Newcastle United have moved above Manchester United into third place following a dominant 2-0 victory against the Red Devils at St James' Park.
Joe Willock opened the scoring midway through the second half following a fine team move and substitute Callum Wilson sealed all three points with a header of his own late on.
Here are five things we learned from the game.
READ MORE: Newcastle United vs Manchester United highlights
Dominant Newcastle get revenge as ten Hag rages
A lot can happen in 35 days. Exactly five weeks previously, Newcastle were defeated by Manchester United in the Carabao Cup final on a painful evening at Wembley. It was the kind of loss that could have a devastating effect, particularly with Newcastle stuttering in the Premier League at the time, but Eddie Howe's side have since found a second wind at just the right time to reignite their push for the Champions League.
Having shown real character to dig out wins against Wolves and Nottingham Forest, this was another chance to make a statement of sorts against a Manchester United side who had only lost one of their previous 16 games in all competitions. Revenge was in the air but, more pertinently, it was a chance for these players to land a psychological blow of their own and leapfrog Manchester United into third place at a crucial juncture of the campaign.
Newcastle certainly did not play like a side haunted by the ghosts of Wembley and this was an utterly dominant display: 22 shots, six times as many shots on target and nearly twice as many corners than Manchester United. No wonder Erik ten Hag cut a frustrated figure on the touchline with assistant Steve McClaren having to step in as the Dutchman had a heated exchange with Eddie Howe after taking issue with how long Nick Pope was taking to take a goal kick.
Newcastle have last laugh at game management jibe
You knew this was a big match when Erik ten Hag resorted to some good old-fashioned mind games once more. Yes, Manchester United have some world-class players, but the gap between these sides has not been this narrow for years - and fine margins were going to go a long way to settling this crucial game.
Ten Hag again highlighted Newcastle's game management tactics before this match - just as he did ahead of the Carabao Cup final - and called on referee Stuart Attwell to be 'consistent to let the game go' rather than blowing up. Howe, for his part, felt the focus on that side of Newcastle's game had been 'overblown' and the Magpies boss declared: "First and foremost, we want to be a good football team."
This was a chance to remind those critics of that and, ironically, it was Manchester United who were attempting to slow the game down from the off with David de Gea purposefully taking his time with goal kicks. Antony and Bruno Guimaraes, meanwhile, were certainly in no hurry to get up when felled at the other end of the field.
In contrast, what was striking was how Newcastle went for another goal immediately after Joe Willock's opener rather than going into protection mode and trying to run down the clock.
All of Eddie Howe's changes were attacking substitutions as the Newcastle head coach threw on Joelinton, Anthony Gordon, Callum Wilson and Elliot Anderson. It was Joelinton who rattled the bar when the midfielder's header was tipped onto the upright by David de Gea before Wilson popped up with that crucial second goal in the 88th minute after getting his noggin on the end of Kieran Trippier's free-kick.
Joe Willock embodies Newcastle's perseverance
It was rather fitting that it was Joe Willock who opened the scoring for Newcastle. Having spurned two good openings in the first half - the midfielder somehow blazed over following Allan Saint-Maximin's pullback in the 40th minute - it was a case of third time lucky for Willock midway through the second half.
Willock, literally, did not let his head go down and Newcastle, like the midfielder, continued to plug away rather than getting frustrated or resorting to hopeful efforts from far out. Newcastle's finest team move of the afternoon was ultimately finished with aplomb in the 65th minute.
It was Alexander Isak who slipped in Bruno Guimaraes down the right-hand side of the box and the Brazil international's hanging cross was headed back across goal by Allan Saint-Maximin. There was Willock to nod home to take the roof off the stadium.
Selfless Allan Saint-Maximin steps up
Joelinton may have been back from suspension, but Eddie Howe decided to stick with the side who pulled off a spirited win at Nottingham Forest last time out. Allan Saint-Maximin, as a result, kept his place out on the left as the mercurial forward came up against Diogo Dalot once more.
Saint-Maximin had the beating of Dalot in the Carabao Cup final 35 days previously and, tellingly, the Manchester United right-back was hooked at half-time that day. In fact, Saint-Maximin came mightily close to opening the scoring at Wembley after dancing past Dalot before forcing David de Gea into a superb save. A minute later, Casemiro broke the deadlock. These are the margins at this level.
That moment has stuck with Saint-Maximin who admitted before this rematch that he needed 'to think about that chance again and make sure that if I have that opportunity this weekend, it will be in the back of the net'. Yet, far from going it alone, Saint-Maximin repeatedly looked to find others on Sunday, creating six chances - his most in a single Premier League game.
Having teed up openings for Sean Longstaff (twice) and Joe Willock in the first half, which were not taken, Saint-Maximin played a crucial role in the build-up to Newcastle's opener after the break when he headed Bruno Guimaraes' cross back across goal. There was Willock to nod home.
Scott McTominay gets a glimpse of St James'
Fresh from scoring four goals during the international break, including a double in Scotland's famous 2-0 win against Spain midweek, was it any wonder Scott McTominay started against his suitors? Yet that does not tell the full story. In reality, this was McTominay's first league start since January and if Casemiro and Christian Eriksen had been available, the midfielder would have been on the bench.
McTominay is a valued squad member at Manchester United - the Red Devils would loathe to see an academy graduate prosper at a top four rival - but whether those frustrations tell this summer will be intriguing. As he approaches his 27th birthday, does McTominay see himself spending his peak years as a squad player at Old Trafford or would he be prepared to ask for a move away for more regular football?
Newcastle will be at the front of the queue if Manchester United let McTominay go and, while this was hardly an audition, there was an added edge to Sunday's battle in the middle of the park as the midfielder came up against Sean Longstaff, Joe Willock and Bruno Guimaraes in the middle of the park. The trio, tellingly, bossed it.
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