Benitez gets a big lift from Newcastle United's surprise win over Manchester United

A second-half strike from Matt Ritchie did the damage, lifting the Tynesiders to 13th place, having been in the drop zone before kick-off.

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho said that Newcastle’s players fought like “animals” to preserve their lead.

And Benitez said: “My message to our fans, and I think they know it really well, is that this is a team that cares. The players do not give up and they continue working hard.

“We will have some limitations and some problems, but you could still see this was another game when they were giving everything, and that is the positive thing

“If we understand that and we are behind the players, they can perform like today.”

The Magpies’ boss added: “Hopefully, we will have bigger wins than this one. But it was a really great game against a very good team, a top side, who everybody knows how good they are. The way that we were playing, with everybody giving everything, was absolutely fantastic.

“We have been so close in so many games, and it was a pity not to win those.

“We did well, although still we were a little bit lucky at the end. But I think the team deserved the three points.

“When we play normally, we don’t defend, defend and that is it. We try to attack and counter-attack, but it depends on the other teams.

“In this case, we were pushing from the very beginning and challenging for every single ball. That’s the positive thing that allows you to attack and sustain your attacks. In the last few minutes, we were trying to defend and play on the counter-attack, and we did that, more or less, well.

“In so many games that we deserved to win, we were very close, but this one, against a top side, it was even better.”

Mourinho has now failed to win at St James’s Park in all seven of his league visits.

Newcastle looked sharp from the start and Chris Smalling somehow avoided giving away a penalty after up-ending Dwight Gayle – a let-off the visitors looked set to use as the platform to build on.

Alexis Sanchez was denied by a goal-line clearance just before the pendulum swung Newcastle’s way, with a Jonjo Shelvey free-kick eventually played in for the unmarked Ritchie to rifle home.

The visitors unleashed a deluge of attacks, but Benitez’s men just managed to batten down the hatches, wih debutant keeper Martin Dubravka impressing.

Newcastle: Dubravka, Yedlin, Lascelles, Lejeune, Dummett, Ritchie, Shelvey, Diame, Kenedy (Atsu 84), Perez (Hayden 90), Gayle (Joselu 80). Subs not used: Murphy, Manquillo, Merino, Darlow. Goal: Ritchie 65

Manchester Utd: de Gea, Valencia, Smalling, Jones, Young, Pogba (Carrick 66), Matic (McTominay 77), Martial, Lingard (Mata 66), Sanchez, Lukaku. Subs not used: Lindelof, Rojo, Romero, Shaw. Booked: Smalling, Valencia.

Att: 52,309. Ref: Craig Pawson (Sth Yorkshire).