10 Stats That Show Why Newcastle United Lost To Manchester United

9. The Magpies Managed A Measly 33% Possession

No matter who Newcastle United are entertaining at home - Barcelona and Bayern Munich included - they should never have just a third of the possession, yet that's exactly what happened against Manchester United. The Red Devils have made a habit of keeping ahold of the ball this season - for all their struggles in front of goal, they average 60.2% possession in matches this campaign - and they simply wouldn't let the Magpies have it. Newcastle's average possession per game this season is 48% but they managed just 33% against Louis van Gaal's side. Without the ball, you cannot hurt the opposition - and John Carver's side were eventually punished for their wastefulness in possession.