Five things we learned from Newcastle's huge 2-1 win over Man City
Man City manager Pep Guardiola clashes with a Sky Sports TV camera operator
Man City manager Pep Guardiola clashes with a Sky Sports TV camera operator
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Newcastle United secured a huge 2-1 win over Manchester City as they breathed fresh life into a difficult Premier League season.
A brace from Harvey Barnes rendered Ruben Dias' strike a mere consolation as the Magpies bounced back from their dreadful display at Brentford with an impressive display against the Cityzens.
Newcastle looked back to their energetic best and returned to basics in their search to rediscover the winning formula against one of the Premier League's best sides.
Here are five things we learned from a vital Newcastle win at St James' Park.
Pep Guardiola loses his cool
If there was ever a greater sign that Newcastle got the better of Man City today, it was the sight of Guardiola losing his cool.
In highly charged scenes at full-time, both sets of players clashed with Joelinton being dragged away from the scene by some of his team-mates and Jason Tindall and Gianluigi Donnarumma got into a back and forth.
Bruno Guimaraes was in the midst of the arguments and Guardiola took it upon himself to remonstrate with the Newcastle captain. It is not the first time he has publicly remonstrated with an opposition player on the pitch but Guimaraes stood his ground and gave back as good as he got.
Once the gesturing and the shouting between them was over, Guimaraes ran up to the crowd and started conducting the St James' Park orchestra.
Meanwhile, Guardiola took issue with a camera operator who captured his interaction with Guimaraes and let him know his feelings before being shoved away by one of the operator's colleagues.
The Spaniard stormed back towards the touchline and looked visibly irritated as he marched back down the tunnel.
Man City boss Pep Guardiola clashed with Newcastle captain Bruno Guimaraes
Man City boss Pep Guardiola clashed with Newcastle captain Bruno Guimaraes(Image: 2025 James Gill - Danehouse)
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Brentford response
Newcastle simply had to respond in a positive fashion today after heading off on the international break on the back of a dreadful performance at Brentford.
And they certainly did that, playing with the aggressive press that has underpinned their success under Howe and being incredibly effective when they managed to prise the ball away from City.
They scored twice but, in truth, they could have scored plenty more. The challenge now is to back it up away at Everton next weekend and prove they can replicate that sort of performance away from Tyneside.
Schar decision
Schar was recalled to the starting XI in the Premier League for the first time since September, partnering Malick Thiaw. The Swiss international was perhaps unfortunate to lose his place after missing a couple of games through concussion but Thiaw and Sven Botman struck up an excellent partnership in his absence.
After a couple of sub-par displays away from home, however, Botman was dropped and Schar had an opportunity to remind everyone of his talents. And together with Malick Thiaw, they were rock solid at the back, managing to keep the world's best forward Erling Haaland quiet throughout the game.
Botman, and the watching Dan Burn who missed the game through suspension, may have to be patient to break up Newcastle's new central defensive partnership.
Full-back watch
Newcastle finally had both of their young, vibrant full-backs in the starting XI together for the first time this season as injuries and suspensions saw Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall as the only real viable options to start at right-back and left-back.
Their drive and athleticism, particularly going forward, has been missed in recent weeks and the visit of City was their first chance to remind Newcastle of what they have been missing during their recent injury absences.
Hall should have done better with his hacked clearance for City's goal but both players made a notable difference on their return to the starting XI.
Livramento, particularly, was excellent and he gave every last ounce of effort at both ends of the pitch to send a reminder of just how good he is. He may well have matured into England's best right-back and there is a reason today's opponents are interested in signing him.
Desperate City record ends
The pre-match stats made for grim reading for Newcastle. The Magpies had won just one of their last 35 Premier League meetings with City, last beating them in January 2019 while Rafa Benitez was still manager.
City have won 12 Premier League away games against Newcastle, their joint-most away victories against an opponent in the competition, and had scored in each of their last 33 matches against United.
But they flipped the script as Howe finally beat Guardiola in the Premier League for the first time as Magpies boss, finally ending the doubts over whether he had the wherewithal to outwit the great City boss.