Newcastle United fans were angry about the ref, Anthony Taylor, not calling a penalty in the second half at Old Trafford. But let's be real, the finishing was bad too in that Northwest loss on Boxing Day.

Things are getting tense for head coach Eddie Howe. The team's still stuck in the bottom half. They attacked well, but awful choices in the final plays really hurt them. Howe tried everything, making lots of changes in the second half, but nothing worked.

It went dead quiet when Sandro Tonali was subbed off for Joe Willock near the end—a weird move. It feels like Howe and his staff are out of ideas, and it showed against a Man United team missing seven players, including their main guy, Bruno Fernandes.

After Lisandro Martinez blocked the ball with his arms, Newcastle fans started chanting some stuff about knowing where Anthony Taylor lives, referencing his address in Altrincham.

Ignoring the penalty drama for a second, that Man United team was beatable, right? Nobody was scared when they saw the lineup before the game.

But if Man United needed a boost, Newcastle handed it to them, along with the lead, after some terrible defending from yet another throw-in.

The Red Devils got a corner early on, with Mason Mount crossing the ball in, but Casemiro headed it way over. Man United—in a 4-2-3-1 formation—seemed to have extra energy, like when Manuel Ugarte charged into Bruno Guimaraes to win the ball back early on.

A Patrick Dorgu cross found Benjamin Sesko, who had plenty of space to turn and shoot, but he missed. Newcastle responded with a corner, Sandro Tonali crossing it in for Bruno Guimaraes, but Senne Lammens saved it.

Halfway through the first half, Newcastle was putting pressure on Man United, earning four corners. But Man United still threatened, and Matheus Cunha reminded everyone with a shot that Aaron Ramsdale barely stopped.

Newcastle didn't learn from that warning, and soon enough, they were having another defensive crisis. Diogo Dalot's long throw-in from the left was headed out by Nick Woltemade, but only as far as Dorgu, who scored easily, beating Ramsdale.

As Newcastle tried to get back in the game, Man United attacked again, feeling confident. Dorgu tried to chip Ramsdale, but the goalie stopped it. Later, Dorgu attacked down the right again, and Ramsdale saved his low shot.

With just a few minutes left in the first half, Jacob Murphy sent the ball across the goal, but it missed Woltemade. Newcastle went into halftime trailing, with only one shot on target.

Man United subbed Mount out for Jack Fletcher at halftime. Newcastle had a chance right after the restart when Woltemade back-heeled the ball to Ramsey, but he tripped at the worst moment.

Later, Miley's corner was partially cleared before Fabian Schar shot at the goal, but Dorgu made a key play. Ugarte took advantage of a mistake from Bruno, setting up Sesko, but he only hit the bar.

Newcastle had the ball for a while but didn't score, so Lewis Hall tried his luck, hitting the bar. Shortly after, Schar's shot hit Martinez's arm, but VAR didn't call a penalty.

Later, Murphy slipped the ball to Gordon, but he missed the far post. Soon after, Murphy, Woltemade, and Ramsey were taken off, replaced by Harvey Barnes, Yoane Wissa, and Joelinton. Tonali was booked for a foul on Dorgu.

From the free kick, the ball was crossed in for Dalot, but he shot over the bar. Tonali was then replaced by Joe Willock, and even though Tonali was on a yellow card, the Newcastle fans didn't really react.

Gordon crossed the ball in for Joelinton, but the goalie easily caught his weak shot. Bruno lost the ball in midfield, and Cunha missed.

With a few minutes left, Barnes passed to Gordon in the middle, but he shot it way over. Hall's cross was flicked on by Wissa, but Miley shot high.

Newcastle pushed for a deserved tie, with most of the possession and a lot of shots, but they missed a big chance to beat a beatable Man United team.

That's six wins in the last 20 games for Howe and his team. Losing to Burnley isn't an option.

Leeds United fans have had a blast this week, and Dominic Calvert-Lewin is the reason why. Forget Santa or even Daniel Farke; this striker is like the ultimate Christmas gift.

He's scored six goals in his last five games, including two in the Crystal Palace win last Saturday. Calvert-Lewin is now playing like everyone thought he could, but many worried he never would.

For too long, Calvert-Lewin was just a name on the injury list. A year ago, his manager, Sean Dyche, said he wasn't playing well. Playing for England? He barely made Everton’s bench.

His last season at Everton was tough. His contract was up in the air, and he went 16 games without a goal, only scoring three overall. It was clear he needed a fresh start.

Back in 2019, Calvert-Lewin wanted Everton’s No. 9 shirt, like his mentor Duncan Ferguson had. He loved the idea of being a fan favorite and taking on the responsibility.

But it didn't work out. Staying at Everton just didn't make sense for him or the team. He liked the idea of playing overseas, but there weren't many English teams interested.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin has scored six goals in his last five games for Leeds United.

His late goal against Brentford got Leeds a point before Christmas.

The 28-year-old also scored twice in the 4-1 win against Crystal Palace.

Wayne Rooney, who played with Calvert-Lewin at Everton, said on his podcast that his injury record made it hard for teams to spend money on him.

'But if he keeps this up, he could be in the World Cup conversation because England doesn't have many forwards. He’s a threat in the box, good in the air, and scores goals.'

Since joining Leeds, Calvert-Lewin’s stats have gone up. He's gone from scoring every 538 minutes to every 147 minutes. He now runs 11 km per game, up from 10.3 km, and his shot accuracy has quadrupled.

His comeback has helped Farke, who was getting heat from fans in November.

But Farke can build players' confidence. He’s friendly, and he and Calvert-Lewin get along well. Calvert-Lewin plays best when he’s confident, and he’s starting to get that back.

Farke said, 'I’ve said he’s one of the best English strikers in the league. He also gets chances because we create good plays. We were good at set pieces last game.

Calvert-Lewin's good run started with three goals in eight days against Man City.

He scored in the 3-1 win against Chelsea.

He also helped Leeds come back from 2-0 down against Liverpool in a 3-3 draw.

‘It’s a team effort, and we need to get him in good positions. He also needs to keep working hard. I believe you get what you put in.

‘He’s putting in a lot of work now, and he needs to keep going. He’s playing great. I’m glad we have him. He's shown what he can do when he’s healthy. The season’s not over, and he wants to score more goals.’

If he keeps playing this well, Thomas Tuchel might consider him for the team. Calvert-Lewin was Harry Kane’s backup at the 2021 Euros.

Calvert-Lewin hasn’t scored ten goals in a season since 2020-21. Farke is happy with his play but knows he can do better.

Farke said, 'To be a top player for Leeds, he needs to do it for a whole season. Good players are steady. We’re all happy to have him, but he needs to keep it up.'

The best gifts last. It’s up to Calvert-Lewin to prove he can do it.