Rasmus Hojlund broke his 10-game scoring drought to seal victory for Manchester United in a thrilling Old Trafford encounter with Newcastle.
Anything other than a win for Erik ten Hag’s side would have condemned them to their lowest league finish in 34 years.
Instead, they go into the final day needing to better Newcastle’s result to claim a place in next season’s Uefa Conference League, although they will qualify for the Europa League if they beat Manchester City in the FA Cup final at Wembley on 25 May.
Kobbie Mainoo put the home side in front after 31 minutes when he applied a cool finish from 10 yards after being played onside by Kieran Trippier.
Anthony Gordon levelled four minutes after the restart and Manchester United needed a brilliant tackle from Sofyan Amrabat to stop them from going behind as Alexander Isak failed to finish a three-on-one counter.
Amad Diallo drove home his first Premier League goal just before the hour mark as Newcastle failed to clear a corner to put Manchester United back in front, although Eddie Howe’s visitors were inches away from an equaliser as Miguel Almiron just failed to turn home a low cross from the excellent Gordon at the far post.
It was left to Hojlund to settle home nerves, stepping to his right before sending a low finish into the bottom corner for his 15th goal of the season.
However those nerves still jangled a bit, as Newcastle left-back Lewis Hall fired home from the edge of the box in the second minute of stoppage time but the home side held on.
Newcastle need a final-day win at Brentford to be certain of a top-seven finish.
Newcastle endure more Old Trafford pain
Newcastle’s appalling Old Trafford record gets no better and on the journey back to the North East they will reflect on a chance missed to get the draw they craved.
Even Manchester United, a team who have made an art form of tossing away winning positions late in games, could not be pegged back, despite Hall’s excellent injury-time effort.
Much of the damage was self-inflicted. There was simply no excuse for a player as experienced as Trippier, looking straight down the line to be so far back to allow Mainoo to score.
And then, having equalised, Newcastle pressurised Aaron Wan-Bissaka into an error, found themselves with three men up against a desperate Amrabat, who was alone in chasing back, and somehow failed to get themselves in front as Isak’s effort was blocked.
Gordon certainly did not deserve to be on the losing side and must have impressed watching England coach Steve Holland with his direct running and invention.
His low cross for Almiron should have brought Newcastle a goal but the Paraguayan could not apply the final touch at the far post.
He was inches away, as was Dan Burn’s first-half header that Casemiro headed off the goal-line just in time.
Newcastle have now won once in 29 visits to this stadium and European qualification now relies on the failings of others.
