Newcastle 2–1 Man City Player Ratings – Haaland Misfires, Foden Wasteful & Barnes Stuns! | OneFootball

Nights like this are why Manchester City always hate the trip to St James’ Park. It’s loud, it’s frantic, it’s a pressure cooker that swallows up favourites and spits out chaos. And on a wild evening in the Northeast, Newcastle United didn’t just beat the champions – they rattled them, chased them down blind alleys, and exposed every crack Pep Guardiola hoped nobody would notice.

A first half defined by spectacular misses somehow turned into a second half defined by even more spectacular punishment. Harvey Barnes went from “How has he not scored?” to “Oh, he absolutely meant that.” Phil Foden and Erling Haaland, the two City players who normally settle these matches with cold-blooded finishing, couldn’t finish a children’s puzzle. And while City pushed and panicked, Newcastle – energised by Malick Thiaw’s masterclass at the back and Bruno Guimarães dragging the game by the throat – found a winning moment City never recovered from.

This wasn’t a smash-and-grab. This was tactical maturity, physical superiority, and sharper decision-making. And for City, it was another worrying reminder that this title race won’t wait for them to find form.

Time to rate the carnage.

Manchester City Vs Newcastle MATCH PREVIEW – Premier League 2025/26: Newcastle 2–1 Man City Player Ratings – Haaland Misfires, Foden Wasteful & Barnes Stuns!

NEWCASTLE UNITED – PLAYER RATINGS

Nick Pope – 7.5/10

A wall. City didn’t exactly pepper him with world-class finishing, but Pope made every stop he needed to, especially denying Haaland twice. One of those nights where the shoulders looked broader.

Tino Livramento – 8.5/10

Played like a man who spent the afternoon watching clips of prime Dani Alves. Dominated the right flank, clocked up enough sprints to make the stadium electricity bill blush, and gave City constant problems. Newcastle look a different team with him.

Fabian Schär – 7.5/10

Got lucky when VAR decided Foden didn’t deserve a penalty, but aside from that, he was commanding. Cut out angles, put his body on the line, and delivered one of his most disciplined performances of the season.

Malick Thiaw – 9.5/10

A flawless display. Read Haaland like he had a personal copy of the striker’s diary. Won duels, won headers, won nerve battles – won everything. One of the best individual defensive performances of the Premier League season.

Lewis Hall – 8/10

Hardly put a foot wrong. Energetic, intelligent, positive – this is the version of Hall Chelsea fans still argue about in group chats.

Joelinton – 7.5/10

Peak Joelinton. He ran through people, recycled the ball, and pressed like his life depended on it. Gave City’s midfield no comfort at all.

Sandro Tonali – 8/10

Slick, sharp, sensational. A metronome with legs and tackling aggression. Dominated City’s midfield in a way few teams dare attempt.

Bruno Guimarães – 8.5/10

A quieter first half followed by a second-half explosion. He drove forward brilliantly for the opener and rattled City with tempo changes they couldn’t track.

Harvey Barnes – 9/10

You know what? Full respect. Missing sitters? Happens. But the way he buried the opener and then pounced for the winner was the mentality of a player who refuses to shrink. Made Man City pay twice.

Jacob Murphy – 7/10

Threatened with pace and intent all game. Not every cross landed, but Newcastle don’t function without his disruption.

Nick Woltemade – 8/10

He looked exhausted when he went off – and that sums it up. Ran himself into the ground, bullied City’s centre-backs, and only brilliant Donnarumma goalkeeping denied him.

SUBS

Sven Botman – N/A

Anthony Elanga – N/A

Joe Willock – N/A

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MANCHESTER CITY – PLAYER RATINGS

Gianluigi Donnarumma – 5.5/10

Brilliant saves earlier. Chaos later. His “I’m bored, let me pass early” moment nearly gifted Newcastle a goal, and he completely mishandled two crosses before the winner. A frustrating night.

Matheus Nunes – 6/10

Started bright but unravelled fast. Barnes twisted him inside out more than once. Looked like a midfielder stuck in a full-back body.

Ruben Dias – 6.5/10

Shoulders heavy, legs heavier – but he still found an equaliser via a deflection. Definitely not Dias, who orders City’s backline. Too reactive on the night.

Josko Gvardiol – 5.5/10

Brilliant goal-line clearance… and then a string of mistakes that gave Newcastle hope. Needs a reboot.

Nico O’Reilly – 6.5/10

Energetic and dangerous going forward, but his poor clearance gifted Newcastle the opening goal. Shows quality but still needs experience.

Bernardo Silva – 5.5/10

Didn’t control the tempo, didn’t help defensively, didn’t trouble Newcastle. One of his quieter games – borderline anonymous at times.

Nico González – 6/10

A rough night. Newcastle pressed him like a man walking around with a neon sign saying, “Take the ball off me!” Completely overrun.

Phil Foden – 3/10

When Foden misses big chances, it always feels like a glitch in the simulation. Tonight, he missed two. Badly. No rhythm, no sharpness, no usual Foden finesse.

Rayan Cherki – 4/10

One-and-a-half nice moments, then disappeared. Attempted creativity but couldn’t stamp his personality on the game.

Erling Haaland – 3.5/10

A Norwegian ghost. Framed perfectly for headlines like “Haaland Misfires Again”, and deservedly so. Fluffed two huge chances and never threatened to reach his 100th PL goal.

Jeremy Doku – 7/10

The only City player who genuinely worried Newcastle. On another night he wins a penalty and delivers two assists. City’s best attacker – but that isn’t saying much.

Savinho – 4/10

Tijjani Reijnders – 5/10

Oscar Bobb – 5/10

Omar Marmoush – N/A

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MAN OF THE MATCH – MALICK THIAW

Death, taxes, and Thiaw winning every duel in sight. A flawless defensive performance against the most feared striker in Europe.

CONCLUSION – CITY LOSE GROUND, NEWCASTLE FIND A PULSE

This wasn’t just a Newcastle win – it was a Newcastle statement. Eddie Howe’s side looked reborn, aggressive, structured, and opportunistic. A far cry from their early-season chaos. And with fixtures easing, this could spark a surge into European contention.

City, meanwhile, slip again. Four defeats in 12 league games is not title-contender material, and Arsenal now hold a massive psychological advantage. Guardiola won’t panic – but he will worry.

Because on nights like this, City didn’t look unlucky. They looked second-best.

And Newcastle made sure everyone watching knew it.