I still can’t quite believe that ended Manchester City 3 Newcastle 1.
It seems insane that one team could miss so many gilt-edged chances. Willock, Gordon, Wissa (more than once) and Elanga all should have seen the net bulge.
I was equally baffled by how incredibly inept we were at the back in the first half, only to emerge looking like a completely different side after the break.
We lost Anthony Gordon to a hamstring injury right on half-time, but with 38 appearances (for club and country) already this season, it was only a matter of time.
The Nick Woltemade experiment is quickly losing momentum and he’s beginning to look like a luxury player. Peripheral throughout, he was deservedly hooked at the interval.
The real issue, though, was structural. The vast chasm of space between midfield and defence made us painfully easy to play through. We were supposed to have a three or four across the middle, but they were either far too flat, or pressing far too high. No one sat in to protect us on the transition and Manchester City exploited it ruthlessly.
All three goals contained an element of fortune, but as at Anfield, they were ultimately of our own making.
Malick Thiaw looked fatigued and leggy for the opener, turning like a tractor to follow Marmoush’s run. Burn’s challenge, the deflection, and suddenly it was 1-0, tie effectively over.
The second was again avoidable. Reijnders surged through the space between midfield and defence, found Semenyo, and although Trippier almost produced a brilliant clearance, the ball fell perfectly for Marmoush to nod in his second.
The third summed up the first half. Sandro pressed high with no cover behind him, Reijnders strode through unopposed once more, and after another near-perfect defensive intervention from BDB, the ball broke kindly for Reijnders to score the goal his performance deserved.
The second half told a different story.
One small tactical tweak transformed the game. Rather than leaving that space unguarded, one of the centre-backs — usually Botman or Thiaw — consistently stepped into midfield to snuff out counters. Manchester City were largely nullified.
If Wissa had a left foot, we might have had a genuine contest.
Elanga’s goal was outstanding, and while he’ll regret the one he missed, the ball across from Barnes wasn’t quite right. Anthony Elanga is starting to show why we were so keen to bring him in and Gordon’s injury may yet hand him an extended run.
Ultimately, though, the conclusion is unavoidable.
Newcastle United simply aren’t as good as Manchester City. At most, four of our players — Sandro, Bruno, Sven and Hall — would regularly feature for them. That gap, more than luck or tactics, defines where we are.
(You can also visit Daniel’s very own Substack to read more of his articles on football)
Manchester City 3 Newcastle 1 – Wednesday 4 February 2026 8pm
Match Stats
Goals:
Newcastle United:
Elanga 62
Man City:
Marmoush 7, 29 Reijnders 32
Possession was Newcastle 37% Man City 63%
Total shots were Newcastle 12 Man City 18
Shots on target were Newcastle 5 Man City 8
Corners were Newcastle 4 Man City 5
Touches in the opposition box Newcastle 14 Man City 34
Newcastle team v Man City:
Ramsdale, Trippier (Osula 76), Thiaw, Botman, Burn, Hall (Jacob Murphy 46), Tonali, Ramsey, Willock (Elanga 46), Gordon (Barnes 44), Woltemade (Wissa 46)
Subs:
Pope, Alex Murphy, Neave, Shahar
Source link
Add Comment