Newcastle, December 28 (BNA): Substitute Edinson Cavani scored a second-half goal to help Manchester United salvage a 1-1 draw with struggling Newcastle in the English Premier League.
The score extended Manchester United’s interim manager Ralph Rangnick’s unbeaten start to four games in all competitions, but the German would hardly be happy with a toothless performance with goalkeeper David de Gea to rescue the visitors.
Cavani scored the equalizer in the 71st minute after Alain Saint-Maximin gave the hosts the lead in the seventh minute with a superb single shot, as he crossed two marks before firing past De Gea.
The result left United in seventh place in the standings with 28 points from 17 games, behind West Ham, who are sixth, on goal difference. Newcastle remained 19th with 11 points from 19 games, Reuters reported.
Saint-Maximin, who tormented United’s shaky defense throughout the evening, beat De Gea with an unbalanced shot as he made his way into the penalty area.
The visiting goalkeeper kept Manchester United on his feet with a host of good saves as Newcastle always looked dangerous in the first half, with striker Callum Wilson’s goal disallowed for offside in the 38th minute.
Saint-Maximin ignored his player early in the second half with a deceptive shot from a height of five meters and De Gea stopped in two successive stops to block the French player’s low shot before blocking Jacob Murphy’s shot from close range.
And the owners of the land were punished for their mistakes, as Cavani hit a sudden shot at goalkeeper Martin Dubravka in the second attempt, after his first shot was blocked after Diogo Dalot’s cross from the right side.
United barely escaped Newcastle’s late attack as Murphy hit the post and De Gea hit Miguel Almiron’s shot on the rebound from the top corner.
Newcastle have now won just one of their eight games under coach Eddie Howe, despite ending a three-game losing streak.