MANCHESTER, England — Manchester United were held to a frustrating goalless draw against Newcastle United in their Premier League clash at Old Trafford on Sunday.
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The hosts were left fuming after referee Craig Pawson ruled out two Cristiano Ronaldo strikes early in the second half. Erik ten Hag’s side also felt they should have been awarded a penalty when Jadon Sancho was brought down inside the area. For their part, the visitors thought they should have been awarded a spot kick of their own after nine minutes.
The result sees Man United remain in fifth in the Premier League table, while Newcastle sit a position behind them in sixth.
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Rapid Reaction
1. Man United struggling for goals as they’re held by Newcastle
Manchester United needed 35 attempts to score in Thursday’s 1-0 win over Omonia Nicosia but afterwards Ten Hag insisted it was only a matter of time before the goals start to flow.
Unfortunately, for the Dutchman he’s still waiting. United rode their luck in the first half and were lucky to be level at the break but should have won the game in the second half. Fred and substitute Marcus Rashford missed two golden chances at the end and Ten Hag was left holding his head in his hands by the time the final whistle went.
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United managed 15 shots against Newcastle but goalkeeper Nick Pope only had to face two on target. You can understand why, in the Premier League’s current top 10, only Bournemouth have scored fewer goals. It’s not just an issue of being more clinical. Jadon Sancho and Antony started on the wings but far too often they were content with passing backwards or sideways rather than running beyond the Newcastle defence. It’s a crucial period for United with games against Tottenham and Chelsea to come next week but it hasn’t got off to a great start. Ten Hag needs to find goals from somewhere soon.
