Newcastle`s Joelinton was at the center of a fiery moment during their 4-1 victory over Manchester United, appearing to challenge rival player Manuel Ugarte to a fight in the tunnel.
The incident occurred as Brazilian midfielder Joelinton was being substituted off in the home game against Manchester United. He clashed with Uruguayan midfielder Manuel Ugarte on the pitch, leading to a heated exchange.
Newcastle`s assistant manager Jason Tindall, who was filling in for the unwell Eddie Howe, substituted Joelinton partly to prevent him from receiving a yellow card and a subsequent suspension.
However, Joelinton`s anger was evident as he argued with Ugarte, confronting him and needing to be restrained by teammates. Eyewitnesses reported that Joelinton seemed to “offer a scrap” to Ugarte, gesturing towards the tunnel as if to invite him for a further confrontation after the match.
Newcastle fans were likely relieved that Joelinton avoided a booking during the altercation, as he was close to a two-game suspension. Tindall`s decision to substitute him proved timely in preventing further escalation.
At the time of the incident, Newcastle were leading 4-1, securing a dominant victory and moving up to fourth place in the league standings, overtaking Manchester City.
Joelinton played a role in Newcastle`s fourth goal, scored by his fellow Brazilian Bruno Guimaraes, capitalizing on a poor pass from Manchester United goalkeeper Altay Bayindir.
Harvey Barnes scored twice in the second half, contributing significantly to Newcastle`s win by exploiting Manchester United`s defensive vulnerabilities.
Earlier in the match, Manchester United`s Alejandro Garnacho had equalized Sandro Tonali`s opening goal for Newcastle.
Joelinton avoiding a yellow card capped off an almost perfect day for Newcastle, especially with manager Eddie Howe absent due to illness.
Despite the victory, some viewers expressed concerns about Joelinton`s behavior. One comment online suggested Joelinton should have been given a red card for inciting violence, while another questioned the necessity of his confrontational actions. Another commenter remarked that it would have been “crazy” if Ugarte had reacted aggressively to Joelinton`s challenge.
