Patrick Dorgu's volley in the 24th minute helped Manchester United overcome the challenge named Newcastle, thereby extending their unbeaten streak at home on Boxing Day for 47 years.
The 3 points won put the "Red Devils" temporarily up to 5th place with 29 points, equal to Chelsea but playing one more match. In this round, The Blues will face Aston Villa - an opponent who is sublimating in all competitions.
In the context of a shattered squad due to injury storms and the African Cup, coach Ruben Amorim was forced to adjust his approach. Man United started with a system of 4 defenders, arranging Patrick Dorgu to play as a winger, while Mason Mount took on the role of attacking midfielder.
Dorgu played energetically and soon brought joy to the home fans with a live-fire finish that "took the net" of the away team. Notably, the person who accidentally assisted the Danish defender was Newcastle striker Nick Woltemade.
Not stopping there, Dorgu almost had another assist, but Benjamin Sesko missed it when he finished wide in a favorable position.
The remaining minutes witnessed Newcastle pushing up strongly. Opportunities were created continuously, but the away team's shots still lacked sharpness to convert into goals. "The Magpies" launched up to 16 shots, almost double the home team's, but only 3 times the ball went on target and in the end was still goalless.
The match closed with a minimal victory for Man United. Although not scoring, Matheus Cunha still received applause from the stands thanks to his great mobility, continuous deep retreat to support defense and as a fulcrum for counter-attack situations.
In the opposite direction, Joshua Zirkzee disappointed when playing somewhat slow in the time when his teammates had to strain themselves to resist the pressure.
In the next round, M.U continues to play at Old Trafford to meet the bottom team Wolves, while Newcastle travels to Burnley's stadium.
