Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford were on target as Manchester United deepened Newcastle's relegation fears with a 3-1 win on Sunday to move back into second in the Premier League.
The Red Devils had won just one of their previous five league games to allow Manchester City to open a 10-point lead at the top of the table and needed their star men to paper over the cracks of another unconvincing performance.
Rashford's thunderous near post strike to open the scoring was quickly cancelled out by Allan Saint-Maximin for the visitors.
However, Fernandes's touch teed up Daniel James to restore United's lead before the Portuguese playmaker stroked home a penalty for his 22nd goal of the season.
Victory takes Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men back above Leicester on goal difference as the closest challengers to runaway leaders City.
James said: "Every time I play I give my all, the gaffer trusts me and a lot of things I have been working on in training are coming off.
"I have been on the sidelines a lot but doing everything can to get back into the team. I am patient, you've got to be. What can you learn from when you are not playing? That's what I've done."
Newcastle stayed 17th on 25 points, three ahead of Fulham who occupy the last relegation spot, after an eighth league defeat in 10 games.
Saint-Maximin said: "It's really disappointing because we were in the game in the first half. They scored quickly in the second half and the penalty was unlucky but that's football.
"We played against one of the best teams in the league, we know how difficult it is. We have the quality to win a game, you can see that against Everton, who beat Liverpool. It's a crazy league."
