Barnes brace sees four-star Magpies overpower Man Utd
Newcastle United's Harvey Barnes scores his second and his side's third goal at St James' Park. Pic: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire.
HARVEY Barnes struck twice to help maintain Newcastle's Carabao Cup-winning feelgood factor as they climbed to fourth in a perfect pick-me-up for Eddie Howe.
The Newcastle manager remains in hospital for treatment on an unspecified illness after being admitted on Friday - and the 47-year-old's recuperation was no doubt boosted by an emphatic fifth straight win, the third in a row since the Magpies ended their seven-decade trophy drought at Wembley last month.
Barnes took centre stage in the second-half after Sandro Tonali gave Newcastle an early lead. Alejandro Garnacho's unexpected equaliser was about as good as it got for an outclassed United side who were victim to a first league double to the Geordies for 95 years.
Bruno Guimaraes added a late fourth for Newcastle, who will go third if they avoid defeat at home to Crystal Palace on Wednesday after taking another confident step towards clinching a return to the Champions League. In contrast their beaten opponents must quickly turn their attention to trying to seal their own place at European football's top table via the Europa League.
When it comes to the Premier League, they remain a pale imitation of the glory years under Sir Alex Ferguson, languishing in 14th with just one win against a team outside the division's bottom three in the last four months.
With assistant boss Jason Tindall in temporary charge, Newcastle were good value for their latest victory, and their first-half dominance was rewarded when they took a 24th-minute lead through Tonali's clinically-taken sixth goal of the season.
Manuel Ugarte surrendered possession deep in his own half, and from Kieran Trippier's cross into the box, Alexander Isak's sublime cushioned pass was volleyed home from six yards by Toon's Italian midfielder.
It was the 19th time this season Amorim's side have conceded the first goal to equal an unwanted Premier League club record. If the opener felt like it had been coming, United's equaliser eight minutes before the interval hadn't in the slightest.
The hosts were undone by a classic sucker punch as the space vacated by marauding full-back Tino Livramento was exploited in a 70-yard counter-attack culminating in Garnacho poking home only his second goal in the last 20 league games via Nick Pope's right-hand post from Diogo Dalot's pass.
Normal service was resumed four minutes into the second half when Newcastle restored their lead as Livramento, in front of watching national coach Thomas Tuchel, atoned for his unwanted part in the equaliser.
The England full-back surged past a labouring Dalot into the area to deliver a low cross to the far post where Jacob Murphy provided a perfect cut back for Barnes to finish from inside the six yard box.
As with Tonali's opener, there was little chance for Altay Bayindir, United's Turkish keeper making his Premier League debut as one of five changes with Andre Onana unsurprisingly paying the price for his latest horror show in the 2-2 Europa League draw in Lyon.
Barnes added a third 25 minutes from time when he dispossessed Noussair Mazraoui before outpacing two defenders to power into the area and find the top corner from a dozen yards for his third goal in two games.
With 13 minutes remaining, Bayindir produced a passable impression of the hapless Onana. The stand-in keeper's woeful pass out when under no pressure was headed back into the area by Joelinton for an unmarked Guimaraes to slot home into the bottom corner as Newcastle scored four in a game against the Old Trafford side for the first time in approaching 24 years.
): Pope 8; Trippier 8 (Krafth 78, 6), Schar 8, Burn 8, Livramento 9; Tonali 9, Guimaraes 8 (Miley 85, 6), Joelinton 8 (Longstaff 85, 6); Murphy 8 (Gordon 78, 6), Isak 8 (Wilson 78, 6), Barnes 9.
: Bayindir 4; Mazraoui 5, Lindelof 5, Yoro 4; Dalot 4, Ugarte 4, Fernandes 5 (Mainoo 82, 5), Amass 6 (Dorgu 55, 4); Garnacho 7 (Mount 55, 3), Eriksen 4; Zirkzee 5 (Hojlund 55, 4). Booked: Ugarte, Yoro.
Chris Kavanagh (Lancashire)Â
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