LONDON: Matt Ritchie condemned Manchester United to a shock 1-0 defeat at struggling Newcastle, while Huddersfield climbed out of the relegation zone after a 4-1 win against Bournemouth on Sunday.

United’s second defeat in their last three Premier League games leaves them 16 points behind leaders Manchester City, who saw Sergio Aguero score four in a 5-1 victory over Leicester City on Saturday.

Jose Mourinho’s second-placed side, beaten by Tottenham in their last away game, were rarely at their best at St James’ Park and paid the price in the 65th minute.

United defender Chris Smalling was booked for diving inside his own half and from the resulting Jonjo Shelvey free-kick, Dwight Gayle latched onto a header and played a backheel towards Ritchie. Ritchie’s run was completely untracked by United’s sloppy defence and the Newcastle winger fired low past David De Gea.

Mourinho responded by pulling off Paul Pogba after another underwhelming display from the France midfielder. And United should have equalised soon after, but when Newcastle failed to clear a corner, Anthony Martial saw two shots blocked on the line by Gayle.

Newcastle had kicked off in the relegation zone, but a first win in five league games — their first success against United since 2013 — lifts them to 13th place.

Earlier at the John Smith’s Stadium, goals by Beninese striker Steve Mounie either side of halftime put Huddersfield into a deserved two-goal lead after Bournemouth’s Junior Stanislas had cancelled out Alex Pritchard’s early strike for the hosts with a precise finish.

Mounie headed in Aaron Mooy’s free kick in the 27th minute to put the hosts back in front and Mounie struck again in the 66th minute with a superb finish after more good work by Mooy.

Rajiv van la Parra tucked away a stoppage time penalty to to lift Huddersfield out of the bottom three after they had lost five consecutive league games.

The Terriers are one point above the relegation zone, while Bournemouth remain in mid-table.

On Saturday, Aguero and the brilliant Kevin De Bruyne, who added three assists, were in inspired form as City blew away Leicester in the second half at the Etihad Stadium to seal a 23rd league victory from 27 games this season.

The first De Bruyne assist was a low pass behind the defense to Raheem Sterling came in the third minute. Although Jamie Vardy leveled, De Bruyne picked out Aguero at the start of the second half for a tap-in that restored City’s lead. De Bruyne fed Aguero again in the 53rd.

Aguero’s next two didn’t require De Bruyne’s assistance. He chipped the ball over Kasper Schmeichel in the 77th after a poor clearance by the goalkeeper, and struck off the underside of the crossbar in the 90th.

In the tussle to stay in the Premier League, Swansea City’s revival under Carlos Carvalhal continued with a 1-0 victory over Burnley taking the south Wales club out of the relegation zone.

Stoke City remain in drop zone after drawing with Brighton & Hove Albion 1-1, while West Ham United moved five points clear of danger by beating Watford 2-0.

The clash of former England managers was won by Sam Allardyce as Everton rose to ninth place by beating Roy Hodgson’s Crystal Palace 3-1.

Published in Dawn, February 12th, 2018