Rather than the stadium staple "Hey Jude", "Let it Be" was a more fitting tune for United tonight: a rewrite of the "find myself in times of trouble...." line adding, "Tottenham Hotspur comes to me."

Eddie Howe simply couldn't have wished for better opposition as he sought to end a four game winless run in the Premier league. Already one of his club's most productive away days in the Premier League era, this latest visit to N17 found the hosts in the worst home form of their entire history.

Led by a manager who never seems to have actually found the dressing room here, never mind lost it, a Cockerels side shorn of confidence and players were just what United needed to halt their own downturn and boost a concerning away record on a biblically wet night in North London.

Fans of each side had attempted to out-do each other in the "we're worse than you" stakes, but while both clubs had full sick bays, the loss of Tottenham club captain Cristian Romero to yet another avoidable suspension looked to tip the balance towards the visitors, facing an unaroused rabble.

The Magpies took to the field with four changes from the line-up beaten at home by Brentford the previous weekend; Dan Burn in for Lewis Hall at left back, Jacob Ramsey replacing Sandro Tonali and a revamped front three where only Harvey Barnes remained: Anthony Elanga preferred to Jacob Murphy and Yoane Wissa discarded in favour of Anthony Gordon - whose recovery from an alleged hamstring injury a week earlier was presumably overseen by whoever mended Donald Trump's ear.

Newcastle had scored in all six previous visits and looked odds-on to extend that run almost from the off, taking a stranglehold on the game against opposition who provided no threat and little defence.

Nick Woltemade, Wissa and William Osula watched from the bench as an eager United side continually pressed Spurs back and won a series of corner kicks. Despite all of that pressure though and the lack of interest Spurs had in attacking - to the dismay of their support - United's failure to turn possession into goals began to echo the 0-0 draw at fellow strugglers Wolves.

The overdue breakthrough looked to have arrived at the end of the half, when Joe Willock raced onto Ramsey's through ball and finished emphatically - only for a VAR call to belatedly conclude that the scorer's forehead was marginally offside.

Again, we're duty bound to say that the film frame used by VAR is arbitrary - not "a matter of fact".

Sports are filmed at 60fps (frames per second) so the one used for the ball leaving the passer's foot could be one of a dozen or so. Who decides and how can judgements of millimetres be based on it? Players run at speeds that mean they move at about 15cm per frame....

United weren't denied for long though; Willock sending over a delicious deep centre from the right in time added on and Malick Thiaw's initial header blocked by Guglielmo Vicario but running free for the defender to bundle the ball in.

A slightly improved home display after the interval was rewarded by Gray's 64th minute leveller from close range after a corner was nodded back across the Newcastle six yard box by Matar Sarr - a rather better flag kick routine than we managed, despite repeated attempts.

Parity lasted less than five minutes however, before Gordon teed up Ramsey for a smart finish lustily celebrated by the scorer in front of the away fans. That's hopefully a staging post to better times; tangible reward for a more effective display and better integration with his new club.

Ramsey's body language in his post-match interview was in marked contrast to the slightly forlorn figure seeking solace from his former Villa colleagues at Gallowgate only last month.

Elanga meanwhile has improved to a level where it's now possible to say with a straight face that he'd be steadily accumulating assists, were we to have a functioning strike force.

The margin of victory should have been greater: Sven Botman, Barnes, Willock and Ramsey all going close at various times. However they maintained their one goal advantage, aided by a persistently wooden home display that rarely pressurised Nick Pope in his 100th United league game.

As ever though, victory looked to come at a price with yet another injury concern. Hobbling and signalling to come off, Bruno then appeared to change his mind and other substitutions were made before he limped out of the action after having collected a booking and what looked like a hamstring pull. Hopefully he'll recover as quickly as Gordon....

Victory propelled United back into the top half of the table on a night when the outcome outweighed any stylistic considerations. Defeat proved to be a watery grave for Thomas Frank though, booed off and rightly shown the door hours later. His Spurs side tonight gave the most insipid display we've seen since we beat Sheffield United in 2023.

The consequences of failing to win here may not have been as fatal for Howe, but the acquisition of three points was a massive relief for the visitors on the field, in the stands - and on the bench.

That release of pressure was evident post-match: Trippier and Bruno pushing the clearly delighted manager forward for some air punches and clenched fist salutes before regaining his composure.

Relief may be temporary given what lies ahead, but this felt important - reflected in goal celebrations reminiscent of Javier Manquillo at Leeds in 2022, the first time Howe turned things around. Post-match scenes rivalling our Wembley triumph meanwhile underscored the significance of this victory.

Onwards and upwards hopefully; at least until the next league game takes us to our most barren venue. Get something at the Etihad and it'll be more than fist pumps at full time...

Biffa