Newcastle United put on a masterclass at St James’ Park to beat Manchester United 4-1 on Sunday afternoon.
The Magpies have now extended their winning streak in the Premier League to four matches, lifting them up to fourth in the Premier League table with a game in hand on those around them.
| Position | Team | PlayedMP | WonW | DrawnD | LostL | ForGF | AgainstGA | DiffGD | PointsPts |
| 3 | Nottm ForestNottingham Forest | 32 | 17 | 6 | 9 | 51 | 38 | 13 | 57 |
| 4 | 31 | 17 | 5 | 9 | 56 | 40 | 16 | 56 | |
| 5 | 32 | 16 | 7 | 9 | 62 | 42 | 20 | 55 |
Eddie Howe missed the Manchester United clash through illness, Newcastle have since confirmed that Howe is suffering with pneumonia and could miss the Crystal Palace clash on Wednesday too.
But Newcastle stuck to the game plan without their leader on the touchline, and his absence gave extra motivation to the players. Harvey Barnes said the squad “had to put a smile on his face”, and the 27-year-old certainly did that through his performance.
Harvey Barnes only topped by Kevin De Bruyne
Barnes revealed Jason Tindall’s team talk against Manchester United which inspired an emphatic second-half display.
Barnes scored twice against Manchester United in what was arguably his best-ever game in a Newcastle shirt. With Anthony Gordon returning from injury, he might find it difficult to regain his starting spot.
After the full-time whistle, Tindall said he was “proud” of Barnes and his progress at Newcastle, and the Magpies winger earned himself a spot in WhoScored’s Team of the Week.
Barnes claimed his spot out wide with a 9.00 rating – the second highest in the Premier League with only Kevin De Bruyne ranking higher after he starred in Manchester City’s 5-2 win over Crystal Palace.
They added: ” Barnes beat Premier League debutant Altay Bayindir with both shots at St. James’ Park, while he went on to make two tackles and complete two dribbles to secure the right wing spot in this XI.”
Harvey Barnes stats for Newcastle vs Man United
During the 4-1 win, Barnes was the star of the show for Newcastle, taking his goal tally in the Premier League to eight this season.
In his last four league starts, Barnes has now scored three goals and provided two assists. He can expect to keep his spot for Palace’s visit on Wednesday.
- Premier League
NewcastleNewcastle
Crystal PalaceCrystal Palace
Barnes’ match stats from the victory prove why he was rated as the second-best player in the Premier League this week.
| Minutes played | 90 |
| Goals | 2 |
| Shots | 2 |
| Touches | 38 |
| Passes completed | 85% (17/20) |
| Key passes | 1 |
| Big chances created | 1 |
| Duels won | 46% (6/13) |
READ MORE: ‘Unique’ Newcastle United player has fully justified Eddie Howe’s £39m transfer gamble
Barnes scored from both his efforts on goal, outperforming his expected goals (xG) tally of 0.8.
He was a constant threat off the left, continuing his strong relationship with Tino Livramento.
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