Football Features

    Newcastle 1-0 Man Utd: Full player ratings as Matty Longstaff enjoys dream debut

    By Harry Edwards

    Published: 18:34, 6 October 2019

    Pressure has been piled on the head of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after his Manchester United side were beaten 1-0 by Newcastle United.

    Teenager Matty Longstaff scored the only goal of the game midway through the second half to move Newcastle to within a point of the Red Devils, who occupy 12th place.

    So, how did the players rate at St. James’ Park?

    Newcastle United

    Martin Dubravka – 7 – Commanded his box well and was well-matched to the minimal shots Man United managed to hit the target with.

    DeAndre Yedlin – 8 – Had his work cut out for him up against Daniel James, but the American did his job well, ensuring the Man United forward had a quiet game with regards to creativity.

    Fabian Schar – 8 – A decent game from the centre-back, helping to frustrate Man United’s attack. Made a match-high seven clearances to keep the pressure away from Dubravka.

    Jamaal Lascelles – 8 – Helped to keep Marcus Rashford very quiet, leading by example throughout.

    Ciaran Clark – 8 – Did extremely well alongside his fellow centre-backs to keep the visitors’ attack quiet.

    Jetro Willems – 9 – The wing-back had a wonderful game, keeping Newcastle’s left-hand side locked down defensively. Also stormed forward in attack and was a constant threat, recording an assist for Longstaff’s winner.

    Matty Longstaff – 8 – What a Premier League debut for the teenager. Rattled the crossbar with a good shot from outside the area in the first half to show what he could be capable of before scoring the winner with a long-range effort, driven low into the bottom left corner of the net. Held strong in midfield.

    Sean Longstaff – 8 – A calm head in midfield alongside his brother, enjoying a lot of the ball, moving Newcastle around the pitch. Should have got an assist for a delightful pass to Miguel Almiron, but the forward dallied on the ball. His influence waned for short periods in the second half but it should not take away from a good performance.

    Allan Saint-Maximin – 7 – Looked lively from the start and immediately troubled Man United with a good driving run. His danger continued throughout the rest of the match but he let himself down slightly by being a bit too selfish at times.

    Joelinton – 6 – Saw a lot of the ball but focused on playing provider for his attacking team-mates. Taken off 10 minutes into the second half when Newcastle needed something different, having only just made it into the starting XI after injury fears.

    Miguel Almiron – 4 – Looked up for it early on but was once again missing end product – the story of his season so far. Should have given Newcastle the lead in the first half but hesitated after he collected Sean Longstaff’s pass. A booking for simulation in the second half summed up his afternoon.

    Substitutes:

    Andy Carroll (for Joelinton 56) – 6 – Provided a different kind of threat for Man United to deal with, without changing the game too much.

    Christian Atsu (for Saint-Maximin 83) – N/A – A late sub.

    Emil Krafth (for Almiron 90) – N/A – A late sub.

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    Manchester United

    David de Gea – 6 – Had very little to do in the game apart from picking the ball out of his net, with the match being largely contested in midfield.

    Ashley Young – 4 – Looked every bit a converted winger at full-back, showing defensive weaknesses which Newcastle aimed to exploit. His delivery was also poor for the most part but when he did get it right, he was let down by team-mates.

    Harry Maguire – 7 – Defensively solid and produced a potentially goal-saving block on Almiron in the first half. Should have given Man United the lead with a free header just before half-time, but his connection was poor. Despite conceding, Maguire is one of a few players who can hold their head high.

    Axel Tuanzebe – 8 – Man United may have lost but it was another excellent defensive performance from the 21-year-old who is quickly becoming a must-starter for Man United. Built a good centre-back partnership with Maguire in the first half before doing his job at full-back later.

    Diogo Dalot – 5 – The Portuguese full-back didn’t have a bad game, though he wasn’t spectacular. Looked to get forward down the right but was well defended by Willems. Taken off due to injury.

    Fred – 3 – Another bad game for the Brazilian. Looked off the pace from the start, conceding an early foul on Almiron. Didn’t really add anything to this Man United side, so Newcastle were happy to let him have time on the ball.

    Scott McTominay – 5 – Was perhaps fortunate not to have been sent off after an early yellow card, with the Scottish midfielder certainly treading a thin line at times. Looked decent enough but could not produce the special moment his side required.

    Andreas Pereira – 3 – Was anonymous in attack but will be remembered for playing Willems onside in the build up to Newcastle’s goal, when there was no real need for him to not be in line with his defence.

    Juan Mata – 5 – The Spaniard was largely ineffective, looking incapable of unlocking a tight defence – something he has previously been so good at.

    Daniel James – 7 – Was Man United’s brightest attacking outlet in the first half but also did his bit defensively. Let down by his attacking teammates.

    Marcus Rashford – 5 – Had a quiet first half, obviously only playing due to Man United’s lack of other options, given his injury problems of late. Threatened to come alive more after half-time but as his frustration grew, his influence dropped.

    Substitutes:

    Marcos Rojo (for Dalot 60) – 4 – A forced change through injury, Rojo did very little to shore up Man United’s defence.

    Mason Greenwood (for Mata 66) – 5 – Was largely anonymous after coming on, unable to link up with his attacking teammates.

    Tahith Chong (for Young 86) – N/A – A late sub.

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