Newcastle United lost 2-0 against Man City at the Etihad and here are five things we learned from the game after Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva fired the reigning champions to victory
Newcastle United have suffered back-to-back league defeats for the first time this season following a 2-0 loss against Man City at the Etihad.
Phil Foden opened the scoring on the quarter hour mark with a solo goal before substitute Bernardo Silva clinched all three points for the reigning champions with a well-struck effort midway through the second half.
Here are five things we learned from the game.
Dan Burn and Erling Haaland clash
Missed chances prove costly again but Isak stakes claim
Anthony Gordon, Sean Longstaff and Callum Wilson all had huge openings in the first half from inside the box, but the trio failed to take their chances and Newcastle, somehow, failed to have a single shot on target in the first 45 minutes. That was criminal, particularly against a side like City, who are not going to give you too many opportunities to equalise.
Wilson’s opening, in particular, was golden for a finisher of his quality. Kieran Trippier headed Longstaff’s searching ball across goal and Wilson went to catch it on the volley but the striker failed to properly connect. It was the kind of chance Wilson would have buried without a second thought in the first half of the campaign but, worryingly, the number nine has now scored just one goal since November.
However loyal Howe is to Wilson, however emotional dropping the number nine would be, you just wonder how long it will be until record signing Alexander Isak gets his chance as the main man. The Sweden international replaced Wilson after the hour mark and looked keen to prove a point from the off. In fact, Isak forced Ederson into action just a couple of minutes after coming on. Isak then left Manuel Akanji for dust in the 66th minute and teed up fellow substitute Allan Saint-Maximin, whose header was claimed by Ederson.
Ruben Dias of Manchester City is put under presure by Alexander Isak of Newcastle United (Image: Getty)
Newcastle certainly looked a more potent force with Isak on the field – the striker at least got a couple of shots away – and City fans were getting nervous before Silva’s sucker punch.
Sloppiness at back punished once more
You do not have to look too far to see why Newcastle’s season has stuttered amid a run of one win in their last eight league games. Newcastle have not been playing badly by any means, but Eddie Howe’s side have simply not been sharp enough in both boxes.
Newcastle may statistically have the best defence in the Premier League, but the black-and-whites have been letting some uncharacteristically soft goals of late. Indeed, the goals Newcastle conceded against West Ham and Bournemouth were both from corners while Casemiro’s opener for Manchester United in the Carabao Cup final came from a wide free-kick.
While City’s opener was not from a set-play on Saturday, Newcastle failed to get close to Phil Foden in the build-up despite having so many bodies back. It was just too easy for Foden to skip inside Dan Burn and burst past Anthony Gordon and Bruno Guimaraes inside the box before the England international’s shot took a wicked deflection off the sliding Sven Botman to deceive Nick Pope and put City ahead.
It may have only been one goal – there was still so much time left on the clock – but it felt significant when the visitors have been so wasteful in front of goal and City duly made Newcastle pay for their failure to take their chances. Newcastle, again, could have defended better in the build-up after Kieran Trippier sloppily gave the ball away in the 67th minute and City quickly punished the visitors as substitute Bernardo Silva fired home from just inside the box.
Bernardo Silva makes it 2-0 to Manchester City against Newcastle (Image: AMA / Getty)
Newcastle literally stand up to City even in defeat
Eddie Howe admitted the cup final had been a ‘big distraction’ for Newcastle after his side picked up just two points from a possible nine in the Premier League in between reaching the showpiece and playing Manchester United. Now that the final was out of the way, how would Newcastle respond to that 2-0 defeat at Wembley last week?
Newcastle, after all, simply could not afford a cup hangover with a place in Europe up for grabs. Howe knew that more than anyone and tried to rid his players of the ‘sadness’ that had engulfed them following last week’s loss through a series of individual and group meetings.
Newcastle may not have ended their wait for silverware this season, but this was another opportunity for the Magpies to create their own history and test themselves against the very best in City. Yes, Newcastle had never previously won a league game at the Etihad, but there was certainly no danger of the visitors parking the bus like in a previous era.
Newcastle were on their longest unbeaten away run in the top flight for 53 years and Howe’s side have been competitive this season wherever or whoever they have played. In fact, Newcastle have picked up results on the road at Spurs, Arsenal and Manchester United and the black-and-whites went toe-to-toe with City in the reverse fixture to claim a deserved point earlier this season.
While this game ended in defeat, Newcastle were not embarrassed and certainly did not show City undue respect like in years gone by. Indeed, in the 72nd minute, Dan Burn hauled down Jack Grealish before telling the England international to get up. Ruben Dias then pushed Burn before a melee broke out and the Newcastle centre-back and Erling Haaland grabbed each other’s shirts.
Tempers flare between Newcastle United’s Dan Burn and Manchester City’s Erling Haaland (Image: PA)
City may have ultimately won the game, but the home fans did not forget the incident and booed Burn off when he was replaced by Matt Targett late on.
Joelinton blow leaves Newcastle light again
Newcastle will be without Joelinton for the crucial double-header against Wolves and Nottingham Forest after the tenacious Brazilian picked up his 10th yellow card of the season for a foul on Ruben Dias in the second half. Newcastle may be at full strength, with Joe Willock set to come back into the starting line-up, but the Magpies are now extremely light of options in the middle of the park beyond that once again. Joelinton, meanwhile, will be short of match sharpness when he eventually returns to action in a month’s time against Manchester United.
Anthony Gordon’s future role hinted at
You suspect even Pep Guardiola was a little relieved when he did not see Allan Saint-Maximin’s name in Newcastle’s starting line-up when the team sheet dropped at 11.30am. Saint-Maximin may have not have been at his absolute best of late, but the Frenchman is devastating on his day and caused City huge problems in the reverse fixture back in August
Guardiola certainly did not forget that display and referenced it on the eve of this game when the City boss spoke of how Saint-Maximin ‘dropped us back’. Guardiola even praised the forward’s ability to ‘take the ball to use the counter-attack to drive the ball’..
However, interestingly, the sole tactical change Howe made on Saturday was to drop Saint-Maximin and hand Anthony Gordon his full debut. Gordon had been a little short of ‘high end fitness’ after joining the club from Everton last month, but was now ready to make his first start for Newcastle after working hard behind the scenes.
It was quickly apparent why Gordon had got the nod with the manner Newcastle tried to press high up the pitch from the get-go as Gordon, Miguel Almiron and Callum Wilson got in City defenders’ faces and forced the hosts into uncharacteristic errors at the back and Guardiola’s side booted the ball out of play. It felt like a glimpse of what is to come when Gordon is truly up to speed.
Source: chroniclelive.co.uk
