Key events
“That feels like the epitome of ‘everyone satisfied with a point’,” says Chris Paraskevas. “Neither team getting anywhere near their best. Some nice rhythms to the game and even a moment or two where it really threatened to break open (maybe just after the equalizer). It felt like a watered down version of the 3-3 classic between these teams a couple of years ago.
“A good point for us but hard to call it a turning point, especially given the absence of the T-1000 (Rodri) and our usual tormentor KDB…”
And Phil Foden for most of the game. City looked much more dangerous against the old low block when he came on.
Fabian Schar’s verdict
We did brilliantly, made it really difficult for them and overall I think it’s a deserved point for both teams. They had only one chance in the first half so it was disappointing that they scored, but we kept going.
The fans gave us some extra energy after we scored. We tried to go again and score the second, but we’ll take the point. Alex [Isak] is a big miss for us, but Anthony [Gordon] was brilliant today.
This game shows what level we can reach. We need to build on this performance.
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Full time: Newcastle 1-1 Man City
An honourable draw at St James’ Park. An icy-weined Josko Gvardiol gave City a 1-0 lead at half-time before Anthony Gordon, playing up front in the absence of Alexander Isak, won and then converted a penalty to earn a point. City weren’t at their best but that shouldn’t detract from a strong, determined Newcastle performance.
90+7 min Savinho takes, big Dan Burn heads clear.
90+7 min Savinho, who surely should have come on earlier, wins one last corner for City…
90+5 min Savinho’s cross is slightly behind Haaland, who heads straight at Pope and boots fresh air in frustration.
90+5 min Two and half minutes left for City to find a winner. They’ve having all the ball now.
90+2 min: Brilliant save by Pope! Bernardo Silva leaps to control a lobbed pass from Foden on the chest, 15 yards out, swivels and hits a rasping volley that is palmed behind by the diving Pope. The save probably felt better than it was because of the quality of Bernardo’s volley; even so, it was high-class goalkeeping.
90+2 min Foden plays a terrific pass inside Livramento to find Doku. He waits for support and lifts a cross that just evades the head of Foden at the near post.
90+1 min There will be 420 seconds of added time.
90 min Ruben Dias takes a yellow by fouling Gordon, who was breaking dangerously for Newcastle.
90 min “Every team playing City should celebrate goals by throwing the ball at Erling Haaland’s head,” says Debra Keates. “What do you think?”
Fun, nice, life, youth. Beautiful. I’m all for it.
89 min Murphy does really well to beat two players and find Joelinton 25 yards out, but he dithers and is dispossessed by Savinho. Good defending.
88 min “It’s not you,” says Ian Copestake. “It’s me. I can’t hang around here waiting for the inevitable City winner having expressed joy at seeing the score followed by despair at how long remains.”
87 min A draw wouldn’t flatter Newcastle, whose excellent spell at the start of the second half merited at least an equaliser. City have been a little bit flat.
86 min “This feels oddly reminiscent of the Premier League of the first decade of this century,” writes Kári Tulinius. “Big meaty men, wayward crosses and needless fouling. I realise the differences are greater than the similarities, but this match has brought me back.”
85 min Foden’s free-kick is overhit. City keep the ball alive until Kovacic shoots well wide from the edge of the area.
84 min Foden is fouled on the left wing by Guimaraes. A clear foul, though tens of thouands of people at St James’ Park don’t agree. This might be City’s chance…
82 min “I fear Rich Wilks has misunderstood Rosenthal,” writes Matt Dony. “It wasn’t any ennui, or existential angst. It was simply that he realised he knew football. In that moment, football made sense to him. He could do anything, and there was nothing to achieve. Much like Niles Crane remembering his final spelling bee as a student, walking away on the last word. Everyone had thought that he’d choked. But he hadn’t. He had risen above spelling. He knew how to spell, and he knew that he knew how to spell. Rosenthal had risen above football. There was nothing he could achieve by scoring in that moment.”
A sentiment doubtless articulated by his manager Graeme Souness in the dressing-room when Liverpool lost that game 4-2.
81 min: Double substitution for City Savinho and Jeremy Doku on, Jack Grealish (who had a good game) and Rico Lewis (quiet game) off.
80 min Sean Longstaff almost scores with his first touch. Guimaraes found Murphy in a lot of space on the right; he moved infield and guided a pass back to Longstaff, who dragged a first-time shot wide of the far post from 15 yards.
79 min “Going back to all time best Basle XI, Rakitic was in fact born in Switzerland and played for the national team up to under-21s,” says David Ashley. “However finally switched his alliance to his parents place of birth. Croatia’s gain, Switzerland’s loss.”
That totally passed me by.
78 min Make that a triple substitution: Tino Livramento is on for Kieran Trippier, who has run himself into the ground.
77 min: Double substitution for Newcastle Joe Willock and Sean Longstaff come on for Sandro Tonali and Harvey Barnes.
76 min Grealish beats Trippier on the left side of the area and whacks a cross that is headed over by Haaland at the far post. That was a decent chance, certainly for him, because Pope was out of the game.
76 min Haaland’s shot from 15 yards is well blocked by Hall. City have been good in the last five minutes or so, pinning Newcastle inside their third.
75 min “If City always win with Rodri and only lose when he’s not playing, does that mean they won’t win again this season?” says Mark Childs. “I’m joking but it does feel like there’s a Rodri narrative around this game: can City win the league without him?”
They can, of course, but I’d make Arsenal favourites now.
73 min: Chance for Foden! Grealish’s cross is headed away to the edge of the area by Joelinton. Haaland calmly cushions the ball across to Foden, who takes a touch and hits a volley straight at Pope from 15 yards. Not a great chance, but a chance.
71 min Pope dives bravely in front of Haaland to punch the ball away. Good goalkeeping.
70 min City calm the game down by playing a bit of walking football. Eventually Grealish tries to run Trippier, who knocks the ball off Grealish and behind for a goalkick.
68 min If it stays like this, Liverpool, Aston Villa and Arsenal will have the chance to move above City when they play. Has Pep Gu- oh never mind.
66 min: City substitution Phil Foden replaces Ilkay Gundogan.
66 min Walker’s poor pass is intercepted on the edge of the area by Hall, whose dangerous chipped cross is headed away well by Gvardiol.
65 min Gordon’s cross only just evades the sliding Barnes at the far post. Newcastle are on top right now.
64 min “I’m convinced Ronnie Rosenthal had one of Niall Mullen’s moments of existential mid-game angst playing for Liverpool against Villa,” begins Rich Wilks, “when he saw greater value in missing a huge rectangle from a distance of 5 yards than penetrating it, and so gallantly opted for the former.”
Rosenthal!
