Newcastle United vs Manchester United; 5 Key Talking Points

Score: Newcastle United 1 - 0 Manchester United

Scorer: Matt Ritchie 65'

Jose Mourinho summed it best - "Newcastle’s players gave the sacrifices all managers like to see. Were they lucky? Yes. But sometimes you deserve that luck. They fought for their lives and that’s a beautiful thing in football." - as he succumbed to the curse of St. James Park. In seven attempts, he's yet to win a football game at the home of his great mentor Sir Bobby Robson.

Rafael Benitez's men catapulted themselves to 13th while Mourinho's lot have allowed Liverpool to creep up behind them - the gap a mere 2 points now. Oh, and City just need 18 points from 11 to win the league. At a canter.

Here are the five key talking points from the game:

---

#5 Jonjo Shelvey dominates himself, and the game

Shelve, fights with, and wins against Sanchez

Most times it's infuriating watching Jonjo Shelvey play football - he can oscillate between the sublime and the utter crap in the space of two passes, and his rashness has often cost his teams valuable points.

Today, though, he dominated himself - playing sensible football within his capabilities (which are not inconsiderable, by any means) and controlling the tempo of Newcastle's attacks while helping the brilliant Mohamed Diame keep the Magpies' defensive shape.

Ever since Benitez moved Diame further back into central midfield, Newcastle have looked a more solid side; and he'll have absolutely loved this performance from his midfield duo.

#4 Why is Jose Mourinho persisting with Chris Smalling?

This picture tells you so much, doesn't it?

Victor Lindelof must be wondering just what he has to do to get a kick in the Premier League. Distrusted in the league ever since his catastrophic showing against Huddersfield, the Swede - who has actually improved since then - continues to sit as Mourinho insists on playing Chris Smalling and Phil Jones together.

As was evident against Tottenham, even the least bit of pressure on those two when they are in possession can lead to chaos in and around the United box, and that's exactly what Benitez set his side - and his two forwards Ayoze Perez and Dwight Gayle - to do. It worked.

While Jones was decent, Smalling was anything but. Lucky not to have given away a penalty with a senseless lunge on Gayle at the edge of the box, a dive from him - inside his own half- led to the freekick from which Newcastle scored. And he could barely play a five-yard pass - somehow his passing, never his strongest suit, has actually become worse.

It really is time Mourinho stopped trusting this duo. Especially Smalling.

#3 Martin Dubravka sparkles on debut

Now, that's how you perform on debut

Martin Dubravka arrived from Sparta Prague on a loan deal (with a £4 million clause for a permanent deal in the contract) and if the Slovak continues to play like he did against Manchester United, he'd be a steal.

The Slovak international did superbly to deny Anthony Martial one-on-one, pulled off a stunning last-minute save off Michael Carrick's close-range effort, and dominated his box whenever United swung a set-piece or a cross in.

With Florian Lejeune and Jamal Lascelles also putting in excellent shifts (the former especially superb - his clearance of Sanchez's effort was immense) Rafael Benitez may have just stumbled upon the combination that can lay the foundation for a strong finish to the season.

#2 Jose Mourinho needs to fix the Paul Pogba problem

The body language says it all, really

Paul Pogba never looked fully fit - after pulling up during the warm-up and disappearing into the tunnel, it was a surprise that he eventually started and even more of one when he was hooked for Michael Carrick with his team chasing a goal - or two. Especially because Mourinho confirmed in his post-match talk that his French talisman had suffered no injury.

After spending the vast majority of his pre-match talk praising Pogba's qualities and elucidating just what a box-to-box midfielder had to do, it would have been jarring to witness that performance.

Pogba sparkled fitfully - some of his passes were truly sublime - but it's become clear that he looks a touch lost when playing a high-to-moderate-pressing side as a part of midfield two alongside Nemanja Matic.

Pogba - alongside Sanchez - is United's best footballer and Mourinho really needs to work up a system that can utilise the both of them to their best abilities.

#1 Manchester United pay for individual mistakes... again.

That about encapsulates his side's performance

Yes, Mourinho got the formation wrong - once again. Yes, he erred in selecting Laurel and Hardy in the middle of his defence... but it's inexplicable just how many mistakes were made during the game.

Martial - arguably United's best finisher - messed up his one-on-one by telegraphing his intentions to go to the near post with a lean of his body, Sanchez missed an open goal by taking a touch instead of attempting a first-time finish, Chris Smalling Chris Smalling-ed, Matt Ritchie was allowed the freedom of United's box when the entirety of their defence went behind Lejeune's initial knockdown - like a bunch of over-excited school kids - and completely forgot their zonal marking or man marking responsibilities.

For a team filled with giants - and coached by Jose Mourinho of all the managers on the planet - it's utterly bewildering just why they concede so many goals off set pieces. If they do not cut down on these individual errors that are creeping into their game, United could struggle to hold on to no.2 - and do well in the FA Cup and the Champions League.