Portuguese wing wizards fly as United hammer Newcastle again

Newcastle United 1-5 Manchester United

Cristiano Ronaldo returned to form with two goals as Manchester United cut Arsenal’s lead at the top of the Premiership to three points by thrashing Newcastle at St James’ Park.

The Portuguese set up the opener before scoring twice himself ahead of being afforded an early rest, while compatriot Nani kept up his recent impressive form with another good performance for the Red Devils.

Fixtures between the two sides often produce plenty of goals, and the game looked open from the start, although Ronaldo had been one of the quieter United players as the champions looked the sharper side in the opening twenty minutes.

However, last season’s player of the year exploded into the game midway through the half by setting up a goal for Wayne Rooney. The former Sporting man beat Habib Beye with a drag-back on the left to cut inside on his right foot, before delivering a perfect cross to the back post, where Rooney cushioned the ball past Shay Given.

Newcastle offered little in the way of genuine attacking threat, with United looking by far the more incisive side. Nani, who is probably enjoying the best form of his short United career, again showed his excellent crossing ability, with the best of his deliveries headed over by Carlos Tevez as half time approached.

Clinical Ronaldo

Tevez may have missed his chance, but Ronaldo was more clinical to double his side’s lead just before the break. Michael Carrick’s burst from midfield and perfectly-weighted throughball put Ronaldo in on goal and the Portugal no. 17 took a touch before side-footing past Given.

The second goal, coming right on half time, killed the match as a contest and United cruised through much of the second half, which was only ten minutes old when Ronaldo got his second. A series of mistakes in the Newcastle backline allowed Ronaldo to race through on goal and round Given to slide the ball home for his 29th of the season.

Ronaldo was replaced by manager Alex Ferguson with a little under twenty-five minutes remaining, with injury-plagued striker Louis Saha continuing his latest comeback with an appearance. Nani stayed on for the remainder of the match, although the 21-year-old was quieter in the second period.

Newcastle briefly threatened an unlikely comeback when Abdoulaye Faye smashed in from close range following a scramble from a corner, but Rooney restored the two-goal margin almost immediately. The ball fell to the England forward twenty metres from goal and Rooney took a touch before curling a sublime right-footed shot into the far corner.

Substitute goalkeeper Steve Harper had managed to keep the scoreline down with saves from Scholes and Saha, but United made it five in stoppage time when Frenchman Saha fired home from ten metres to register United’s eleventh goal in two meetings with the hapless Magpies this season.

Newcastle:
Given (Harper 46), Beye, Taylor, Faye, N'Zogbia, Milner (Geremi 84), Butt, Barton (Carroll 61), Duff, Smith, Owen
Yellow Cards: N'Zogbia, Faye, Owen, Butt

Man Utd:
Van der Sar, Brown, Vidic (Scholes 74), Ferdinand, Evra (O'Shea 46), Ronaldo (Saha 67), Carrick, Fletcher, Nani, Rooney, Tevez
Yellow Cards: None

Goals:
[1-0] Rooney, 25
[2-0] Ronaldo, 45
[3-0] Ronaldo, 56
[3-1] Faye, 79
[4-1] Rooney, 80
[5-1] Saha, 90