Newcastle United secured a dramatic 2-1 Premier League victory over Manchester City at St James’ Park, fueled by a Harvey Barnes brace and strong performances from returning players, getting their season back on track.
Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe made three personnel changes to the starting line-up that had previously lost 3-1 at Brentford, introducing Fabian Schär, Lewis Hall, and Tino Livramento.
The substitutions were necessary due to Sven Botman’s absence, Dan Burn’s suspension, and an injury to Kieran Trippier.
This fixture saw Livramento return to the matchday squad for the first time in two months following a knee injury.
Goalkeeper
Nick Pope – 7
The goalkeeper retained his place despite a concussion suffered in the last match against Brentford. He was highly alert throughout the fixture, executing smart saves and confidently coming off his line when necessary.
Defenders
Tino Livramento – 7
Straight back into the starting eleven after a two-month layoff, he looked a little rusty with some of his passing early on. He made a crucial block to deny Erling Haaland and put in a real shift considering the circumstances, though he was visibly struggling towards the end.
Malick Thiaw – 8
Thiaw delivered a class act performance, making several important blocks and interceptions. His defensive work was highlighted by a great challenge to deny Haaland while maintaining his composure and staying on his feet.
Fabian Schär – 7
Making a welcome return to the starting line-up, Schär demonstrated good composure on the ball. He sprayed passes out from the back and was a strong front-foot defender with numerous blocks and headers won, though he was somewhat fortunate to escape unpunished for a late challenge on Phil Foden in the penalty area.
Lewis Hall – 7
His presence helped Newcastle get further up the pitch and demonstrated good quality on the ball. The team looked noticeably better with him in it, although his return was cut short as he was forced off in the closing stages.
Midfielders
Sandro Tonali – 9
Tonali was instrumental in maintaining a high press, getting further forward in attack. His intensity gave Newcastle something to build from and a real foothold in the game, earning him the description of a midfield warrior who was everywhere towards the end.
Bruno Guimarães – 8
While he was in and out of the game, he displayed quality with smart passes out wide to initiate attacks. He was brilliant for the opening goal, where he grabbed the ball, brought it forward, and set up Barnes. He also played a vital role in the second goal when his header came back off the crossbar.
Joelinton – 7
He won the ball high up in the opening moments of the game and battled well when out of possession. His main drawback was a lack of quality on the ball at key moments. He also received a booking.
Attackers
Jacob Murphy – 7
Murphy was effective on the right wing, providing three dangerous crosses and creating several attacking opportunities for the home side.
Harvey Barnes – 8
A ‘crazy’ night for the winger. He squandered a great chance in the opening seconds and missed what looked like a certain goal later in the half. However, it was third time lucky as he scored with an emphatic finish to take the lead, before restoring the lead with a close-range effort, making it two goals in two games.
Nick Woltemade – 7
The German striker was denied a close-range header by a good save from Donnarumma. He was then denied again one-on-one by the Italian. The report highlighted that this was the first time he has failed to score with a shot on target in his 15 games for Newcastle.
Substitutes
Sven Botman – n/a
Came on for Hall in the 78th minute as Newcastle switched to a five-at-the-back formation to see out the win.
Joe Willock – n/a
Substituted on for Barnes in the 85th minute and helped to see out the win.
Anthony Elanga – n/a
Introduced for Woltemade in the 85th minute and brought some energy leading the line.