Key events
73 min: Manchester United apply some pressure for the first time in the half. Mbeumo and Dalot take half-swipes at a loose ball in the Newcastle box; Fernandes swings a ball in from the left that Sesko fails to read. But that’s better from the visitors.
71 min: The xG is now 1.8 to 0.64.
70 min: An awful lot of space for Mazraoui, 25 yards out. He has to take a shot. Which he eventually does, but only after thinking about things for far too long. Blocked.
68 min: According to TNT Sports, Michael Carrick is demanding his players take it up a notch. They’ve certainly been curiously ponderous in this second half.
66 min: From the left, Tonali sends the corner long. Everyone charges to the near post … except Gordon, who has peeled off, and sticks out a leg, unchallenged, six yards out. But he can’t keep the shot on target. That would have been a lovely set-piece goal. It was a very clever move. Note to Arne: set plays can be beautiful too.
65 min: Tonali sends a lovely dipping ball to the far stick. The ball brushes Dalot and flies out for a corner. Gordon claims handball and a penalty … and VAR checks … then VAR clears. It was never a spot kick.
64 min: Elanga dribbles in from the right and is scythed down just outside the box by Mazraoui, who goes into the book … after a fashion. Peter Bankes, you old tease. A free kick in a dangerous position. Tonali to send it in.
63 min: This second half hasn’t quite taken off as expected. Newcastle will be more than happy about that. Manchester United have let the pace drop, and haven’t had a shot on target since the restart.
61 min: Manchester United make a double change, replacing Casemiro and Shaw with Ugarte and Dalot.
60 min: Fernandes slides a cute ball down the inside-left channel for Mbeumo, who momentarily finds himself in a bit of space by the left-hand edge of the six-yard box. But he can’t get a shot away, and eventually squirts the ball out for a goal kick. He should have done better. What a defence-splitter from Manchester United’s captain, though.
58 min: Mbeumo swivel-hacks the corner clear. But the ball comes straight back at Manchester United, and Maguire slices into touch. This is a staunch start to the half by Newcastle in the circumstances, even if they’ve not tested Lammens.
57 min: Willock scampers down the right and wins a corner off Mainoo, who was forced into a last-ditch block tackle. Trippier wanders over to take the set piece.
55 min: As the ball sails into the box, Burn idiotically shoves Maguire in the back. The whistle goes to release the pressure on Manchester United. What was the point? A good opportunity for the ten men to get an effort on goal is needlessly thrown away.
54 min: Casemiro clips Joelinton from behind, 35 yards out. The home fans bay for a yellow card. The referee resists. Trippier prepares to swing the free kick into the mixer.
53 min: Gordon makes himself a little pocket of space just to the right of the Manchester United D. He zips a shot towards the bottom right, but Lammens is behind it all the way. Nowhere near enough power to surprise the keeper.
51 min: Cunha has the opportunity to release Fernandes into the Toon box down the left. He then hesitates before rolling a dismal pass out for a goal kick. The home fans in slightly better mood having witnessed that.
50 min: Mazraoui skittles Gordon on the halfway line. The referee pauses before blowing for the free kick, not helping the collective mood in the stadium.
48 min: Mbeumo sprays a poor cross out of play from the right. Goal kick.
47 min: A scrappy start to the half. Manchester United seeing more of the ball, setting what may be a pattern as 11 men take on ten.
Newcastle get the ball rolling for the second half. St James’ Park on a rolling boil. One way or another, this is going to be interesting.
Manchester United, then the referee, emerge from the tunnel to boos. Newcastle are going to swap out Barnes for Willock.
On TNT Sports, both pundits, Shay Given and Owen Hargreaves, think the second yellow shown to Jacob Ramsey was “harsh”. The former thinks there might have been a little bit of contact; the latter doesn’t, and notes that the player taking a step or two after passing the keeper was the deciding factor, but still isn’t sold on the idea of simulation. Other views will be available on the internet, as we can illustrate by dipping into our half-time postbag …
“Not sure Ramsay did anything to ‘claim’ a penalty, Scott – bit misleading, that” – Mark Robertson
“That was a clear dive from Ramsey. Correct, and brave decision from the referee” – Joshua Keeling
… and as for the equaliser …
“There was nearly ten minutes of additional time played for three given, with not an inordinate amount of delay between VAR, the penalty and the celebrations. I was expecting the whistle to go for the break when Cunha had the ball at the halfway line, ninety-odd seconds before the freekick. We got a long old stretch at the end and I thinkin Newcastle fans are entitled to be absolutely livid over it” – Christopher Faherty
It’s going to be an entertaining second half.
The xG after that whirlwind end to the first half: Newcastle United 1.25, Manchester United 0.64.
Half-time ad break. The Guardian has kicked off a new chapter in puzzles with the launch of its first daily football game, On the ball. It is now live in the app for both iOS and Android … so what are you waiting for?
HALF TIME: Newcastle United 1-1 Manchester United
The whistle goes. Boos ring around the famous old stadium. Newcastle captain Trippier wants a word with referee Peter Bankes, who tells him to bugger off. A bit of jostling as everyone goes down the tight tunnel. That, as the old saying goes, escalated quickly.
GOAL! Newcastle United 1-1 Manchester United (Casemiro 45+8)
Fernandes curls the free kick towards the near post. Casemiro gets ahead of Hall, and flicks a header across Ramsdale and in!
45 min +7: Play goes on and on. Gordon and Barnes nearly open Manchester United up down the left. Then Hall brings down Mazraoui on the right. And from the free kick …
GOAL! Newcastle United 1-0 Manchester United (Gordon 45+5 pen)
Gordon slams the penalty down the middle. Through the legs of Lammens, who was diving away!
Penalty to Newcastle!
45 min +3: Gordon drives at Mazraoui down the left. He enters the box, and is clipped from behind by Fernandes! Manchester United’s captain feigns innocence, but it’s a spot kick all the way, knee on thigh. Gordon will take the penalty himself.
RED CARD: Ramsey (Newcastle)
45 min +1: Gordon flicks a ball down the inside-right channel for Ramsey. Lammens gets there just in time. Ramsey goes over the keeper’s arm, and claims a penalty. But the referee thinks there’s no contact, and shows the Newcastle man a second yellow, for diving! Off he goes!
45 min: Speaking of that composure … Cunha has a shot from the left-hand edge of the Newcastle D. Ramsdale parries. The rebound clanks off Burn, and tees up Mbeumo, who has to score … but blazes wildly into the Gallowgate!
44 min: Mainoo gives the ball away. Then Joelinton passes out for a throw. Composure please, gentlemen.
42 min: … and to further illustrate that point, Mainoo, just to the right of the Newcastle D, curls a first-time outswinger towards the top left. Ramsdale claws it out. Great play all around.
41 min: Elanga gets in ahead of Shaw down the right. His low cross is flicked softly by Barnes, allowing Lammens an easy claim at the near post. Had Barnes left it, Burn might have connected, six yards out. Everything in this game so far has been nearly as opposed to just so.
39 min: Joelinton sticks an arm around Cunha, who was going nowhere in particular deep in his own half, and hauls him back. It’s a no-brainer of a booking. Joelinton sticks both hands in the air and applauds the referee sarcastically, and wants to watch himself. Tonali tells him to pack it in. Then Burn shoulders Sesko on the edge of the Newcastle box. Strangled calls for a penalty, but come on. When play moves on, Shaw hauls back Elanga and also goes into the book. Sixty seconds of the hottest admin-infused action!
37 min: Mbeumo is rightly booked for taking down an in-flight Hall.
36 min: That was nearly one of the great counter-attacks. No wonder Gordon was fuming. He and Elanga had done so well to bust Newcastle out of defence and into attack.