Newcastle United 3 - 0 Manchester United: Champions left stunned on Tyneside

Ba’s 33rd-minute volley and a superb Cabaye free-kick two minutes after the restart condemned United to back-to-back league defeats and left arch-rivals Manchester City three points clear at the top, with Phil Jones’ late own goal simply rubbing salt into the wound.

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson restored Wayne Rooney to his starting line-up for last night’s Barclays Premier League clash with Newcastle. The England striker, who is understood to have been disciplined by the Scot following a Boxing Day night out, was one of four changes to the side which lost 3-2 to Blackburn with Anders Lindegaard, Rio Ferdinand and Ryan Giggs also returning as David de Gea, Rafael, Javier Hernandez and Danny Welbeck made way.

Newcastle manager Alan Pardew made two changes following the 3-1 defeat at Liverpool, with Davide Santon and Shola Ameobi getting the nod ahead of Haris Vuckic and former United midfielder Gabriel Obertan.

Newcastle created the game’s first real opening with four minutes played when Tiote escaped from Michael Carrick and via Taylor fed Danny Simpson on the right. The former United full-back’s cross looked tailor-made for Demba Ba in the middle, but the 14-goal striker failed to connect with his volley.

Yohan Cabaye did force Lindegaard into a save two minutes later, but the Dane was not over-extended by his skidding left-foot effort.

Tim Krul was relieved to see Berbatov’s header clip the outside of the post after coming off Santon’s chest following a dangerous Patrice Evra cross three minutes later with the visitors stepping up a gear.

The home side enjoyed a let-off with 22 minutes gone when Rooney stumbled inside the area before he could shoot after referee Howard Webb had played the advantage following Tiote’s crude challenge on Evra.

The Magpies were appealing for a penalty after Ba went down under the same defender’s challenge three minutes later. Television replays suggested the striker might have had a case as his legs were taken from underneath him as the pair became entangled, but Webb waved play on.

Newcastle were growing increasingly frustrated with Webb as a string of questionable decisions went against them with Pardew clearly furious on the sideline. But the mood changed markedly 12 minutes before the break when they took the lead.

Krul’s long free-kick was headed on by Ameobi as he climbed high above Phil Jones, and Ba volleyed high past Lindegaard to claim his 15th goal of the season.

United responded in determined fashion as they laid siege to the Newcastle goal in the search for an equaliser, although with few genuine concerns for Krul and his defenders.

Jones endured a difficult start to the second half when he was booked within seconds of the restart for barging the lively Ba to the ground as he threatened to round him after sprinting from halfway.

His pain increased within seconds when Cabaye curled the resulting free-kick over the defensive wall and in off the underside of the crossbar with Lindegaard unable to do anything about it. Newcastle were brimming with confidence and Ba cheekily backheeled a 54th-minute pass to Taylor through Ferdinand’s legs. Antonio Valencia was forced to concede a corner seconds later as Taylor floated the ball into the box towards Coloccini, and Williamson met the former Wigan’s man cross with a header which dropped just over.

Ferguson raised the stakes with 24 minutes remaining when he replaced midfielder Park Ji-sung with Hernandez, but the striker, like the rest of his team, failed to make an impact as Jones’ last own goal summed up United’s dire night.

Newcastle United: Krul, Simpson, Coloccini, Williamson, Santon, Ryan Taylor, Tiote, Cabaye, Gutierrez, Shola Ameobi, Ba.

Manchester United: Lindegaard, Valencia, Ferdinand, Jones, Evra, Park, Carrick, Giggs, Nani, Berbatov, Rooney. Subs: De Gea, Anderson, Hernandez, Welbeck, Rafael Da Silva, Pogba, Lingard.