Erik ten Hag‘S Manchester United welcome Newcastle United Football Club arrive at Old Trafford for their ninth game in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon (October 16). The Red Devils looked sluggish throughout the game and eventually had to settle for an unsuccessful goalless draw with the Warblers.
Sunday’s stalemate has left Manchester United in fifth place in the Premier League table with 16 points from nine matches. They are currently 11 points behind the top team Arsenal (the remaining match) and 3 points behind the 4th ranked team Chelsea.
The Reds had a bustling start to the game, as they fired their first shot, past Fred, in the first five minutes. Unfortunately, for the home team, the Brazilian’s efforts went too far.
After witnessing United’s initial enthusiasm, Newcastle United courageously put their bodies forward. At 10 minutes, Callum Wilson drew a challenge from Raphael Varane inside the United box. The visitors vehemently protested for a penalty, but the referee remained motionless.
In the 24th minute, Kieran Trippier found Joelinton in the penalty area with a cross. The Brazilian first went over the bar and then headed back to hit the post before the ball went out. The Manchester United defenders handled the corner with ease.
Cristiano Ronaldo had a couple of chances in the first half but were offside both times. He found the back of the net three minutes into the second half, but unsurprisingly the goal was flagged offside. At the 52nd minute, Bruno Fernandes pass the ball to Ronaldo in an encouraging area. The situation was read out promptly by Trippier, who knocked Ronaldo out and left him unable to pull the trigger.
Minutes later, Jadon Sancho crossed into the Newcastle United box and faced a rough tackle from Sean Longstaff. VAR tested a possible penalty but found the challenge fair. Minutes before the final whistle sounded, Fred had a golden opportunity to break the deadlock. However, before the goal was left open, the Brazilian player finished narrowly out.
It was a poor performance by Manchester United, as they ended the night with just two shots on target. Here are five players who failed to play well against Eddie Howe’s team on Sunday:
#5 Luke Shaw
Left-back Luke Shaw endured a quiet encounter on Sunday afternoon. While he is quite good at the back, his attacking play leaves a lot to be desired. He rarely rushes onto the pitch, often loses control and his serves are not as threatening as United need.
Against the Magpies, Shaw lost five of his eight duels, ceded possession 18 times, misplaced 12 of his 58 passes and failed his only attempt to dribble.
#4 Antony
Manchester United striker Antony was not at his best on Sunday. His movements were often easily tracked by Daniel Burn, his ball distribution was poor, and his linked play was also unsatisfactory.
Antony misplaced all six of his crosses, lost control of the ball 16 times, failed on two of his three dribbles, and both of his long-ball attempts went off target. It was one of his least impactful performances since moving to Ajax.
No. 3 Bruno Fernandes
Bruno Fernandes once again cut through a disappointing figure in the Reds’ midfield. The Portugal international’s movements were predictable as he failed to catch an opponent with his distribution and was often out of ideas in the final third. First, he clumsily fouled Bruno Guimaraes in the 65th minute, picking up a penalty.
On Sunday, Fernandes misplaced four of his five attempted crosses, failed to block a shot on target and lost the ball 15 times.
#2 Fred
One of the most experienced midfielders on the team, Fred lacked composure, agility and intelligence against Newcastle United on Sunday. He squandered two very good chances to score, first in the third minute, then again in the 88th minute. He also lost possession cheaply, weakly in the duels. doubles and made a few mistakes.
The Brazil international has lost nine of his 12 duels, ceding possession 16 times and failing to get a shot on target (4 times). Given how poor his performance was, he was lucky to be able to finish the game.
No. 1 Cristiano Ronaldo
A week after scoring his 700th career goal for the club (beating Everton 2-1), Cristiano Ronaldo put in a fantastic display in the red shirt. He is hesitant to press close to defenders, often drops too deep and is often offside when he cannot score.
Ronaldo’s reaction when he was defeated in the match against Newcastle: https://t.co/7pyIICKNWE
The Portuguese superstar made only 11 accurate passes (57.9 percent accuracy rate), only one shot (missed on target), and lost in a single aerial challenge. The striker was also booked for trying to steal Newcastle’s free-kick and put the ball in the net in the 49th minute.
