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Rob DawsonCorrespondent
MANCHESTER, England — Manchester United were held to a frustrating goalless draw against Newcastle United in their Premier League clash at Old Trafford on Sunday.
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The hosts were left fuming after referee Craig Pawson ruled out two Cristiano Ronaldo strikes early in the second half. Erik ten Hag’s side also felt they should have been awarded a penalty when Jadon Sancho was brought down inside the area. For their part, the visitors thought they should have been awarded a spot kick of their own after nine minutes.
The result sees Man United remain in fifth in the Premier League table, while Newcastle sit a position behind them in sixth.
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Rapid Reaction
1. Man United struggling for goals as they’re held by Newcastle
Manchester United needed 35 attempts to score in Thursday’s 1-0 win over Omonia Nicosia but afterwards Ten Hag insisted it was only a matter of time before the goals start to flow.
Unfortunately, for the Dutchman he’s still waiting. United rode their luck in the first half and were lucky to be level at the break but should have won the game in the second half. Fred and substitute Marcus Rashford missed two golden chances at the end and Ten Hag was left holding his head in his hands by the time the final whistle went.
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United managed 15 shots against Newcastle but goalkeeper Nick Pope only had to face two on target. You can understand why, in the Premier League’s current top 10, only Bournemouth have scored fewer goals. It’s not just an issue of being more clinical. Jadon Sancho and Antony started on the wings but far too often they were content with passing backwards or sideways rather than running beyond the Newcastle defence. It’s a crucial period for United with games against Tottenham and Chelsea to come next week but it hasn’t got off to a great start. Ten Hag needs to find goals from somewhere soon.
2. Ronaldo issue not going away
The day started so well for Ronaldo, who was picked to start a Premier League game for the first time since August and before kick-off collected an award to mark his 700th club goal, scored at Everton last weekend. But before the game had ended, and with the score still 0-0, he was sat on the bench shaking his head.
Ronaldo got the winner at Goodison Park a week ago and started the victory over Omonia Nicosia, but it is not a great endorsement of Ten Hag’s trust in him that he was the man replaced by Rashford when United were still searching for a goal. It might have been because he had already been booked, but the 37-year-old was clearly not happy with the decision and after a long conversation with Antony, began shaking his head as he walked off. When the television cameras focused on the bench a few minutes later he was still at it.
You can understand why Ronaldo might have felt hard done by. If there’s anyone who might get you a goal from a game of few chances it’s him, and it wasn’t like Jadon Sancho, Antony or Fred were playing particularly well — any of the three could have been sacrificed for Rashford, instead.
3. Newcastle show top six credentials
Eddie Howe’s side arrived at Old Trafford sitting sixth in the table having lost just one league game and they showed against United that their start to the season is no fluke.
Newcastle will feel they should have got more than a point, especially after Joelinton managed to hit the crossbar and the post with two separate headers in the space of a couple of seconds in the first half. They caused United a lot of problems, particularly in the first 45 minutes, which was even more impressive given they were without two of their main attacking threats in Allan Saint-Maximin and Alexander Isak.
They have already shown they can match the big boys with a 3-3 draw against Manchester City and this was further confirmation.
They’ve spent money — more than £120 million in the summer window alone — but they’ve done it wisely and if they can continue in the same form, they should be well in the mix for European football by the end of the season. It will be a big ask, but there is even a chance of gate-crashing the top four and earning a place in next season’s Champions League.
Player ratings
Manchester United: De Gea 6, Dalot 6, Shaw 6, Varane 7, Martinez 6, Casemiro 6, Fred 5, Fernandes 7, Sancho 5, Antony 5, Ronaldo 6.
Subs: Rashford 6.
Newcastle United: Pope 6, Trippier 8, Burn 7, Botman 7, Schar 6, Joelinton 7, Longstaff 6, Guimaraes 6, Murphy 6, Almiron 6, Wilson 6.
Subs: Fraser 6, Targett 6, Willock 6, Wood 6, Lascelles 6.
Best and worst performers
BEST
Kieran Trippier: Newcastle’s captain put in a performance that showed why United were so interested in signing him from Atletico Madrid.
WORST
Jadon Sancho: He was probably only in the team because Rashford wasn’t feeling well enough to start and it was another game where he struggled to make an impact.
Key Stats (provided by ESPN Stats & Information)
Cristiano Ronaldo started a Premier League game for the first time since Aug. 13, when Manchester United lost 4-0 to Brentford.
Manchester United have registered 76 goalless draws in the Premier League, 31 of which (41%) have come since Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013. No side has had as many 0-0s in the competition since the start of the 2013-14 season.
Up next
Manchester United: Things don’t get any easier for Erik ten Hag’s side, with two big clashes against top-four rivals coming over the next week. On Wednesday, third-placed Tottenham Hotspur visit Old Trafford having lost just one league game all season, before a trip to Stamford Bridge on Sunday to face fourth-placed Chelsea.
Newcastle United: Newcastle will travel to Tottenham on Sunday to have another crack at claiming a statement win against one of the “Big Six” after drawing with Manchester City and Man United already this season, but not before they host Everton on Wednesday.