Newcastle United suffered a familiar fate at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday as they once again tasted defeat against Manchester City. It was a spirited display by the Magpies but another afternoon where chances came and went for the attackers in black and white.
However, Newcastle now look like a team who can impact games with their substitutes, which hasn't always been the case this season. Eddie Howe made a triple substitution while trailing by a single goal, bringing Alexander Isak, Joe Willock and Allan Saint-Maximin off the bench.
The trio made an instant impact as Newcastle threatened to get back in the game midway throughout the second-half. City hit them with a sucker-punch moments later as Bernardo Silva doubled the home side's advantage but Howe will take positives from the way his changes almost paid off instantly.
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Speaking before the game, Howe admitted his bench was looking 'strong' and would prove 'vital' in the early kick-off. "I think you always think about tweaking your team slightly," he said. "We’ve got quality players to pick from, our bench today looks very strong so I’ve said to the players that that area of our team today is going to be vital for us getting a positive result here - we’re going to need the whole squad. Everyone is ready to play."
After the game, he added: "We had a good bench today. You just have to look at the quality the players we had, the squad was near enough at full strength, minus Fabian. We're going to need that strength with Joelinton missing."
Joelinton's absence will be a huge blow for Newcastle but as Howe mentioned, there is options at his disposal. Willock, Isak and Saint-Maximin will be itching to reclaim starting spots, while Elliot Anderson and Jacob Murphy are also on the periphery.
Anthony Gordon got his first Newcastle start on Saturday, while Callum Wilson and Miguel Almiron continue to be used from the outset.
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