NEWCASTLE UNITED suffered a second Premier League defeat in a row for the first time all season as they went down 2-0 to reigning champions Manchester City.
The Magpies were unable to get last weekend’s Wembley defeat to Manchester United out of their system as goals from Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva condemned them to defeat at the Etihad.
Eddie Howe’s side had chances, but Anthony Gordon, Sean Longstaff and Callum Wilson all failed to get a proper shot away when presented with decent opportunities inside the 18-yard box in the first half.
Joelinton narrowly failed to connect with a flashing cross from Joe Willock after the break, and as a result, Newcastle are still waiting for their first league win at the Etihad. They also remain four points adrift of fourth-placed Tottenham, who face Wolves later this afternoon.
Howe would not really have wanted to change his centre-halves for a trip to the Etihad, but with Fabian Schar unavailable as he follows concussion protocols in the wake of the Carabao Cup final, the Newcastle boss was forced to recall Jamaal Lascelles for only his second Premier League start of the season.
The Magpies’ backline creaked pretty much from the off, with Dan Burn’s lack of mobility making him especially vulnerable as he tried to neuter the darting attacking runs of Foden.
Manchester City created their first chance in the opening minute, with Ilkay Gundogan heading over from the edge of the six-yard box after Jack Grealish crossed from the left, and broke the deadlock on the quarter-hour mark.
Rodri played a square ball to Foden, and after dribbling past Burn and bursting between Gordon and Bruno Guimaraes, the England international slotted home a finish that took a hefty deflection off Sven Botman.
Having also deflected a Marcus Rashford goal past Loris Karius at Wembley last weekend, it has not exactly been Botman’s week.
Newcastle almost produced an immediate response to falling behind, but while Longstaff looked to have plenty of time to get a shot away after Wilson teed him up on the right of the box, he delayed just long enough to enable Nathan Ake to block his effort with a superb sliding challenge.
Erling Haaland barely had a touch in the opening half-hour, but the Norwegian doesn’t need much of an invitation to make his presence felt, and he came close to doubling City’s lead ten minutes before the break.
Kevin de Bruyne hung up a cross from the left, but while Haaland outjumped Botman, he could only glance a header narrowly wide of the back post.
While Haaland has been in excellent scoring form all season, Wilson has looked badly out of sorts since the World Cup break, and the Newcastle striker was found wanting again when his side fashioned an excellent opportunity in the closing stages of the first half.
Longstaff floated the ball out to Kieran Trippier, he nodded it back across the middle, but while Wilson looked certain to get a shot away, he took an almighty swing that failed to make a proper connection with the ball at all. It was a moment that summed up the way things have been going for Newcastle’s number nine.
The second half began with Joelinton receiving a yellow card for a foul on Rodri that takes him to ten bookings for the season and means he will miss the forthcoming matches against Wolves and Nottingham Forest.
It did not take Howe too long to make a triple change, with Alexander Isak, Allan Saint-Maximin and Joe Willock all coming on, and the changes immediately made Newcastle more threatening.
Joelinton just failed to get onto the end of a cross from Willock, before Isak saw efforts in the penalty area blocked by first Manuel Akanji and then Ederson.
It felt as though the Magpies were getting themselves back into the game, but they were hit by a sucker punch as Manchester City scored their second in the 67th minute.
Trippier gave the ball away in his own half, enabling City to attack, and Haaland teed up substitute Silva, who swept home a clinical finish from the edge of the box.
