Ravaged by injuries and hurting from a cruel VAR call in midweek, Newcastle was hardly in ideal shape as the same 11 players were sent out by manager Eddie Howe for a third straight game for the English Premier League meeting with Manchester United on Saturday.
You’d never have known.
Newcastle’s dominant 1-0 win at St. James’ Park was testament to the unwavering spirit in a squad being stretched to the limit as the Saudi-owned club challenges for trophies on all fronts.
At the same time, it was a reality check for Man United after its recent revival in the league marked by narrow, scrappy wins and sensational goals.
Anthony Gordon’s 55th-minute goal proved to be enough for Newcastle, which — in the space of a week — has beaten Chelsea and Man United either side of being denied a famous Champions League win at Paris Saint-Germain because of a roundly condemned handball decision.
“It’s been a massive week for us,” Gordon said. “The same 11 players have played three games on the bounce and we’ve pulled through.
“It’s not just the guys who are injured — the guys who are playing are injured. We’ve got kicks and bruises all over.” Indeed, injuries are really starting to bite. The list was already into double figures before goalkeeper Nick Pope went off in the 86th minute with a suspected dislocated shoulder, sustained when he dived to stop a shot that never actually reached him. The schedule doesn’t get any easier, though. Newcastle doesn’t have a midweek off in December, during which the team plays in the League Cup quarterfinals and finishes off its Champions League group campaign. Its remaining fit players are running on fumes but are still decently placed in fifth — seven points behind Premier League leader Arsenal, which beat Wolverhampton 2-1 on Saturday.
United, which had won five of its previous six league games, dropped to seventh place and had only one shot on target in a tired-looking display coming three days after a 3-3 draw at Galatasaray in the Champions League.
