Rafa Benitez’s team were provided a huge incentive to take this game to their visitors just prior to kick-off. Huddersfield's convincing win in the earlier match meant the Magpies were sitting in the relegation zone as the two teams took to the pitch.
However, a battling win for Newcastle bounced them back up the table and into 13th position thanks to a Matt Ritchie strike and some resolute defending.
At the opposite end of the table, this result means there’s now a 16 point gap between the two Manchester sides at the top of the Premier League.
A fifth loss for the Red Devils also means José Mourinho’s side will need to cast a watchful eye over their shoulder with their top-four rivals all closing in on them over the past two weeks.
Mourinho’s approach to this game again placed pragmatism ahead of the attacking intensity demanded by his club’s fans, producing a result that would no doubt please and disappoint his mentor, Sir Bobby Robson, in equal measures.
With Manchester United snatching defeat from an expected victory, RealSport look at five things we learned as the Uniteds combined at St James’ Park:
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