“I could sense from that” – Jacob Murphy says Manchester United man identified as weak point gave Newcastle belief during 2-0 win

Murphy explains how De Gea's hesitancy tipped off Newcastle

Newcastle United winger Jacob Murphy has claimed that Manchester United keeper David de Gea’s nervy body language spurred his team on at St. James' Park.

Manchester United endured a 2-0 defeat to Premier League top-four rivals Newcastle United on Sunday (April 2). Joseph Willock and Callum Wilson were on the scoresheet as the Magpies secured the victory that propelled them to third place in the Premier League standings.

United, who were in third place before the match, have now slipped to fifth place.

Interviewing Murphy on his “FIVE” YouTube channel, United legend Rio Ferdinand asked whether there was a moment when the winger thought that Newcastle would have a great game. The 28-year-old claimed that the unusually long time De Gea took for his first goal kick boosted the hosts’ confidence.

“Their first goal kick, De Gea was taking a while. This is a bit unusual, he was taking his time with it, he was asking everyone to go up field, then hit long,” Murphy said (via United In Focus).

“They were just taking a while, lots of pointing, I could sense from that, we were going to have a good game from there.”

De Gea has long been criticized for his inability to play out from the back and for hesitating to rush off his line. The Spaniard, whose contract expires in June, was caught glued to the goalline for both of Newcastle’s goals, failing to take a proactive approach to prevent them.

Manchester United defender Luke Shaw signs four-year contract extension

England left-back Luke Shaw has signed a new four-year deal with Manchester United, which will keep him at the club until June 2027. His contract was set to expire in June 2024, but the club decided against waiting it out and extended his stay right away.

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Shaw moved to Old Trafford from Southampton in 2014, with the Red Devils splurging over £30 million to secure his services at the time. He has had his fair share of injuries throughout his Old Trafford stay, but he has inevitably bounced back after every setback.

Shaw has thus far played 249 matches for Manchester United, scoring four times and claiming 28 assists. He has won one UEFA Europa League, two Carabao Cups, and an FA Community Shield with United.