What felt like an inevitable FA Cup exit at the quarter-final stages has come to pass, but Newcastle weren’t exactly blown away – even if it felt like City could have upped the intensity at any stage if they needed.
The reality is two deflected first-half goals largely put the game beyond Newcastle from an early stage. City did have a few clear-cut chances but they didn’t pepper the Newcastle goal and, at the other end, Alexander Isak had two big openings he failed to convert.
The primary issue for Newcastle was only managing two shots on goal and, despite some decent pressing, did not carry enough of a threat.
Newcastle’s non-internationals now head off to Dubai and Eddie Howe will hope another warm-weather training camp delivers the upturn in form it did in each of the past two seasons. Languishing 10th in the Premier League, they need a strong end to the campaign to secure European football for next season.
That is now all Newcastle have to play for, otherwise this exhausting season will just peter out.
First appeared on theathletic.com