies.

United have now gone four games without a win in all competitions, leaving them languishing in 14th place with just six games left to avoid their lowest finish since 1973-74, when they came 21st and were relegated.

They are already certain to suffer their worst points total in the Premier League era, with the previous low 58 in 2021-22.

Ruben Amorim made five changes with an eye on Lyon's visit to Old Trafford for the Europa League quarter-final, second leg next Thursday, but United were blown away with embarrassing ease.

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