There was an unlikely hero at St James’ Park.
William Osula scored a stunning 90th-minute winner as 10-man Newcastle United claimed a dramatic 2-1 victory to end Manchester United‘s unbeaten run under Michael Carrick.
Carrick had seen his side go seven games unbeaten since taking charge in January, and United looked to be in an excellent position to extend that run when Jacob Ramsey was controversially sent off late in the first half.
But moments after his dismissal, Newcastle took the lead as Anthony Gordon converted a penalty he won from Bruno Fernandes.
United responded swiftly as Casemiro levelled matters with a header deep in first-half stoppage time, yet a side whose unbeaten run had catapulted them to third in the Premier League table failed to kick on from there in the second half.
Though they were frustrated by a pair of superb Aaron Ramsdale saves, United never truly stretched a depleted Newcastle, and Osula was the unlikely Magpies hero who made sure they paid the price.
The Dane collected a pass down the right wing from Kieran Trippier and embarked on a lung-busting individual run, but he still had the reserves of energy to cut in and compose himself, finding the net with a wondrous curling effort that bent beyond a stricken Senne Lammens and into the far corner.
Newcastle’s win ends a run of three straight league defeats at St James’ Park that had increased the presssure on Eddie Howe. United, meanwhile, miss the chance to cement their grip on third on a night where Chelsea pulled within three points of the Red Devils with a 4-1 win at slumping Aston Villa.
Ramsey sent off in frantic first-half finale
Newcastle made an extremely bright start, and they almost took the lead in unconventional fashion as Trippier’s lofted cross struck the post, with Lewis Hall firing over on the follow-up.
Anthony Elanga volleyed wide before Harvey Barnes and Sandro Tonali threatened the United goal with ambitious efforts as Newcastle attempted five shots in the first 20 minutes of a high-octane opening.
Carrick’s side grew into the game late in the first half, Kobbie Mainoo and Matheus Cunha drawing saves from Ramsdale, promoted to the starting XI ahead of Nick Pope after his error against Everton, with Bryan Mbeumo blazing horribly over the bar after the rebound from the latter effort deflected into his path.
It looked as if United’s task was set to get much easier after Ramsey was shown a second yellow, referee Peter Bankes deeming he had intentionally dived in an effort to win a penalty as he went over under a challenge from Lammens as Gordon tried to slip him through on goal.
Yet Bankes did point to the spot moments later as Fernandes clipped Gordon’s knee, and Newcastle’s false nine made no mistake with a penalty straight down the middle.
Bankes would become the villain of the piece in the ninth additional minute of the first half as United won a contentious free-kick on the right wing, from which Fernandes found Casemiro at the near post and the Brazilian headed beyond Ramsdale.
Osula Newcastle’s unlikely hero
United struggled to make their extra player count for much of the second half, and Gordon nearly restored Newcastle’s lead from a clever set-piece routine, but he could only skew wide on the stretch.
The Red Devils did eventually start to take control, though, with Ramsdale forced into a fine save to keep out a Lenny Yoro header.
Manuel Ugarte then went close with a looping header, and the ever-influential Bruno Fernandes bent wide from long range as United turned up the pressure.
Joshua Zirkzee nearly landed a spectacular telling blow as his ambitious drive was stunningly kept out by a diving Ramsdale, but it was Osula who settled an absorbing encounter in unbelievable fashion as the biggest goal of his career sent St James’ Park into raptures.
