8 Classic Man Utd/Newcastle Old Trafford Encounters

3. Manchester United 5-3 Newcastle United, November 23rd 2002 (Premier League)

An eight-goal classic, this match was absolutely bizarre. There were some brilliant goals and some magnificent attacking play, but there was also some frankly woeful defending. Paul Scholes, who loved netting against the Magpies, put the home side ahead in the 25th minute before Olivier Bernard equalised with an over-hit cross 10 minutes later. However, Ruud van Nistelrooy - another player who had a habit of netting against Newcastle - restored Man Utd's advantage just three minutes later, before grabbing his second and the Red Devils' third right on the stroke of half-time. When Alan Shearer rattled in his 100th Premier League strike for the club on 52 minutes it looked like the game was back on, only for Van Nistelrooy (pictured above, but not in the same game) to complete his hat-trick just a minute later. And, little more than two minutes after that, it was game over as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer made it 5-2, but there was still time for Shearer to head a ball into the path of Craig Bellamy, who netted a consolation for the Magpies. A brilliant game from an attacking point of view, but a shambolic one from a defensive perspective.