Premier League analysis: Newcastle v Man United - William Osula’s stoppage-time screamer sinks Michael Carrick’s unbeaten streak

A sensational stoppage-time strike from substitute William Osula earned Newcastle United a 2-1 victory over Manchester United in Matchweek 29 of the Premier League.

I'm not sure what cheered me most.

Wolves dumping Liverpool with an injury-time winner on Tuesday or seeing a team sheet with a fit Diogo Dalot perched on the bench.

And on a night when taking advantage of Scouse malaise was top of the agenda, my eyes would also be on Noussair Mazraoui's performance in order to bring balance to the universe and consign the Portuguese to the sidelines for the foreseeable.

Mind you, that was a side issue in itself, there was the small matter of a faltering Newcastle side to deal with first and considering United had been about as fluent as my GCSE French in recent games, it was a concern.

Here, Sports News Blitz’s Robert Bore reflects on Newcastle’s late win over Man United, and head coach Michael Carrick’s unbeaten streak coming to an end.

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Match review

Not that it started well either as the Geordies flew out of the blocks, Kieran Trippier somehow clipping the woodwork with a recycled cross.

After falling behind to Crystal Palace at around about the same time on Sunday, well let's say I had a bit of a nervous twitch.

Former red shirt Anthony Elanga volleyed one wide and Harvey Barnes curled outside of the far post after a quick counter and home tails were up. 

United were looking a little lacklustre - or were perhaps looking to soak pressure for the opening stages.

Luke Shaw soaked, soaked up a double elbow from the human stilt Dan Burn but any thoughts of a red were waved away.

Mazraoui did his best Dalot impression by teeing up Sandro Tonali just inside the United box but the Italian snatched the ball wide.

But it was a little ominous. United looked flat again and a little disjointed. Maybe it was no Dalot?

Meanwhile, Aston Villa were 2-1 down at home to Chelsea at half-time, which was nice to see, while Benjamin Sesko tried to steamroll the ball and Tonali into the back of the net as United made it as far as the Newcastle six-yard box.

Ill-disciplined moments

Jacob Ramsey was booked in the 26th minute after a needless pull back on Casemiro while Trippier almost put one through his own net after the ball came off the back of his bonce, like that time you lobbed a snowball at your mate and it somehow cops the PE teacher on the back of the head instead.

Knew nothing about it nor where it came from.

But United had settled down a bit and were starting to move the ball between the lines better, case in point Malick Thiaw conceding a free-kick 30 yards from Aaron Ramsdale's goal in panic.

It was an opportunity but somehow ended up with Joelinton going all the way to the opposition box before planting one several more metres above sea level than the pitch.

Mbeumo, Joelinton and Luke Shaw were all booked within minutes of each other and it was all a bit frantic.

Newcastle came again with Elanga down the right but Maguire marshalled Harvey Barnes well before Kobbie Mainoo almost found the top corner after some dancing feet from Sesko and a neat ball from Mbuemo but he was inches away and half-time wasn't too far behind.

But United should have broken the deadlock. Cunha was superb, gliding past a couple of men and firing at Ramsdale who parried into Mbuemo who lashed the ball over the top.

We weren't done yet. Anthony Gordon played across goal to Jacob Ramsey who looked to have been in as Senne Lammens raced out of his goal.

Instinct was Lammens caught him as Ramsey tried to knock the ball past the United man but the referee was on the spot to deny a kick from the spot.

However, the former Villa man had already been carded and Peter Bankes gave him his marching orders for diving. It was harsh.

We still weren't done, but Bruno Fernandes was.

Penalty controversy

Gordon raced into the box again and cut inside Mazraoui but was clipped by the United skipper and this time Bankes made the hosts smile.

It was a foul, even if Gordon had been going down easier than a shot of Tequila Rose at every given opportunity.

Gordon stood up and converted straight down the middle. United would have to come from behind against 10-men again for the second time in four days.

Michael Carrick looked like he'd found a pound but dropped a fiver.

We still weren't done. Despite three added minutes having been shown, we were into the eighth when United levelled. Carrick found his fiver.

Fernandes did what he does from a free-kick on the right as he lofted with precision for Casemiro to nod home with a well-placed glancing bouncer of a header that gave Ramsdale no chance. The whistle finally went.

Newcastle’s second-half intensity

So, time to take a breath and take stock. Villa were being spanked at home and with Chelsea four points behind in fifth, there was a chance to make the cushion six between both the Londoners and Liverpool.  

The hosts came out intent to attack, leaving Elanga and Gordon forward so there would be gaps to exploit as you would have thought.

Could United (red) exploit? Carrick's men would need to be patient and, in the early stages at least, they didn't appear to chase.

At the summit of the table, the title race looked done and dusted after Arsenal's win at Brighton and Man City bottling their way to a 2-2 draw at home to Nottingham Forest to leave the gap at the top seven points.

Victory would leave the Reds only six points behind their neighbours.

But there was still a job to do and, in all honesty, Newcastle looked the more likely as they continued to press forward, so much so that Carrick readied reinforcements, Manuel Ugarte and Dalot readied.

Before they entered the fray Bruno weighted a pass with so much disguise on it you could have pretended it was an apple but Mbuemo's clever run came to nothing.

Casemiro and Shaw made way with just under half an hour left but the spare man wasn't making much of a difference and Newcastle legs seemed full of running.

Mazraoui was clumsy as he felled Elanga on the edge of his box and from the free-kick there were appeals that the ball hit Mainoo's hand.

They were quickly waved away with a corner the second prize. Saying that, it should have been a second goal as everyone went near post apart from Gordon who was left alone at the back but fluffed his lines.

It was a chance. A good one.

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Missed opportunities

United needed to come again, they'd failed to threaten Ramsdale's goal since the restart.

It felt like maybe Amad Diallo time.

Fernandes tried another special to try and play Sesko in but it was too ambitious and the Slovenian cut a frustrated figure, particularly after his recent hot streak in front of goal.

That said, United should have gone ahead with 16 mins left and it was Bruno again, picking out an unmarked Leny Yoro at the back post but, despite doing everything right, the youngster saw Ramsdale save brilliantly.

Ugarte headed onto the roof of the net after rising well to meet another Bruno cross while Mbeumo and Mainoo were replaced by Joshua Zirkzee and the aforementioned Diallo.

Dalot gave away a stupid bloody free-kick that gave the hosts another chance to find Burn with the ball dropped right on Lammens but Yoro cleared and Trippier was incensed after being skinned by Cunha and receiving a yellow for fouling the Brazilian.

Trippier, due to turn 36, which coincidentally is his height in inches.

Dalot gave away another ridiculously silly free-kick with Gordon going towards his own deadball line and boxed in, to demonstrate his appalling footballing IQ, and we were now into the last 10.

Cunha cut one back for Fernandes who saw his angle narrowed by Tonali as he blew the ball wide while Howe went for the win himself with two attacking subs - Carrick replacing the injured Mazraoui with Tyrell Malacia.

Ugarte was blocked as United pushed for the breakthrough and Zirkzee was denied by the flying hand of Ramsdale, it was some save but we were approaching the 90.

United came again but the ball was given away and Trippier hoiked it down the line for sub William Osula who set off running down the right flank, cut inside and then curled one past Lammens into his far corner.

It was a finish as impressive as Ramsdale's stop moments earlier and likely the winner as the board for five added minutes went up.

United’s unbeaten run ends

It felt a sloppy way for Carrick to lose his unbeaten run, back in his homeland. And while the hard work to get into the top three has been done in previous weeks, and results elsewhere have been kind, a second half against 10-men was a gift from the gods.

And also highlighted that, despite some cracking saves from Ramsdale, that United's second string are not at the same level as the favoured starters.

However, a bit of a reality check is needed.

A 10-match unbeaten run, up into the top three and with a four-point padding to in the Champions League spots, I'd have bitten both your arms off and probably a leg too to be in this position.

But United need to click again and fast. With everybody seemingly able to take points off each other at the moment, there's no guarantees. And maybe a little bit of a drop back down to earth will do everybody some good.

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