By CRAIG HOPE, CHIEF FOOTBALL REPORTER
Published: 15:24 EST, 22 November 2025 | Updated: 15:26 EST, 22 November 2025
Sky Blue has always meant a dark day for Eddie Howe but here, finally, was a rainbow, and just when he needed it most. At the 19th attempt in the Premier League, this was his first victory over Manchester City.
The Newcastle boss gave a knowing grin when reminded of that record before the game - but his smile was as wide as the Tyne come full-time. After back-to-back defeats by West Ham and Brentford and much soul-searching during the international break, this was an evening to warm his soul.
Tyneside has been battered by a sub-zero storm all week, but Pep Guardiola and his players ran into the Beast from the North-East in the form of Howe’s heroes, rejuvenated and unrecognisable from the side who were sliding towards the bottom three earlier this month. There’ll be talk of the top four again after this. For City, Champions League qualification is perhaps their best hope for this season too, given Arsenal will go seven points clear of them if they beat Tottenham on Sunday.
There’ll be talk of the top four again after this. For City, Champions League qualification is perhaps their best hope for this season too, given Arsenal will go seven points clear of them if they beat Tottenham on Sunday.
The visitors more than contributed to an intriguing encounter bursting with incident and three goals inside six minutes, but the game got the right winners - and in Bruno Guimaraes the best player on the pitch was rewarded with the outcome his gladiatorial performance deserved.
Not that it was his name ringing out on full-time. Top of the hit parade, once Howe had been serenaded, was Harvey Barnes, the two-goal match-winner. Never would we have thought that at half-time. Not after Barnes had spurned a pair of glorious chances and the narrative seemed set for a Newcastle tale of woe and regret.
At the 19th attempt in the Premier League, this was Howe's first victory over Manchester City
The visitors more than contributed to an intriguing encounter bursting with incident
But the hosts emerged for the second half motivated still further and they led on 64 minutes when Guimaraes forced his way through midfield and teed up Barnes, who guided into the bottom corner from 20 yards. It was his hardest chance of the game.
City were soon level when Ruben Dias smashed through bodies after the ball dropped kindly amid the aftermath of a corner-kick. Parity, though, would last just 90 seconds, even if it took four minutes for VAR to award what proved to be the winner.
Guimaraes headed against the crossbar from two yards out, stretching to connect with Nick Woltemade’s far-post return, and Barnes followed up to hook in. The Brazilian looked offside but, after much deliberation in the video booth, his boots were deemed one size inside the green line.
That we have got this far and not mentioned Erling Haaland, who remains on 99 Premier League goals, says much for the efforts of Malick Thiaw in Newcastle’s backline. City’s formidable striker met his match in the form of the German.
But that this game got through the first 45 minutes without a goal was a mystery - and Barnes will never know how he missed the best chance of the half. He ought to have thought he would not get one as good as the opportunity that presented itself inside 30 seconds, when he shot tamely at Gianluigi Donnarumma after a kicking error by the City goalkeeper.
But half an hour later and he had no keeper to beat when Jacob Murphy skidded a ball through the six-yard area for his fellow wideman, arriving at the far post. Somehow, Barnes slammed into the branded hoardings - this, though, was no advertisement for the merits of his finishing, usually so reliable.
The same could be said of Woltemade. After six goals from six shots on target in black and white, the hope was always that the big German would start getting some chances to miss. Still, the preference is always to put them away, even at an unsustainable ratio. His first, on 13 minutes, was a free header kept out by the forearm of Donnarumma, the first goalkeeper to save from Woltemade this season. He later had a second stop when, sprang clear by Barnes, Woltemade showed Donnarumma the eyes and the Italian responded by showing him his gloves, getting down low to save.
By now, St James’ Park was fizzing - it had been fretting half an hour earlier. The noise on kick-off was not one of ale-induced optimism. Rather, it felt as if the extra couple of hours in the pub were used to calm the nerves, especially as the league table relayed on screens at 5pm had Newcastle one point above the bottom three.
Erling Haaland, who remains on 99 Premier League goals, was kept quiet by Malick Thiaw
The hosts emerged for the second half motivated still further and they led on 64 minutes when Guimaraes forced his way through midfield and teed up Barnes, who guided into the corner
Such anxiety resurfaced when Newcastle were fortunate to escape the concession of a penalty in the 17th minute. Jeremy Doku slipped Phil Foden clear on goal and, anticipating the sliding challenge of Fabian Schar, the City midfielder hastily stabbed his shot into the low rows. But it was too late for Schar to divert and he sent Foden into a tailspin.
It looked like a penalty in real time and on replays. Not so in Stockley Park, however. City were still seething from that non-award when another VAR check denied them a penalty for a Malick Thaiw handball, this time with valid reason.
There were other City chances - Haaland clear and spooning wide, the Norwegian denied by Nick Pope’s chest after a snap shot from close range and Foden steering beyond the post from eight yards after a crafty exchange with Rayan Cherki.
Had one of those gone in it may have been another dark day for Howe against Guardiola. But for Newcastle and their head coach, this felt like a cloud was lifted.