A really tough game for the Magpies last night, who came up against an elite Manchester City side on the hunt for their fourth successive Premier League Title. City were a class above in and out of possession and we failed to create any real chances in a game of fine margins.
Here come the ratings from a disappointing Etihad Stadium:
Nick Pope – 6.5 – Got a hand to Alvarez’s shot but may be wondering if he could’ve done better. Made a few decent saves throughout the game denying Foden on multiple occasions.
Kieran Trippier – 7 – Marshalled the defence well and kept Grealish relatively quiet. Had a few good opportunities to progress the ball but didn’t quite get things going with Almiron down our right.
Fabian Schar – 8 – Took a really heavy blow to his shoulder in the first few exchanges but recovered extremely well. Read the play well and made a goal-saving challenge to deny Haaland; who got very little joy out of our defence. Superb performance from the Swiss international.
Sven Botman – 8 – Outstanding performance from the Dutch giant, muscling Haaland off the ball on multiple occasions. Distribution was fantastic from the back, popping the ball into midfield and setting off our attacks. Made 50 passes and can hold his head up high.
Dan Burn – 6.5 – Very limited going forward but dealt with Foden relatively well all things considered. Made some big tackles which stopped some dangerous looking City attacks.
Sandro Tonali – 6 – Showed flashes of his composure in possession and got about the pitch well, but didn’t quite stamp his authority on the match after last weekend’s stunning debut. Was ridiculously booked for a soft challenge on Foden in the first half.
Bruno Guimaraes – 5 – Didn’t seem to have any time on the ball, with Pep potentially targeting the Brazilian. Booked for a nasty looking challenge on Foden in the second half. Had 72 touches but didn’t really make them count, most noticeably snatching at a shot from the edge of the box where he really should’ve tested the goalkeeper.
Joelinton – 4 – Huge player for us but was way off it last night. Looked a bit leggy in midfield and didn’t put himself about as much as normal. Perhaps has been carrying a little niggle which forced him off in the second half? Only made 15 passes in the match which demonstrates his ineffectiveness.
Miguel Almiron – 4 – Looked very one dimensional and the attacks seemed to break down most times down his side. He sometimes lacks the quality or composure to stamp his authority on against top sides.
Alexander Isak – 5 – Failed to make any impact on the game and perhaps should’ve dropped into the pocket to get more involved. Only had 13 touches and completed eight passes which exhibits his really quiet evening. In his defence, he was too isolated in that first half, so it’s hard to be too critical.
Anthony Gordon – 6 – Adore his aggression and willing running but perhaps lucky to avoid a second yellow. Seemed to be getting frustrated chasing the ball around whilst City knocked it about, but he didn’t give up. Booked for a nasty tackle on Dias and should’ve perhaps done better with a flash shot on his weaker foot in the second half.
Substitutes:
Harvey Barnes – 6 – Coming up against the elite Kyle Walker is always a tough ask. Had a shot on target from range, looked bright in moments and was booked soon after coming on.
Callum Wilson – 5 – Should’ve done better when he broke through two v one in the second half, but took too long and ran into trouble. More combative and physical than Isak but again struggled to affect the game.
Sean Longstaff – 4 – Looked a bit sluggish and never really got going. Looked like a player that didn’t get many minutes over pre-season and will need to get up to speed.
Elliot Anderson – 7 – Always looking to make things happen, creating openings and showing no fear. Will be pushing for a start at the weekend with Joelinton’s apparent injury.
Tino Livramento – N/A – Came on down the right wing but barely got a kick.
The midfield area was where we struggled, Bruno for me has been off the pace for a long time now, a shadow of the player he can be, needs to sort his contract out PDQ and get his mind back on the job.
Almiron is just not up to that level and we have bought no one to give him competition would have liked Diaby, Anderson imo should definitely start.
I honestly feel Howe does not know his best combination in midfield or attack yet.
The defence is solid enough but would put Hall in at left back straight away.
No matter what people say no panic buttons need to be pressed as a lot more teams will go to the Ethihad and get battered.
We also need to be a bit more controlled in terms of giving silly bookings away as it could cost us later in the season, especially mouthing off to officials.
We will soon see how far we have come when we play Liverpool and Brighton.
Joseph(Quote)
We weren’t at our best, but then neither were they. They managed one shot on target in the first half, three in the second.
You can’t go to the Etihad and perform at anything below your best and expect to get anything.
We know we can perform better and it was a collective failure, no one player let us down.
Unlike Foden we didn’t have a standout player either.
We just weren’t crisp enough.
PremAndUp(Quote)
Wow. Giving players 4 after losing 1-0 to the best team in the world. Hang your head in shame.
JulioLaker(Quote)