Newcastle lost heavily to Man City in the direct battle of the Top 4 race. They have the right to think about a victory against the defending champions right at the Etihad because Man City is now the weakest version of Pep Guardiola's era. However, when the referee blew the whistle to end the match with a result of 0-4, The Magpies realized the harsh truth.
Eddie Howe called the Man City game the start of a decisive period. If the match at the Etihad was a melody, it ended with a high note that lasted as a wake-up call for the away team. This season, many decisive matches have come to Newcastle but they have not taken advantage of the opportunity to succeed.
The loss to Man City against Newcastle was a simple but brutal lesson. They need to be more persistent if they don't want to lose everything after this season.
Against Man City on Saturday night, Newcastle were no different from a team that was surprised when their opponents took the card from start to finish. "The Magpies" lost most of the challenges, lost control of the midfield area and gradually fell into a state of total inactivity. Their strongest point against Arsenal in the League Cup semi-finals was that counter-attacks also became harmless.
At the beginning of the season, Newcastle was once kicked out of the group competing for tickets to play in the European Cup. The turning point came after the loss to Brentford on December 7, 2024. Since then, they have won 9 consecutive matches. From the place where there was no more hope, Newcastle themselves saved themselves to take the opportunity to compete again. Now, they are forced to persevere like that again after losing to Man City.
"It hurts to see this result. We have fallen behind our own level. Newcastle today, simply is not strong enough to compete, not qualified enough to play against Man City.
Since the beginning of the season, the team has lost many matches like this. In the end, those losses cost the club a lot" - Eddie Howe shared.
In the last 15 matches in all competitions, Newcastle have won 12. That was also the achievement that took them to Wembley to play in the League Cup final against Liverpool. However, looking at their most important playground - the Premier League, the Magpies have lost three of their last four games. From being able to squeeze into the Top 4 after round 25, Newcastle has dropped to 7th place, less than Man City is holding this position by 3 points.
Newcastle are facing the opportunity to win their first official title in decades. However, stars like Alexander Isak, Bruno Guimaraes and Anthony Gordon want to compete in the Champions League. Concentrating all your efforts to win the League Cup or compete for a Champions League ticket? Newcastle need to do both in parallel.
"We are in some trouble. The upcoming League Cup final is not a negative mix-in, but it is not necessarily a positive one. Right after that, we have to return to work" - Eddie Howe shared.
