Manchester United suffered a devastating 4-1 defeat at Newcastle United on Sunday, with a second-half collapse highlighting the team’s ongoing struggles under Ruben Amorim.
Despite finding an equalizer through Alejandro Garnacho before halftime, United completely disintegrated after the break, conceding three unanswered goals to a Newcastle side playing without their hospitalized manager Eddie Howe.
Sandro Tonali opened the scoring for the Magpies in the 24th minute with a spectacular volley after connecting with Alexander Isak’s clever pass. Garnacho briefly restored parity with a composed finish following good work from Diogo Dalot, slipping the ball past Nick Pope with defenders closing in.
However, any hope of building on that equalizer vanished after halftime. Harvey Barnes proved to be United’s tormentor, scoring twice in quick succession. His first came from a well-executed team move, while his second capitalized on Noussair Mazraoui’s careless loss of possession. Bruno Guimaraes completed the rout by pouncing on one of several misplaced passes from goalkeeper Altay Bayindir, who endured a nightmare afternoon.
Bayindir, starting in place of Andre Onana, did little to suggest he deserves more playing time, making several errors that compounded United’s defensive frailties. His performance raises questions about the club’s goalkeeping depth as they head into a crucial Europa League second leg against Lyon this week.
This defeat continues United’s inconsistent form under Amorim, who has struggled to implement his tactical vision since taking charge. The Portuguese manager’s rotation of his squad, likely with Thursday’s European fixture in mind, backfired spectacularly.
The result leaves Manchester United further adrift in the Premier League standings and increases pressure on Amorim to deliver in the Europa League, which represents their last realistic chance of salvaging something from a disappointing season.
For Newcastle, the emphatic victory demonstrates their resilience and quality even without their manager on the touchline, as they continue their push for European qualification.
