Manchester United 1 Newcastle 0

As the teamsheet landed, it was revealed that Lisandro Martinez would be taking the captain's armband for this game, his first start this season, with Bruno Fernandes in the stands, recovering from an injury.

Ruben Amorim's side took the lead in the 24th minute through an incredible Patrick Chinazaekpere Dorgu volley, marking his first United goal with the finesse of a seasoned forward.

The Reds were made to work for the win in the second half under intense pressure from the hosts, but we received our just rewards in the end for a determined display.

FIRST HALF – DEVASTATING DORGU

After much pre-match tactics talk, Amorim opted to depart from his usual back-three system, with Ayden Heaven and Lisandro Martinez forming a central defensive partnership, flanked by Diogo Dalot and Luke Shaw at full-back.

Dorgu started the game in an advanced right-wing role, testing Lewis Hall in the early moments with his speed of movement.

The Dane got the better of his man with 10 minutes on the clock, squeezing a driven cross into the middle and finding Benjamin Sesko, but the striker's first touch was pounced on by the Newcastle defence.

It seemed to take the Magpies a little while to adjust to the tactical switch, but they had settled by the middle of the half, having applied the greater attacking pressure and prevented from taking the lead only by a quick reaction save from Senne Lammens off a Bruno Guimaraes header.

Buoyed by a vocal Old Trafford, however, the Reds built back into the game, racing down to the other end for Matheus Cunha to unleash a powerful effort on Aaron Ramsdale's goal. He didn't clinch the opener, but the move eventually led to a long-throw opportunity for Dalot.

It was first intercepted by Nick Woltemade, who sent it looping up high to the edge of the Newcastle box. As it dropped, there was only one man there to meet it: Dorgu.

Without a second thought, our no.13 met the falling ball with a volley hit so sweetly into the bottom-left corner that Ramsdale had no chance of keeping it out, despite getting a hand to the strike. Somewhat against the run of play, the Reds had the lead in spectacular fashion.

The game settled into a more familiar rhythm following the opener, with neither goalkeeper called into action in any significant way, save for another Dorgu shot on target from his right-wing berth.

Not only did he contribute going forward, he also got stuck in defensively, perfectly timing a challenge on Hall as he ventured down the Newcastle left. In a relatively unfamiliar role, the 21-year-old had undoubtedly proved the difference in the first half.

SECOND HALF – HOLDING FIRM

We returned from the interval looking to maintain our one-goal advantage, but were forced to do so without Mason Mount, as the attacking midfielder was replaced by Jack Fletcher for his second consecutive senior appearance, having made his debut against Aston Villa.

From the off, however, it was Eddie Howe's side who took the initiative, energetically pressing the Reds who were struggling to progress the ball beyond the halfway line for the first 15 minutes of the second period.

Much like the first half, Amorim's charges almost punctured that momentum once again when Sesko seized on a loose ball and drove forward, hitting the upper side of the bar with powerful strike when played onside.

It had not deterred the Magpies though, who quickly got back into gear and had their own scrape with the woodwork moments later, this time, Hall denied by Lammens' bar.

A VAR check on a potential Martinez handball in the box only added to the frenzy, although the assistants at Stockley Park correctly waved away the visitors' intense appeals, as the ball bounced off the skipper's body and onto his arm.

The Reds were undoubtedly being pinned back by the Magpies, but United were still managing to find ways forward on the break. Martinez delivered a pinpoint free-kick from deep which Dalot neatly touched to earn himself a one-on-one with Ramsdale in one such scenario, but the defender couldn't keep his subsequent effort down. He may have been just offside, in any case.

Waves of Newcastle attacks followed, with scrambles in the six-yard box followed by efforts from the likes of Joelinton further out, but United stood resolute against those challenges heading into the final 10 minutes, even though Shaw and Martinez departed.

The pressure did not relent until the referee's final whistle, beyond the seven minutes of stoppage time, but the Reds' defences were not breached, with a high claim from Lammens, near the end, celebrated like a goal inside the Theatre of Dreams.

It had been a testing and sometimes ugly half of football for Amorim's depleted side, but we did everything necessary to hold our slender lead, banking a crucial three Premier League points in the process.

MATCH DETAILS

United: Lammens; Dalot, Heaven, Martinez (c) (Fredricson 89), Shaw (Malacia 88); Casemiro (Yoro 61), Ugarte; Dorgu, Mount (J. Fletcher 46), Cunha; Sesko (Zirkzee 60).

Subs not used: Bayindir, T. Fletcher, Lacey, Mantato.

Booked: Shaw, Cunha.

Goals: Dorgu 24.

Newcastle: Ramsdale; Miley, Schar, Thiaw, Hall; Guimaraes (c), Ramsey (Joelinton 68), Tonali (Willock 77); J. Murphy (Barnes 68), Woltemade (Wissa 68), Gordon.

Subs not used: Pope, A. Murphy, Shahar, Alabi, Neave.

Booked: Tonali.