Harvey Barnes scored twice as Newcastle United defeated Man Cityplaceholder image
Harvey Barnes scored twice as Newcastle United defeated Man City | Getty Images
Newcastle United v Manchester City: Harvey Barnes stole the show as Eddie Howe’s side beat Man City in the Premier League.
A very entertaining first-half surprisingly ended with the score still goalless, despite both teams having a number of opportunities in-front of goal. The Magpies, looking to bounce back from successive defeats on the road before the international break, started the game at full throttle and should have been ahead within the first minute, but Barnes’ effort was saved by Gianluigi Donnarumma after the Italian had given the ball away cheaply just seconds earlier.
That chance for Barnes was the first of a few golden opportunities spurned by the hosts in the first period, with the former Leicester City man guilty again of allowing a chance to break the deadlock pass his team by as he put wide from a Jacob Murphy cross with the goal at his mercy.
Nick Woltemade also saw big chances pass him by, although the credit could go to Donnarumma for making a couple of brilliant saves to deny the German. First Woltemade saw a header saved by the City goalkeeper before a one-on-one chance found nothing but the Italian’s midriff.
As Sam Barrott blew for the half-time whistle, the feeling that the Magpies had potentially missed their best chance to get a foothold in the game was palpable. Even Alan Shearer, on duty with the Premier League, believed that his former side could come to ‘regret’ those missed chances.
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“Newcastle should have scored four goals,” the Premier League’s all-time record goalscorer said. “Manchester City could say the same, but the way they've opened up Manchester City has been impressive. Barnes and Woltemade should certainly have scored, and that's Newcastle's story.
“Harvey Barnes' second one is the easiest, it's on a plate for him. How on earth Newcastle haven't scored at least one – they might just regret that in the second half.”
Alan Shearer makes Newcastle United v Man City U-Turn
Very few could argue with Shearer’s assessment of the game at the break, but by full-time he had markedly changed his view - and all of that was down to Barnes.
“It was much better from Newcastle – they needed to find more energy and they did,” Shearer said at full-time. “They created more chances, could have scored six or seven, and there were some big performances. They deserved the three points in the end, they were clearly the better team.”
On X, Shearer’s assessment read: ‘At last !!!! A good finish @harveybarnes97 👏👏👏’.
‘Much much better from the Toon. Better balance and a lot more energy. Could have scored 6 goals. Some big performances 👏👏👏 #NEWMCI’
Whilst the full-time scenes at St James’ Park suggested a win worth much more than moving them from 14th to 14th in the Premier League table, it was instead the statement of intent that such a result makes which will please the vast majority of the 52,000 in attendance. Newcastle United now have just over 72 hours to rest and recuperate before they head to the south of France to face Marseille in the Champions League.
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