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Manchester City lost 2-1 to Newcastle in the Premier League on Saturday evening - here are the talking points and moments you might have missed from the game.
Manchester City failed to cut the gap to Arsenal on Saturday as they lost 2-1 against Newcastle. A crazy game saw both sides miss a lot of chances before the floodgates opened in the second half. Harvey Barnes opened the scoring before Ruben Dias equalised and then Barnes restored his side's lead.
City pushed for an equaliser but they were unable to find one as they were left to rue their missed chances in the first half. Here are the talking points and moments you might have missed from the game:
Nunes targeted
Newcastle were clearly looking to take advantage of Matheus Nunes playing out of position. He may have been playing well at right back but he is still a midfielder by trade. Barnes was the man tasked with getting at the former Wolves man, and while he had some joy early on Nunes gradually found his feet. Barnes scored twice but Nunes wasn't at fault for either goal and he coped well given the early pressure.
Lewis absence
Abdukodir Khusanov returned to the City matchday squad at St James' Park and Rico Lewis was the man to drop out. Lewis looked set to be a regular in the starting XI this season after starting both of City's first two league games of the season. However, he's slipped down the pecking order since with Nunes in possession of the right-back spot.
Lewis has played just 17 minutes of Premier League football since the first two games of the season and Khusanov's inclusion on Saturday at the expense of the youngster suggests he is now third in line.
Early jitters
A 5.30pm kick-off at St James' Park always had the potential to be a tricky occasion, and City did themselves no favours. The home crowd needed no encouragement to get behind their team - but City handed them it anyway.
Some poor play at the back allowed Barnes the chance to open the scoring early on but Donnarumma saved well. That lit the blue touch paper and Newcastle afforded City no time on the ball with the home crowd right behind them. It felt like it could be a tough night for City from the first minute.
Haaland frustration
Usually so dependable in front of goal but this was a night to forget for City's talisman. He struggled to get into the game, but that's not so much of an issue when he springs into life when chances arise. But Saturday was a rare off-night in front of goal for him.
On another day he could have easily had two or three, but it wasn't to be and his wait to become the fastest player to reach 100 goals in the Premier League will go on. It's only a matter of time before that record is his.
No control
Bernardo Silva's inclusion in the starting XI hinted at Guardiola's desire to take control of the game in midfield, but City struggled to do so. Nico Gonzalez has been excellent in recent weeks but this wasn't to be his day. The Spaniard was overrun in the middle and Newcastle's powerful midfield helped drive their team forward.
If Haaland or Foden had taken one of their first-half chances it would have been a totally different game but it was a night of 'what ifs' for City.
Ross joined the MEN in August 2021. He was appointed Sport Content Editor in February 2022 and became Head of Football in August 2024.
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