Newcastle United 3, Manchester City 4
Ferran Torres scored his first hat trick for Manchester City as they overcame Newcastle United in a seven goal thriller at St James’ Park.
Embed from Getty ImagesIn an amazing match for the neutral the lead changed hands several times in a thrilling match with little riding on the result for either side.
And in the end City earned a 12th consecutive away win in the league – a record for the top 4 divisions in England – as they showed plenty of character to beat a feisty Newcastle side who exploited their defensive weaknesses.
City were sloppy with the ball in defence which added to the entertainment value as Newcastle made the most of their counter attacks despite having less than 20% of the possession and worked hard for every chance they got.
Emil Krafth headed Newcastle into the lead before Joao Cancelo and Torres gave the lead to City.
Joelinton and Joe Willock put the hosts back into the lead either side of half time before Ferran Torres struck twice to complete a remarkable hat trick with his final two goals coming four minutes after Willock had scored.
Torres had already hit a hat trick for Spain this term but at 21 years and 75 days, the Spanish winger had become the youngest player to score a league hat trick for a Pep Guardiola team – beating the previous youngest player Lionel Messi who hit his hat trick aged 22 years 200 days against Tenerife in January 2010.
Remarkably, Torres was only the third youngest player to hit a Premier League hat trick for City behind Mario Balotelli and Raheem Sterling.
And with City losing their legendary record goalscorer in the summer – Sergio Aguero – Torres showed he also has the predators instinct.
With City back in the lead the tension remained palpable until the end as they decided to hold on to the ball to see out the game – something that was easier against a Newcastle side that had run themselves into the ground earlier.
But they tightened up towards the end with a 3 minute 35 second spell of possession which ended with a Kyle Walker shot which went disappointingly wide as they held the Magpies at bay.
Man of the match Torres was delighted to have topped off a great week for the club with a personal landmark to celebrate.
He said: “It’s been a incredible week, we qualified for the Champions League Final, and won the Premier League, and I scored a hat trick. I am happy!”
“I try to keep learning from my team mates day by day, I scored a hat trick for Spain against Germany and now today as well.
“I just want to keep improving and get ready for the Champions League final”
Torres’ boss Pep Guardiola could barely contain his excitement at the performance of his young winger who had a lengthy COVID related layoff earlier in the season.
He said: “This is his first season in England and his numbers are exceptional.
“He came as a winger but I think I might have to play him as a striker.
“He hasn’t played many minutes but he was there today. I was very pleased.
With Aguero leaving in the summer, the question of Torres being his replacement was broached and Guardiola was effusive.
“Yes he can be an alternate number nine – his rhythm, especially defensively, has increased a lot.
“The movement he makes as a striker and the anticipation is something strikers intuitively know and he has this talent.
“Maybe we will buy a striker maybe not but we have a guy who is young and we can use him left, right or up front.
“The season is long and you have to have 15, 16, 17 top players, and the academy.
“We also have two, three, four interesting players there who will help us next season.
“The players hate me because they want to play every single day!”
On setting a new English record for consecutive away wins, Guardiola said: “It’s good to win 12 away, I’m happy for that but it’s important that we made mistakes because we were distracted as Champions.
“We made a comeback after 1-0 and 3-2, that was good, but hopefully we can learn from these distractions.
“[Matt] Ritchie is a good corner taker and we conceded from counter attacks.
“I knew this could happen today but we will be more focused against Brighton.”
Newcastle boss Steve Bruce was happy with the goals that Newcastle were scoring but knew that his side had to be better defensively.
He said: “We gave it a right good go, but we have to be better defensively.
“We didn’t have to make too many saves but the sloppiness was disappointing.
“How often to you score three against this mob?
“Our defending was naive at times, and we weren’t good enough.
“Its not often we score three and four in the Premier League but we have to defend better.
“We gave Man City a fright tonight.”
Ferran Torres stakes a claim for Champions League final start with hat trick, could he replace Sergio Aguero next season?
Premier League Champions Manchester City named a changed side to face a Newcastle United side who no longer had to worry about relegation.
Sergio Aguero and Kevin De Bruyne were not risked for the game at Newcastle, with De Bruyne nursing a slight injury and Aguero left out after missing a spot kick against Chelsea last weekend.
Scott Carson, on loan from Derby County for the last two seasons made his City debut and his first Premier League appearance in almost ten years after his last as Pep Guardiola freshened up his side.
And what a memorable game it would turn out to be for the veteran goalkeeper as both sides hit the woodwork and Carson faced two penalties – saving one!
Kyle Walker, Eric Garcia, Ilkay Gundogan, and Bernardo Silva also returned for the game as Guardiola made five changes from the side that lost 2-1 at home to Chelsea last weekend with Ederson, Ruben Dias, Aymeric Laporte, Benjamin Mendy and Aguero stepping down.
The Magpies, who named Joelinton as a starter because of Callum Wilson’s hamstring injury, formed a guard of honour to welcome City.
And Newcastle were even more generous for their visitors, ceding territory and possession from the start – and they would see City attempt 919 passes, completing 868 of them – a Premier League record for the season – as they went on to complete just 129 of 191.
Gabriel Jesus hit an early shot wide from outside the area while Ferran Torres was also off target from closer in while Joao Cancelo at least forced a save from Martin Dubravka.
It took 24 minutes for Newcastle to try a counter attack and Joelinton was blocked by Kyle Walker after Allan Saint Maximin went on the break and found the Brazilian with a square ball.
And from the corner Emil Krafth got his first goal for the Magpies with a firm header from Jonjo Shelvey’s set piece after poor positioning allowed the defender a free header.
Ilkay Gundogan tried a low free kick to beat Dubravka but the Newcastle keeper was quick to get down and make the save.
Freed from relegation fear and in decent form the Magpies were able to hit City on the break and Shelvey had a 25 yard free kick come back off the crossbar after Miguel Almiron was brought down by Nathan Ake.
City were besieging Newcastle again and their passing carousel ended when Cancelo’s shot from the edge of the area took a deflection off Jacob Murphy to wongfoot Dubravka and deservedly level the scores after 39 minutes – only his third goal of the season.
And City were in the lead 3 minutes later when Gundogan’s free kick was flicked past Dubravka from 10 yards out, diverting the ball into a loop over the goalkeeper’s head for his 11th goal of the season.
Joelinton headed Matt Ritchie’s cross over the bar as Newcastle were undeterred and the Brazilian was offside after another audacious move appeared to catch City out and Ake was on the hook for a possible penalty on Joelinton after he initially played the pacy Saint-Maximin onside earlier in the move.
Even though it appeared the Joelinton had stood on Ake’s boot while off balance the penalty was given by VAR deep into injury time and Joelinton stepped up to level matters for Newcastle with a powerful shot beyond the reach of Carson for his sixth goal of the season.
Matt Ritchie’s cross was cleared by City as both sides continued to probe for space and Garcia had to block a shot from Joe Willock.
And Newcastle put a quick counter attack to good use when Dubravka started the break which ended when Willock was felled by Walker in the box – his third penalty concession of the season.
Willock took over spot kick duty from Joelinton and although Carson stopped the penalty the on-loan Arsenal man tucked home the rebound for his fifth goal in five games.
And City got back into it gain when Torres stabbed home a square ball from the right by Gabriel Jesus from six yards out less than two minutes later.
And the goals kept coming after Ake cleared a ball into the box and City went up the other end and Torres was there to tuck home the rebound from 9 yards out after Cancelo hit the post with a shot from 25 yards out to complete his first hat trick for City within the space of 24 minutes – his 13th strike of the season.
Benjamin Mendy came on to replace Cancelo who had been fouled several times in the game with 15 minutes to go and City had a spell of over 3 minutes on the ball which delayed a double change for Newcastle when Jamal Lewis and Sean Longstaff came on for Ritchie and Joelinton with 6 minutes to go while Federico Fernandez came off for Dwight Gayle with 2 minutes to go as the Magpies had to go for it.
But City expertly saw the game out and even had some chances to gift Torres a fourth goal but for some good defensive work by their hosts.
GOALS – Newcastle United 3, Manchester City 4
Newcastle Utd 1, Man City 0: 25. Emile Krafth headed home his first goal for Newcastle after taking advantage of poor marking to reach Jonjo Shelvey’s corner.
Newcastle Utd 1, Man City 1: 39. Joao Cancelo’s shot from the edge of the area took a deflection off Jacob Murphy to wrong foot Martin Dubravka and level the scores.
Newcastle Utd 1, Man City 2: 42. Ferran Torres executed a brilliant flick to turn Ilkay Gundogan’s free kick past the diving Martin Dubravka – the ball looped over the goalkeeper’s head.
Newcastle Utd 2, Man City 2: 45+6. Joelinton stepped up to fire a penalty past Scott Carson after a penalty conceded by Nathan Ake.
Newcastle Utd 3, Man City 2: 62. Joe Willock grabbed the ball after being brought down by Kyle Walker in the area and although his spot kick was saved by Carson the on-loan Arsenal man tucked away the rebound despite slipping.
Newcastle Utd 3, Man City 3: 64. Ferran Torres notched his second goal of the game after stabbing home a cutback by Gabriel Jesus from the right from six yards out.
Newcastle Utd 3, Man City 4: 66. Ferran Torres reacted first again after Joao Cancelo’s 25 yard shot cam back off to post – tucking in the rebound from 9 yards out to complete his hat trick.
MATCH STATS – Newcastle United 3, Manchester City 4
Newcastle Utd: Dubravka, Murphy, Krafth, Fernandez (Gayle 88), Dummett, Ritchie (Sean Longstaff 84), Willock, Shelvey, Almiron, Saint-Maximin, Joelinton (Lewis 84)
Newcastle Utd subs not used: Gillespie, Clark, Matty Longstaff, Carroll, Hendrick, Manquillo
Bookings: Ritchie (foul on Gabriel Jesus 36); Shelvey 59 (foul on Ferran Torres)
Goals: Krafth 25; Joelinton pen 45+6; Willock 62
Man City: Carson, Walker, Garcia, Ake, Cancelo (Mendy 75), Bernardo Silva, Rodri, Gundogan, Torres, Sterling, Jesus
Man City subs not used: Steffen, Dias, Stones, Laporte, Fernandinho, Mahrez, Foden, Palmer
Bookings: Rodri 44 (foul on Joe Willock); Cancelo 57 (dissent after foul on Jacob Murphy)
Goals: Cancelo 39; Torres 42, 64, 66
Referee: Kevin Friend