Newcastle United 3 Manchester United 3 player ratings: Rooney? Dummett? Who impressed in St James' Park thriller?

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Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney looks on after his side drop two points (Getty Images)

Newcastle United and Manchester United could not be separated as they played out a thriller at St James' Park, trading blow for blow in what will be remembered as one of the games of this Premier League season.

Wayne Rooney opened the scoring with a coolly-taken penalty which was controversially awarded by referee Mike Dean. The ball appeared to strike the forearm of defender Chancel Mbemba after Marouane Fellaini’s header but the level of intent was debateable. The St James Park crowd, predictably, made their feelings known.

The visitors’ lead was then doubled half an hour later when Jesse Lingard finished off a brilliant flowing move with an equally impressive finish, finding the corner of Rob Elliot’s net from a tight angle.

Louis van Gaal’s side looked to be on their way to comfortable victory but Georginio Wijnaldum had other ideas. On the stroke of half-time, he atoned for an earlier miss by tapping home brilliantly on the volley after Aleksandar Mitrovic’s knock-down.

Newcastle emerged for the second period with a new groove and soon found their equaliser. Chris Smalling’s manhandling of Mitrovic on a corner earned the home side a penalty kick of their own and the Serbian duly dispatched the spot-kick.

If Wijnaldum’s goal had given St James’ Park a new found optimism, Mitrovic’s almost saw an all-out frenzy. Expectation mounted and it looked for a moment like there was only one winner until the much-maligned Rooney resurrected his former self.

After substitute Memphis Depay’s shot had been blocked, Rooney lashed the rebound into the top corner of the net – 3-2 – and an emphatic finish reminiscent of his early days.

In a game this good, however, it would be wrong not to share the spoils. The energy seemed drained out of St James Park until Paul Dummett, the most unlikely of scorers, tore through a loose ball, with a shot as venomous as Rooney’s before it, to level once again.

Who stood out for us in one of the games of the Premier League season? Take a look through our gallery to find out…

Do you agree with our ratings? Let us know in the comments.