The two clubs are tied on points (50) but the Magpies have a clearly favourable goal difference (+22 against +4). Tottenham, 5th with one less unit, but already one more game, travels to Everton on Monday (21:00).

Beaten in the final of the League Cup (2-0) by Manchester, Newcastle took a nice revenge at the end of a match that he largely dominated.

The best opportunities were all for black and white, in front of an audience of St. James' Park in heaven.

As early as the 17th minute, David de Gea had to make a double parry against Alexander Isak and Joe Willock to prevent the opening of the score.

Sean Longstaff, in the 39th and Willock, again, found back by Allan Saint-Maximin in the 41st, had narrowly missed the frame.

It was only part postponed since shortly after the hour of play, following a very nice collective action, a center of Joelinton was put back from the head in the axis by Saint-Maximin, allowing Willock to open the score from close range (1-0, 65th).

An attack finally up to the task

De Gea extended the suspense again in the 76th by deflecting a Joelinton header from a corner onto his crossbar, but three minutes from the end of regulation time, Callum Wilson doubled the lead with a header to give his side a deserved success (88th).

Bought a little over a year ago by the sovereign fund of Saudi Arabia, Newcastle confirms that it is already a credible candidate for the C1 without having yielded to the sirens of flashy recruitment, under the leadership of Eddie Howe.

Callum Wilson (r) just scored Newcastle's second goal against Manchester United, on April 2, 2023 in Newcastle © Oli SCARFF / AFP

With 22 shots, including 6 framed, against respectively 6 and 1 for their opponents, the Magpies even seem to be making clear offensive progress for the final stretch, they who had mainly built their good run on the best defense in the championship: 19 goals conceded, seven less than Manchester City, second in this statistical category.

For Manchester United, on the other hand, this missed match should serve as a warning.

Still in the race in the FA Cup and in the quarter-finals of the Europa League, the Red Devils do not necessarily seem to have a sufficiently large squad to run all these hares to faith.

The absence in midfield of Casemiro, suspended, is particularly damaging and the insane schedule of the coming weeks does not bode well for Erik Ten Hag's men.

© 2023 AFP