Manchester City win, United lose

London, February 11

Matt Ritchie lifted the gloom on Tyneside with the winner in Newcastle United’s crucial 1-0 victory over Manchester United in the Premier League — their first three-point haul at home since October.

Newcastle had fallen into the bottom three before kickoff after Huddersfield Town’s earlier win, but they responded with a vibrant display capped by Ritchie’s 65th minute effort.

Ritchie was released into space by Dwight Gayle’s flick and he buried a low shot past David De Gea.

Bizarrely the free kick which led to the goal was awarded when United defender Chris Smalling was booked for a blatant dive in the centre of the field. Smalling was also lucky to get away with a first-half trip on Gayle inside the penalty area.

United were guilty of wasteful finishing with Anthony Martial and Alexis Sanchez the chief culprits and were denied a stoppage-time equaliser when the outstanding debutant keeper Martin Dubravka prevented an own goal from close range.

Newcastle’s first win over United for five years lifted them from 18th to 13th while Jose Mourinho’s second-placed United are now a remote 16 points behind local rivals Manchester City and looking over their shoulders at the teams behind them.

Such is the gap at the top that City could conceivably clinch the title against United in April.

Aguero routs Leicester with 4 goals

Argentine striker Sergio Aguero scored four second-half goals for Manchester City against Leicester, while Kevin De Bruyne contributed three key assists to lead their team to a 5-1 win that left Pep Guardiola’s squad with an even stronger lead in the English Premier League. It took only three minutes for Leicester’s resistance to cave, the time it took De Bruyne to snatch and centre the ball, which Raheem Sterling booted into the net. De Bruyne was to contribute the set-ups for Manchester’s first three goals.

We’d have needed 10 hours to score: Mourinho

Jose Mourinho lamented his side’s poor finishing after Manchester United suffered a first loss to Newcastle United for five years at St James’ Park in the Premier League on Sunday. “My verdict is that we could’ve been here for 10 hours and not scored a goal. Newcastle played with their lives and defended with their lives,” Mourinho said, having earlier described the opposition as fighting “like animals”. 

EPL results

Everton bt Palace 3-1
Swansea bt Burnley 1-0
Man City bt Leicester 5-1
Huddersfield bt Bournemouth 4-1
Newcastle bt Man U 1-0
Liverpool bt Southampton 2-0 

— Agencies