just what the doctor as United fight back
compared to seeing his side slip two goals behind. Jonjo Shelvey’s cross was missed by Eric Bailly, and Yoshinori Muto turned smartly past Young and beat De Gea for pace to score his first goal for Newcastle. Shelvey tried his luck for a third, and it needed De Gea at full stretch to beat it behind as United threatened to implode. Mourinho had seen enough and decided to make a change with Juan Mata sent on in place of the hapless Bailly with the clock not even at 20 minutes. It prompted a reshuffle as a week after playing in a back three at West Ham, Scott McTominay was asked to drop back into central defence. But they should then have halved the deficit after a brilliant cross by Romelu Lukaku, only for an unmarked Marcus Rashford to head wide from six yards out. United continued to look disjointed and vulnerable to any pressure and De Gea was scrambling to keep out a close range header from Muto to prevent further damage. Passes were going astray, they were being caught in possession and Newcastle goalkeeper Martin Dubravka was not required to make a serious save. Half time brought another tactical switch as McTominay was sacrificed in favour of Marouane Fellaini and Nemanja Matic moved into the back four. But the Serbian should have scored after Dubravka parried Paul Pogba’s low drive into his path, but he sidefooted over with the goal gaping. Sanchez was the last roll of the dice for Mourinho midway through the half, and moments later Mata provided a lifeline when he curled in an expert free-kick. Momentum shifted to United and they built up a real head of steam. Twice in a minute, Dubravka prevented an equaliser with good saves to deny Fellaini and then Chris Smalling. But there was nothing the goalkeeper could do as Anthony Martial combined with Pogba and fired home in a moment of magic. Newcastle nearly restored their lead from Mohamed Diame’s deflected header and it needed Lukaku to be in the right place to clear the danger. However, there was still a sting in the tail and Sanchez’s winner was exactly that.