The Red Devils are certainly still in the title race.
I decided to report on this match in the build up to the Champions League match against Lyon or the Premier League match against Bolton that I am going to report live at Old Trafford. To give me more of an insight to Manchester United.
Following their 6-0 hammering at Old Trafford earlier in the season, Newcastle were intent to try and avoid another embarrassment. The game started with Newcastle playing quite well. Their defense coped well with the threat of Rooney, Ronaldo, Tevez and Nani. The midfield worked tirelessly to keep them at bay and produced some good tackles. Although, every time United got the ball they looked dangerous. Then in the 24th minute, Cristiano Ronaldo took the ball out wide and crossed in a pearl of a ball to a unmarked Waye Rooney who had a tap-in volleyed finish. As soon as the goal went in Newcastle heads seemed to drop. United pinged the ball about the field with ease and supermacy with Micheal Carrick seizing on loose balls from the Newcastle midfield. Then Micheal Carrick threaded a perfectley weighted ball to Cristiano Ronaldo who slotted his shot past Shay Given into the bottom right corner. Now with Newcastle on the ropes United searched for thegoal to finish them off. Carlos Tevez headed over the bar from 6 yards out while Cristiano Ronaldo hit his 10 yard angled shot wide. Manchester United went ito half time 2-0 up.
Newcastle had their first shot with Damien Duff turning inside the penalty area and fired a low shot hich Edwin Van der Sar punched away. In the 56th minute United scored again when Abdoulaye Faye misplaced a pass which ran into Cristiano Ronaldo's path. The Portugese international fended off a weak challenge from Steven Taylor and rounded Steven Harper to put United 3-0 ahead. However, Faye made up for his error with a smashed shot from point-blanc range in the 79th minute. Yet a minute later United replied with a beautiful finish. The ball came in for a corner which was headed out straight to Wayne Rooney. He controlled the ball, took a step back and curled the ball into the inside side netting of the goal. Then seconds before the final whitsle blew, Louis Saha netted with a low drive from Wayne Rooney's square pass.
The score finished 5-1 with a emphatic win for Manchester United. The win puts Sir Alex Ferguson's side 3 points behind league leaders Arsenal, after their 2-2 draw with Birmingham. While the defeat leaves Newcastle just 6 points above the relegation zone and The Magpies have not won in 10 games.
