As the minutes counted down to kick-off at Old Trafford, Jamie Carragher and co-pundit Gary Neville were scratching their heads over one particular area of Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim's team selection. The Portuguese coach, known for his love of playing three central defenders and two marauding wing-backs, had opted for Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui on the flanks instead of attack-minded wide men Amad Diallo or Antony.

The latter was dropped to the bench, while in-form man Diallo was pushed further up the pitch in an attacking role. The Sunderland hero, adored on Wearside following his loan stint at the Stadium of Light, is now a fan-favourite at Old Trafford too after a belated run in the first-team.

But Diallo was powerless when it came to stopping Newcastle United leaving Old Trafford with three points, while Carragher and Neville's fears over Amorim's full-back plan came true inside four minutes. The Liverpool legend in particular thought the use of Dalot and Mazraoui, two defensive players, was rather defeatist from the get-go.

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"Well you think it could be Amad maybe in that position, but you've also got to think you're coming up against Anthony Gordon," he said on Sky Sports pre-match. "But you've still got to believe that you're Manchester United and you've got to be on the front foot, to create chances, and you know that's a problem for this team, not just under this manager or this system.

Lewis Hall, given too much time and space on the flank, swung a lovely cross in from the left and Alexander Isak did the rest to score the game's first goal. 15 minutes later it was Anthony Gordon on the same flank, punishing the Red Devils' wing-backs again as he sent a ball into the box for Joelinton to head home.

Amorim's pre-match plan at full-back had not paid off and his side were left with a mountain to climb less than 20 minutes into the tie. Less than an hour earlier, he was explaining live on TV as to why he thought his team selection was the correct way to approach the final game of 2024.

"In this way, I think we have more possession," he told Sky Sports. "I think we have to control the games better.

"Amad could be an option but in this moment with the type of players that we have, we need a left footer in that position up front. Sometimes it's hard and you have to make choices. So my idea is to win games - that's it."

As for Newcastle, Eddie Howe's team selection is almost a foregone conclusion these days. The only position up for grabs on Monday evening was at right-back, with Kieran Trippier retaining his place over Tino Livramento before coming off with a hamstring scare in the second-half.

Hall, on Newcastle's left, again continues to go from strength to strength, with another impressive display both going forward and defensively at Old Trafford.