Statistics & Post-Match Quotes | Manchester United 4-3 Newcastle United

TEAM STATISTICS

MUFC PLAYER STATISTICS

* David de Gea (goalkeeper): 10/13 passing (77%), 3 goals conceded, 4 saves

* Rio Ferdinand (right-center-back): 56/62 passing (90%), 0 chances created, 13/15 long balls, 1 tackle, 1 interception, 11 clearances (7 effective), 2 shots blocked, 0 fouls

* Jonny Evans (left-center-back): 47/52 passing (90%), 0 chances created, 10/12 long balls, 1 tackle, 3 interceptions, 10 clearances (4 effective), 0 shots blocked, 1 foul, 1 goal

* Chris Smalling (right-back): 22/30 passing (73%), 0 chances created, 0/2 crosses, 0/0 long balls, 0 successful dribbles, 1 tackle, 0 interceptions, 1 clearance (0 effective), 1 shot blocked, 0 fouls

* Patrice Evra (left-back): 32/36 passing (89%), 0 chances created, 0/2 crosses, 0/0 long balls, 0 successful dribbles, 1 tackle, 2 interceptions, 3 clearances (1 effective, 0 shots blocked, 0 fouls, 1 goal

* Michael Carrick (central-midfielder): 61/78 passing (78%), 3 chances created, 0/1 crosses, 6/11 long balls, 2/4 through balls, 0 successful dribbles, 2 tackles, 6 interceptions, 0 shots, 2 assists

* Paul Scholes (central-midfielder | substituted off 69'): 47/49 passing (96%), 0 chances created, 0/0 crosses, 7/9 long balls, 0/0 through balls, 0 successful dribbles, 2 tackles, 0 interceptions, 0 shots

* Antonio Valencia (right-winger): 32/39 passing (82%), 2 chances created, 1/8 crosses, 2/2 long balls, 0/1 through balls, 3 successful dribbles, 3 fouls won, 0 tackles, 1 interception, 1 shot (0 on target)

* Ryan Giggs (left-winger): 33/41 passing (80%), 3 chances created, 3/8 crosses, 1/1 long balls, 1/2 through balls, 0 successful dribbles, 1 foul won, 2 tackles, 2 interceptions, 0 shots

* Robin van Persie (striker): 25/31 passing (81%), 0 chances created, 1/6 crosses, 1/2 long balls, 0/2 through balls, 0 successful dribbles, 2 fouls won, 6 shots (2 on target), 1 goal

* Javier Hernandez (striker | substituted off 90'): 18/25 passing (72%), 0 chances created, 0/1 crosses, 0/1 long balls, 0/0 through balls, 1 successful dribble, 2 fouls won, 5 shots (3 on target), 1 goal

* Tom Cleverley (central-midfielder | substituted on 69'): 7/8 passing (88%), 1 chance created, 0/2 crosses, 1/1 long balls, 0/0 through balls, 0 successful dribbles, 0 tackles, 1 interception, 0 shots

* Darren Fletcher (central-midfielder | substituted on 90'): 0/2 passing (0%), 0 chances created, 0/0 crosses, 0/0 long balls, 0/0 through balls, 0 successful dribble, 0 tackles, 0 interceptions, 0 shots

POST-MATCH QUOTES

Sir Alex Ferguson | MUFC manager (courtesy of MUTV)

(Overall thoughts...) "I wish this was the last game of the season!. What this tells you about is the courage of our team. Fantastic courage. The players never gave in. We made a host of chances in the second half. We improved our game enormously [after trailing 2-1 at half-time] which we had to do. We had a lot of decisions against us in the first half and sometimes that can demoralise a team. But the players didn't give in and that's a great quality to have. I'm pleased that we came back three times after going down three times and then scoring the winner. It's a really significant result for us. It puts in a good position."

(On the now 7-point lead in the title race...) "As I always say of December, it's a month that tells you everything. And when we come to the end of the Wigan game on 1 January, we'll still be top of the league."

(On Wayne Rooney being injured...) "Wayne did it towards the end of training yesterday. He was trying a volley when he strained a ligament behind the knee. It's unfortunate, and he could be out for two to three weeks."

Rio Ferdinand | MUFC defender (courtesy of MUTV)

(Overall thoughts...) "We seem to make sure the punters get their money’s worth when they come to the ground at the moment, but it was a great show of character from the lads at the start of a really busy schedule. The manager has got that never-say-die sprit and it filters down through the club - we take it out on the pitch and reflect that. All the way through the game, we were creating chances and looked like we were on the cusp of scoring goals. It was really important to get the win. Their goalkeeper made a couple of good saves and we didn’t finish off a couple of chances that we created, but we have always got confidence in our boys and in the fact that we are going to score. When you're conceding goals at any level, you want to stop it. We've let in far too many goals and need to change that. We have to make a big effort to push on from a good position. If we're going to maintain where we are, we have to sort ourselves out.

(On the now 7-point lead in the title race...) "A seven point lead means nothing because we’ve been in positions over the years of being eight, nine, ten or even 11 points clear and not gone on to win the title. We’ve also been behind and won it. It’s a great result for us, other results also went for us, but we’ve got more big games coming up."

(On referee Mike Dean during Jonny Evans' own-goal...) "I thought it was a bad decision. [Papiss] Cisse is interfering with Jonny, there is contact and if he is not there then Jonny’s body position is different and he stops the ball from going in the net."

(More on Dean's day as the referee...) "The referee made a few bad decisions and maybe he wasn’t helped by his linesman as much as he could have been, but everybody has bad days at the office every now and again."

Javier Hernandez | MUFC striker (courtesy of MUTV)

(On his winner...) "It's a great feeling, a great moment. All the team-mates, all the staff, the gaffer and all the fans are expecting and waiting for that moment, and when that moment comes the energy and the atmosphere in the stadium is unbelievable. You can see in the reaction of the fans and the players, and the most important thing is if we want to fight for the title, we have to never give up until the 90th minute. All the time in all the games [the spirit] is going to be there. We're very happy about that. The history of the Manchester United tells us we have to never give up until the end of the game.”

(On being top of the table by 7 points...) "It's a great position, but we're not going to think we have already done the job. There are difficult away games and home games coming, so we need to keep going. This gap is going to give us a lot of confidence, but we want to just try to do the same in every game: win and get three points.”