It’s not working without Rodri and Kevin De Bruyne! Rico Lewis, Mateo Kovacic, and Ilkay Gundogan are fantastic players, but the Spaniard and Belgian’s creativity is unmatched. Despite a rather poor display, the Cityzens still took the lead after Josko Gvardiol’s moment of inspiration in the opposing box. Still, the Magpies were better and better as the time passed, equalizing in the 57th minute thanks to Anthony Gordon, who first earned a penalty, before sending it home for 1-1. Mr.Invincible, your services will be sorely missedIn a duel between Newcastle and Man City, it’s hard not to expect fireworks, especially when the Magpies await the Cityzens at their St. James’ Park and the two teams are separated by only three points. Pep Guardiola’s crew await the game against Newcastle after the epic clash with Arsenal a week ago in which they were on the verge of the first defeat this season, salvaging the draw in the 98th minute. On the other hand, the Magpies suffered their first loss of the season last week at Craven Cottage against Fulham.After scoring in three consecutive games, Harvey Barnes was in the starting XI as a part of the attacking trio alongside Gordon and Jacob Murphy. Eddie Howe included Sandro Tonali in the lineup for the first time this season as well as Kieran Trippier, who had not been a regular starter since the beginning of the season. Guardiola, on the other hand, opted for Lewis and Kovacic as De Bruyne and Rodri’s replacements, while Gundogan got a more offensive role, behind Erling Haaland.The two managers opted for the rather cautious tactics at the beginning. Man City tried to control the rhythm, while Newcastle relied on quick counterattacks through Murphy and Gordon. Still, the rivals mainly battled out in the midfield and there were no colossal chances during the first half an hour.The Cityzens took the lead in the 35th minute after quite an unusual situation. Jack Grealish attacked from the left flank and found Gvardiol – yes, the left-back – inside the box. The Croat made a magnificent fake and netted the ball past Nick Pope as if Haaland’s spirit entered his body – 1-0!In the end, neither team showed anything special, but only Guardiola could have been satisfied since his team had the lead. Newcastle weren’t bad, considering the strength of the opponent, but still were a goal behind. The 56th minute brought the first excitement after the break – a penalty for Newcastle! Gordon for the first time escaped Manuel Akanji and Ruben Dias’ attention and went one-on-one with Ederson who brought him down in the box. The young Englishman was impeccable from the spot, making it 1-1!The equalizer gave a huge confidence boost to Howe’s boys, who started playing more aggressively, pressing the rivals’ defence. During that, period Gvardiol had numerous problems on the left defensive side, mostly with Gordon. Guardiola tried to improve his offense, subbing Phil Foden in for pretty invisible Gundogan.Turbulence in Newcastle: CEO to step down due to a cancer battleThe Cityzens threatened a few times through Foden and Haaland, but nowhere near enough to outsmart Pope. Howe, on the other hand, tried to refresh his ranks sending Joe Willock, Sean Longstaff, and Valentino Livramento in for Tonali, Barnes, and Trippier. The latter two subs created a good chance for the Magpies, but the 26-year-old midfielder’s effort from inside the area went far wide of Ederson’s right post.In the 92nd minute, Bernardo Silva missed the ultimate massive chance in the game. His excellent volley attempt from around ten meters was denied by the outstanding Pope, who saved a draw for his team. The Cityzens recorded the second tie in a row and could lose the top spot to either Liverpool, Aston Villa, or Arsenal. Or all of them. Hence, in theory, Guardiola’s crew could await the next Premier League round only in the fourth position.PREMIER LEAGUE – MATCHDAY 6SaturdayNewcastle – Man City 1-1 (0-1)/Gordon 58 pen – Gvardiol 35/17:00: (1.22) Arsenal (7.25) Leicester (15.0)17:00: (2.30) Brentford (3.50) West Ham (3.25)17:00: (1.75) Chelsea (3.60) Brighton (4.90)17:00: (2.85) Everton (3.35) Crystal Palace (2.65)17:00: (2.45) Nott.Forest (3.40) Fulham (3.10)19:30: (7.75) Wolverhampton (4.80) Liverpool (1.40)Sunday16:00: (4.40) Ipswich (3.50) Aston Villa (1.85)18:30: (2.35) Man.Utd. (3.60) Tottenham (2.85)Monday22:00: (1.65) Bournemouth (3.80) Southampton (5.40)***odds are subject to change***
