Manchester City’s four-game winning streak ended with a 2-1 defeat to Newcastle, despite strong performances from Gianluigi Donnarumma, leaving them further adrift in the Premier League title race.
According to a report from the Manchester Evening News, Manchester City’s four-game winning streak ended with a chaotic 2-1 defeat at Newcastle, with goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma performing well but key attackers like Erling Haaland struggling with poor finishing.
Goalkeeper
Gianluigi Donnarumma – 7
The Italian goalkeeper was one of the visitors’ top performers, making three stunning saves to deny Nick Woltemade in particular. Despite his efforts, he was eventually beaten twice. He received a caution for protesting the second Newcastle goal, which came from a corner where he had been targeted.
Defence
Matheus Nunes – 6
Nunes experienced a difficult contest, particularly as his direct opponent, Harvey Barnes, netted both of Newcastle’s goals. He recovered well from a shaky beginning but struggled to be effective when moving forward.
Rúben Dias – 7
The defender displayed a ferocious competitive attitude and defended capably, scoring City’s immediate equaliser to bounce back quickly. He managed to recover from a knock that drew blood during a physical match.
Joško Gvardiol – 6
Gvardiol provided some calm during the often-manic first half, yet he found the intensity tough as the home striker, Woltemade, grew more influential in the game.
Nico O’Reilly – 6
Despite showing some decent moments while on the ball, O’Reilly was responsible for a poor clearance that led directly to Newcastle’s first goal, an error that Pep Guardiola immediately pointed out to him.
Midfield
Joao Gonzalez – 5
The midfielder was arguably City’s least effective player, finding it nearly impossible to control the game in the opening half, leading to frequent instructions from Guardiola.
Bernardo Silva – 6
After an excellent recent performance against Liverpool where he set the pace, the captain was unable to replicate that form, facing significant difficulty against Newcastle’s physical central unit.
Phil Foden – 6
Foden was unlucky not to earn a penalty but should have converted what was described as City’s best chance of the first half, following a superb move that required a better finish.
Attack
Rayan Cherki – 6
Cherki demonstrated his quality by setting up Foden’s major opportunity but produced few moments of high class otherwise. He was often too elaborate in his play and is clearly still learning the right time to release the ball.
Jérémy Doku – 6
He was City’s best attacking outlet during the first 45 minutes but faded significantly after the interval, reinforcing the criticism that he doesn’t always back up his best performances.
Erling Haaland – 5
Haaland had a rare off day in front of goal, missing at least twice in the first half from clear opportunities. The report states the outcome would have been a different game had he converted those chances.
Substitutes
Tijjani Reijnders (6) and Oscar Bobb (6) made no real impact, while Savinho (5) missed an opportunity to level the score when he slashed at a chance to equalise. Marmoush (6) had too little time to make an impact.