Harvey Barnes inspires as Newcastle send Eddie Howe best wishes with Man Utd win

Harvey Barnes sent head coach Eddie Howe the best possible get-well message as Newcastle brushed aside Manchester United 4-1 to climb into fourth place in the Premier League table.

Barnes struck twice after the break at a packed St James’ Park after Alejandro Garnacho had cancelled out Sandro Tonali’s opener, with Bruno Guimaraes’ late strike completing a first league double over the men from Old Trafford since the 1930-31 season to put a smile on Howe’s face in his hospital bed.

Assistant Jason Tindall looked on as the Magpies claimed a fourth successive league win to leave themselves just a point behind third-placed Nottingham Forest with a game in hand.

For Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim, who handed goalkeeper Altay Bayindir a league debut in place of the error-prone Andre Onana, there were flashes of positivity going forward, but a calamitous defensive frailty, the Turkey international included, proved fatal.

The hosts were first to threaten when, after Kieran Trippier had picked off Joshua Zirkzee’s crossfield pass and fed Jacob Murphy, the wide-man whistled a skidding third-minute shot just wide of Bayindir’s far post.

Zirkzee forced Nick Pope into a fine reaction save after combining beautifully with Bruno Fernandes to work his way to the edge of the penalty area as the visitors responded, but Newcastle took a 24th-minute lead when Trippier slid the ball into Alexander Isak’s feet and he teed it up before clipping a pass into the run of Tonali, who volleyed sweetly past Bayindir.

Bayindir produced a stunning save to keep out Isak’s 34th-minute volley from a Tino Livramento cross as the pressure mounted, and his side was back in it within three minutes when Manuel Ugarte played in Diogo Dalot and he sped