From the outset, Newcastle were in control, dictating the pace and intensity of the match. They broke the deadlock when Alexander Isak's delicate lob found Sandro Tonali, who calmly slotted past Altay Bayındır. Tonali nearly doubled the lead with a long-range strike, and Bayındır had to be alert to deny Isak shortly after. Despite Newcastle's dominance, Manchester United equalized against the run of play through Alejandro Garnacho, who kept his cool to beat Nick Pope eight minutes before the break.
However, Newcastle responded emphatically in the second half. Harvey Barnes restored the lead by tapping in Jacob Murphy's low cross, then capitalized on a slip by Noussair Mazraoui to make it 3-1 with a clinical finish. Bayındır, replacing Andre Onana after his Europa League blunders, made a costly error when he passed the ball straight to Joelinton, who teed up Bruno Guimaraes to score Newcastle's fourth.
The Red Devils' misery was compounded by a suspected hamstring injury to Joshua Zirkzee and another poor showing under Ruben Amorim, who has now overseen 10 losses in 21 Premier League matches. United fell to 14th place, only three points above the relegation zone. Amorim, under growing pressure, handed 18-year-old Harry Amass his senior debut, but the youngster was substituted early in the second half. With just six games left, United must regroup quickly ahead of their Europa League quarter-final second leg against Lyon, which is tied 2-2.
For Newcastle, the win not only lifts them into fourth place, just a point behind Nottingham Forest, but also highlights their resilience and hunger even amid concerns over Howe's health. It marks their third straight victory since their Carabao Cup triumph and keeps them firmly in the Champions League race. Harvey Barnes shone with two goals, and Jacob Murphy, with 10 open-play assists this season, became the first Newcastle player to achieve that feat since Laurent Robert in 2001-02.
