On Boxing Day, Manchester United finally won another victory at Old Trafford in the Premier League, defeating Newcastle 1-0 to retain their European qualification.
Ruben Amorim was shaken up by a growing injury crisis and the trio away for international fixtures at the Africa Cup of Nations, with the lineup changes resulting in Luke Shaw being moved up to left wing-back and Patrick Dorgu on the right wing. Diogo Dalot appeared at the right back position, the formation evolved into a back four, and possession of the ball was lost.
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In the first half, Benjamin Sesko started, Matheus Cunha took the No. 10 position on the left, the midfield duo Manuel Ugarte and Casemiro were responsible for defending the center, and Mason Mount was behind the forward.
Casemiro missed an early corner-kick chance with a header, and United’s pressing opened up more opportunities for Benjamin Cescó and Matheus Cunha in the opening 15 minutes, but neither could get a clean shot.
The deadlock was broken by an unlikely candidate, Dolgu coming to the top of the penalty area, volleying on the turn and firing a low shot through the crowd and straight into the bottom left corner of the goal. It was his first sensational goal for Manchester United and a popular candidate for Goal of the Month.
This led to a more positive sequence of play for United, with space to attack around 10 minutes after the goal and a forward-thinking approach from United. Matheus Cunha seizes the opportunity to run at the defender and Dolgu is full of confidence. He shot again from the right wing but it was blocked by Ramsdale.
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Manchester United’s momentum slowed somewhat in the second half. Jack Fletcher came on for Mason Mount and Casemiro came off moments later. Benjamin Sesco saw a shot hit the crossbar late in the game and he was immediately substituted, and from there traffic was mostly directed towards the United goal.
The Reds defended tenaciously and Sene Lamenz made several defensive plays. VAR checked for a potential handball on Lisandro Martinez, but replays showed it was not a serious foul.
Diogo Dalot missed a chance that only Ramsdale beat, with his left-footed effort going over the crossbar, but that was all for the home side. Amorim’s changes were essentially a defensive move to stay ahead. The Magpies didn’t find anything truly threatening until late on, missing some good chances in the process.
There were some complaints from the fourth official when he announced seven minutes of added time, but despite a number of personnel changes, United did not skip a step. Senne Lammens got a couple of crosses in but that was it.
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It was a first home win in two months, keeping the Reds top of the table at a crucial moment in the season. Positive performances from Cunha and Dolgu were very welcome for a team short of options and were much needed to limit Newcastle’s defensive work after some chaotic games.
United move up (for now) to fifth place, level on points with Chelsea and Liverpool for a Champions League spot. They will face Wolves again at home on Tuesday.
