Ruben Amorim admitted Manchester United were made to “suffer” in their narrow 1–0 victory over Newcastle on Friday night, but praised the resilience shown by his depleted squad as they withstood sustained second-half pressure.

United were without captain Bruno Fernandes through injury, while Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo were unavailable due to Africa Cup of Nations commitments, forcing Amorim into tactical adjustments. One of those changes saw Patrick Dorgu deployed in an unfamiliar role on the right flank — a decision that proved decisive.

The Danish youngster scored his first goal for the club with a fine first-half strike, securing Amorim’s first home victory in two months and giving United a slender advantage at the break.

While the hosts impressed in the opening period, the second half was a very different story. Newcastle dominated possession and territory, forcing United deep for long spells as they attempted to protect their lead.

Despite facing 67 percent possession and 16 shots, United held firm to record just their second clean sheet of the season.

“We had to suffer all together in the stadium,” Amorim said after the match.
“We did a good first half, and then in the second half we had to defend and try to do something going forward.

“It was a good win. I’ve had many games here where we played really well and didn’t get the three points. Today was the opposite — we suffered together and managed to win.”

The result lifts Manchester United up to fifth place in the Premier League, level on points with fourth-placed Chelsea. A top-five finish could be enough to secure Champions League qualification next season, with English clubs enjoying a strong start to this year’s European competitions.

For Newcastle, however, hopes of a return to the Champions League continue to fade amid ongoing struggles away from home. Eddie Howe’s side sit 11th in the table, having won just once in nine league matches on the road this campaign.

“The second half was much better than the first, but we didn’t do enough,” Howe reflected.
“We were very dominant and I felt if we scored, we could have gone on to win the game — but it didn’t happen.”