If this were a boxing match, the referee would’ve stopped the fight in the first round.
Heading into the game 2-0 down from Man City’s first leg win at St James’ Park, it was absolutely essential Newcastle got the opening goal. Score first and it was game on. Concede first and it was game over.
Sadly, we did the latter just seven minutes in, as Omar Marmoush deflected in via Dan Burn to make it 3-0 with the home side’s first attack. Another sloppy goal conceded and it felt like the knockout blow we’d never recover from.
We could and should have pulled one back, as Joe Willock and Anthony Gordon both wasted huge opportunities after going clean through on goal, only for former Toon target James Trafford to smother both efforts before saving a Kieran Trippier free-kick Lewis Hall did brilliantly to win.
If those opportunities gave us hope, any chance of a miracle comeback was then wiped out on the half hour mark, as Trippier failed to clear Antoine Semenyo’s cross, allowing Marmoush to head into an empty net with Aaron Ramsdale nowhere to be seen. 2-0 on the night, 4-0 on aggregate and it would only get worse.
Three minutes later, Botman was dragged out of position after pressing high, Man City exploited the mounds of space left behind our midfield, Semenyo burst into the box and the ball fell to Reijnders to score. More shambolic defending, leaving us 5-0 down on aggregate with an hour of the tie still left to play.
If that wasn’t bad enough, Gordon became the latest injury casualty as he went down holding his hamstring before the break. An absolute nightmare at the start of a massive month for Newcastle, seeing Harvey Barnes come on in his place.
With seven more games to come in February across the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League, it was no surprise to see Howe make half-time changes, seeing Hall, Willock and Woltemade replaced by Jacob Murphy, Anthony Elanga and Yoane Wissa, who missed a sitter to pull a goal back within 30 seconds of the restart. We’d been a mess defensively and AWOL in midfield, but that was our third huge chance wasted.
A Wissa penalty appeal was waved away and City should’ve then made it 4-0 (6-0) at the other end, as Reijnders found acres of space in the box (again) only to fire wide.
Anthony Elanga fires home to get Newcastle on the board in the Semi-Final 💥 pic.twitter.com/qr8cYLD6VE
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) February 4, 2026
Then came the biggest positive of an otherwise miserable night; Anthony Elanga’s first goal for Newcastle United! The Swede burst past two, drove into the box, cut in on his left foot and curled a lovely finish in off the post. A potentially huge moment for our new right winger, who is finally up and running, scoring our first goal at the Etihad since DeAndre Yedlin’s in 2018.
Barnes then had the ball in the net before an offside flag ruled it out, then Elanga missed an absolute sitter to make it 3-2, firing wide from Barnes’ low cross when the goal was gaping. We’d been far brighter in the second half, but it was another miss on a night of mistakes at both ends of the pitch.
Then came Erling Haaland, Rodri and Rayan Cherki from Man City’s bench, minutes before our final change saw Will Osula replace Trippier, seeing Jacob Murphy move to a right wing-back role or the final stages of the match.
Elanga then came close again, going inches away as Wissa almost tapped home his ball cross the goal mouth, then Haaland forced a brilliant save from Ramsdale after the big Norwegian burst clean through. On another night, we could’ve easily seen eight or nine goals, with both sides missing a host of big opportunities in each half.
But 3-1 on the night and 5-1 on aggregate was how it ended, seeing Newcastle punished for a sloppy end to the home tie and horrendous start to tonight’s away leg. Across the tie, we had eight big chances to Man City’s seven, yet managed missed them all.
No Wembley trip this season and another worrying away performance, especially with four of our next five games coming away from St James’ Park in this potentially season-defining month of February.
(5-3-2) Newcastle XI: Ramsdale – Trippier, Thiaw, Botman, Burn, Hall – Willock, Ramsey, Tonali – Gordon, Woltemade.
Subs: Pope, Wissa, Barnes, Osula, Elanga, J.Murphy, A.Murphy, Shahar, Neave
Man City XI: Trafford – Nunes, Khusanov, Ake , Ait-Nouri – Gonzalez, Reijnders, O’Reilly – Semenyo, Foden, Marmoush
Next up, two huge Premier League games, with Brentford at home followed by a trip to Spurs next Tuesday.
Keep the faith.
Not even a “keep the faith” to finish the article. Even the happiest, of happy clappers are beginning to falter 😲
Scott(Quote)
Gordon faking injury was a disgrace to the shirt
Murph(Quote)
Late in the game they bring on Haaland, Rodri and Cherki we bring on Osula pretty much sums the gulf that there is between the two clubs.
See a goon already with the happy clapper rubbish, some people seem to revel in the negativity maybe they should back the club instead of creaming themselves when it goes wrong.
No doubt the rest of the rain men will appear grins on faces.
Absolutely glorious(Quote)
That trophy win put them into overdrive it seems, they are basking in us returning to earth.
We were toast after the first leg in all honesty but Saturday is massive. If Gordon is out at least Elanga should start with some confidence.
Newkie(Quote)
You must’ve missed the last two lines after the team sheets 😉
As for being a ‘happy clapper’, I honestly find this categorisation of fans a bit cringeworthy at this point. Why can’t we all just praise when we’re good and criticise when we’re bad without being dragged into two make-believe categories?
Olly Hawkins(Quote)
It sums up our season, woeful finishing, some bad luck and very poor defending.
Howe must be disappointed with his players but he also needs to look at himself.
Burn was unlucky for the first, Trippier & Ramsdale poor for the second, Botman out of position for third.
Forwards wasting a ridiculous number of opportunities.
When the tie was over long before half time.
Shahar and Neave could have been blooded replacing Trippier and Woltemade and given the opportunity to express themselves freely with no pressure, and told go and enjoy the reality of playing against a top side like Man City. BUT HOWE DIDN’T, SO when will he ever blood these “promising “ players of the future,
Joseph(Quote)
Agree with the giving the young players some game time in a game that was beyond us and Man City were in cruise control but for whatever reason Howe just seems to not trust them.
Which is annoying to say the least, why bother having them on the bench.
It’s my biggest gripe with Eddie.
Absolutely glorious(Quote)
Anyone who still could not see the rubbish manager clueless tactics, rubbish Gordon and play acting Tonali, then these people must be blind or watching another game. Even the CEO is bullshitting. This club is doomed
Jordan(Quote)
Olly – these comments are written for a reaction mate. Extremism is the way of the world now – rationalisation is a thing of the past.
To respond is just blowing on the embers.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Behave despite this season being a horror show the club is in the best place it’s been in for years and anyone who thinks otherwise are the blind ones or mackems on the wind up.
Absolutely glorious(Quote)
I think there is something bigger going on at the club.
It feels like there is fall out in the background. Maybe Howe isn’t getting on with the new DofF.
Maybe it’s England have come asking and his heads been turned – but something isn’t right.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Howe got it very wrong last night.
3 CBs and a packed out midfield and they were still playing through us. Playing Wolt when they play such a high line was a mistake – it needed balls over the top and down the channels for runners – Elanga & Barnes was the play imo and not just coz they were better in the 2nd half – it just seemed obvious.
That he keeps selecting Wolt is doing the lad no favours and his loyalty to Gordon is costing him greatly now.
Sharpy17(Quote)
I think we beat Qarabeg over 2 legs and make the last 16 – draw depending may even go further.
I also think we finish top 8. Who knows about the FA cup.
But if you were to say at the start of the season we’d get top 8, the semi final of a cup & last 16 of the CL – that’s not a club doomed.
The problem is that getting there has not been pretty at all.
Also, there has been opportunities for it to be so much better – especially in the league.
I think Howe gets to see out this season but it may be a handshake in the summer.
But what he’s done to this club over his time here should never be belittled.
Sharpy17(Quote)
I think Howe will be here next season (and rightly so) but another season like this and he could be gone by xmas.
I really don’t think there is a issue behind the scenes, I think there was but they are behind us now.
I hate using it as an excuse but you can’t ignore the fact that it’s February and we’ve played 38 matches already but imo it’s a factor how big of a factor who knows.
There are a multitude of things we could blame for this season and there have been but it’s really difficult to say one thing in particular is at fault.
It just seems from the summer what could go wrong has gone wrong but like others have said I’m confident we’ll be top 8 at the end and I’d have taken that with a semi and where we are in the CL at the season start after losing Isak.
Absolutely glorious(Quote)
like your post bud,but sorry i would stick with eddie
icedog(Quote)
Howe holds himself to high standards and he will be disappointed with where we are, naturally. Some don’t like his recent comments but go check out all the top managers in the league – they make worse excuses pep and slot included. Tbh I just think Howe is knackered, we needed reinforcements in other windows and none came and then all at once in a pure mad summer when our best player was forcing his way out. Because the club has been in an almost constant state of flux since the ownership came in Howe was dealing with all the summer bollocks when to be honest he probably should have had a bit more time away from it.
I think regardless of what happens, Howe won’t go before the summer..if he does go it’ll be to England where he will have a lot more time on his hands – and I suspect he will return to the club game following the next tournament anyway (unless we did somehow win it). If he stays it would take a terrible start to the next season for them to pull the trigger, and without European football we’ll probably perform at / above our transfer/wage spend and will be kept anyway as a result.
Newkie(Quote)
Ice, hope you’re keeping well fella. You might need to lace your boots up soon, the Heed need you to save them this season!
Newkie(Quote)
Ice – don’t get me wrong mate, I wouldn’t be disappointed if we did.
It just feels like they aren’t on the same page anymore though.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Looking at this season from the start of ‘pre-season. Eddie Howe has been fighting fires with little or no help from management where there has been even any management in place.
Easy for the Big six when they face a problem they just throw an extra hundred million at it (With the prems blessing)
When using second best players too shore up every match team and so little time in training. Its got to have a knock on effect with the better players and newcomers
leading to so many bad performances Its so easy to blame Eddie or the odd individual. When its the whole corrupt, unequal, biased, disgusting system that’s to blame and needs sorting.
Can anyone please name this replacement that will do a better job than Eddie and would want to under these restraints? Be careful what you wish for!
nutmag(Quote)