Man City saved by late drama as Oscar Bobb the hero in Newcastle win – 5 talking points

NEWCASTLE UNITED 2-3 MANCHESTER CITY: Kevin De Bruyne came off the bench to score an important goal before Oscar Bobb handed Man City a late win at Newcastle United

Video Loading

Video Unavailable

The video will auto-play soon8Cancel

Play now

Pictures from Newcastle United v Man City

Manchester City’s title bid looked under threat thanks to Newcastle’s quickfire double at St James’ Park, only for returning superstar Kevin De Bruyne to score a valuable equaliser and Oscar Bobb to deliver a winner in stoppage-time.

Bernardo Silva put Pep Guardiola’s men ahead in style as they shook off the loss of Ederson to injury, beating Martin Dubravka with a deft backheel. Dubravka had to be at his best to deny Bernardo a second inside half an hour, pushing the Portuguese’s effort onto the bar as City turned the screw.

Newcastle found a way back in, though, hitting their opponents on the break as Alexander Isak collected a pinpoint through-ball from Bruno Guimaraes and curled expertly beyond substitute keeper Stefan Ortega. Moments later the game was turned on its head, with Anthony Gordon cutting in from the left and finding the far corner brilliantly, only for the visitors to battle back in the second half and leave it as late as they could to win it.

Newcastle thought they had their noses in front inside three minutes when Sean Longstaff beat Ederson, only for the officials to rule that Alexander Isak had strayed offside before feeding his team-mate. City goalkeeper Ederson was hurt in a collision with Longstaff and almost gifted the hosts a goal moments later before eventually leaving the field injured.

After a frantic first half, City showed no signs of easing up in the second period, with Julian Alvarez stinging Dubravka’s palms with a free-kick. Some desperate defending kept Newcastle ahead, with Bruno Guimaraes digging deep to deny Rodri, and the visitors turned to the returning Kevin De Bruyne for the closing stages.

Ultimately, De Bruyne made the crucial difference with an effort which crept beyond Dubravka. There was still time for Bobb to snatch victory for City, breaking Newcastle hearts, and here are Mirror Football’s talking points from a hectic 90 minutes.

1. Fresh injury blow for City

Just as Manchester City welcome back one star, they risk losing another for some time. Kevin De Bruyne returned to the fold last weekend and started on the bench at St James’ Park, but Guardiola found himself needing to make a different change inside 10 minutes.

What did you make of the game at St James’ Park? Have your say in the comments section

(

Image:

ADAM VAUGHAN/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

Ederson’s injury might not have occurred if play was stopped when Alexander Isak strayed offside, but ultimately the keeper was unable to continue. Stefan Ortega has been an able deputy at times, but an extended run would be a different proposition compared to the odd game here and there.

Erling Haaland and John Stones were among those already missing going into the game, and they’ll hope Ederson’s injury isn’t too serious. Thankfully for Guardiola, his team won’t have to play again until January 26.

2. De Bruyne saves the day after Bernardo’s touch of class

Bernardo Silva enjoyed a fantastic 2023 for City as they won the Treble, but if there was one complaint levelled at the midfielder it was that his goal tally could have been better. It was if he was listening to those questions, scoring a sumptuous opener and almost adding an equally classy second.

City’s bigger issue, as the game went on, was that others couldn’t follow suit. Julian Alvarez was guilty of one of the more glaring misses, while a number of visiting players fired efforts too close to Dubravka, but eventually De Bruyne showed them how it was done before feeding Bobb for the winner.

Kevin De Bruyne celebrates his equaliser (

Image:

AFP via Getty Images)

Guardiola indicated before the game that Erling Haaland wouldn’t be rushed back into action after his return from injury took longer than some anticipated. How they could do with the comfort of a reliable scorer like the Norwegian on days like this, though.

3. Wasteful Newcastle almost bailed out by wondergoals

Opposition teams can’t expect to get too many chances against Manchester City, and they certainly can’t afford to be as reckless with their final ball as Newcastle were on Saturday. Twice they pounced after first-half mistakes from City keepers – one from Ederson and one from Ortega – and twice they failed to take full advantage.

Anthony Gordon’s special goal put Newcastle in front late in the first half (

Image:

Getty Images)

In the end, though, the chances they did take were far tougher than the ones they squandered. It was a similar situation in the recent defeat at Liverpool, as Eddie Howe’s men showed a talent for scoring goals out of nowhere, and in this case it was enough to give them a lead at the break.

They couldn’t hold it, though, and as Newcastle dropped further back they allowed their opponents to push. City’s late winner was painful, but Newcastle had their chances.

4. City’s high line a worry

With a goalkeeper like Ederson on hand to mop up, City have been able to play a high defensive line with a ready-made safety net. With the Brazilian forced off early, though, Newcastle were able to punish them by exploting the gap between Ortega and his defenders.

Alexander Isak got in behind on more than one occasion (

Image:

ADAM VAUGHAN/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

They might even have scored a third as Isak got free again in the inside right channel, only for Ortega to stand firm to narrow the angle for the Swede. That stop allowed the visitors a platform to attack after the break, eventually getting their reward through De Bruyne’s tidy finish.

Guardiola may yet point to the quality of finishing from Newcastle and feel there’s not a huge amount to worry about in the long run. That can be true with things remaining a concern in the short-term, though.

5. More twists and turns to come in title race

Going into this game, it was impossible to predict who might come out on top in the title race. City tend to finish the season strongly, but a gap had started to open up to league leaders Liverpool.

Guardiola’s teams are always susceptible to being shocked, and yet they looked in control before Isak’s equaliser. The ease with which it went from 0-1 to 2-1 won’t have escaped City’s title rivals, but the manner of the victory can’t not be a huge boost.

City have a break before their next league game, which comes at home to Burnley on January 31. Perhaps the sight of Vincent Kompany in the opposing dugout in that game will remind them of the times they’ve needed to dig deep to win it all.

Join our new WhatsApp community! Click this link to receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.

This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more

TNT Sports gives you access to games across the Premier League, Champions League, Europa League, Serie A and many more. You can also watch the biggest clashes in boxing, UFC, WWE and the get exclusive action from MLB all for one payment every month. You can watch TNT Sports through BT, EE, Sky, and Virgin Media.