AfriPulse
November 23, (THEWILL) — Harvey Barnes wrote his name into Newcastle United history on Saturday, becoming the first player since Alan Shearer in November 2003 to score twice for the club against Manchester City in an English Premier League match. His brace handed the home side a 2-1 victory at St James’ Park in a contest that saw both teams waste a remarkable number of opportunities.
The opening 45 minutes produced seven big chances yet finished goalless, marking the most big chances on record in a scoreless first half since data collection began in 2010/2011. Erling Haaland, Phil Foden and Barnes himself all squandered clear opportunities before the interval, with both Gianluigi Donnarumma and Nick Pope forced into important saves to keep the match level.
Barnes broke the deadlock shortly after half-time with a strike from the edge of the box following excellent play from Bruno Guimarães. Rúben Dias equalised four minutes later with his first EPL goal since December 2021, but the respite for City proved brief. Barnes soon restored the advantage with a bundled backheel finish after Guimarães had struck the crossbar with a header.
Pep Guardiola had named an unchanged starting XI for the third consecutive League fixture, the first time he had done so since August and September 2021. However, City’s inability to convert chances cost them dearly, leaving them four points behind Arsenal having played a game more than the league leaders, who do not play until Sunday.
The result gave Newcastle only their fourth win in 12 league games this season, a welcome boost after losing three previous matches despite scoring first. City’s dropped points is a significant setback in their pursuit of Arsenal, with the margin at the top now expected to widen rather than close after the international break.
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Jude Obafemi, THEWILL
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
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