Newcastle United's owners hope to one day compete with Man City, but this 5-0 defeat was another reminder of the work the Magpies have to do to bridge the gap. In fact, it said it all that league leaders put Newcastle to the sword at the Eithad without even calling upon Bernardo Silva and Riyad Mahrez, who were both unused substitutes.
While City were utterly dominant - recording 71% possession, having 21 shots and winning eight corners - Newcastle were the architects of their own downfall. As well as failing to take a glorious opportunity to go in front, through Chris Wood in the eighth minute, Eddie Howe's side repeatedly shot themselves in the foot at the other end of the field.
Allan Saint-Maximin lost his man, Joao Cancelo, in the build-up to Raheem Sterling's opener; Aymeric Laporte and Rodri took full advantage of some sloppy defending at corner kicks for City's second and third goals; and the visitors were picked apart at the death as substitute Phil Foden and Sterling scored two goals in the space of just three minutes.
READ MORE: Newcastle owner's reaction, away end show Man City up and double bonus before Arsenal - 5 things
To their credit, though, those 3,000 Geordies in the sold-out away end did not stop singing and even when City had an astonishing 99% possession at one point in the second half, it was Newcastle fans making all the noise as they repeatedly chanted: 'Eddie Howe's black and white army!' for several minutes. Was it any wonder midfielder Bruno Guimaraes brutally admitted that 'you don't deserve what happened today'?
By full-time, Newcastle players looked relieved it was all over after a draining afternoon chasing the ball in the heat. It is important to put this result into perspective given where Newcastle were just a few months ago, but the challenge in the years to come is to consign scorelines like this to the past. As competitive as Newcastle have been in some of the games against the current top six, the black-and-whites have picked up just a single point against City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, Spurs and Manchester United so far this season. The aggregate score? 32-6.
The message remains evolution rather than revolution this summer, but the reality is that a number of players will be moved on in the coming months. Indeed, some individuals who were not even in the match day squad on Sunday, or included in the 25-man Premier League squad full stop, may have already played their last game for the club.
It will fall to others to try and end Newcastle's Etihad hoodoo in the years to come after City bounced back from what was supposed to have been a psychologically damaging Champions League exit at the hands of Real Madrid. In some ways, it did not feel like the worst time to face City, but Newcastle were coming up against a wounded animal desperate to retain the Premier League title. Indeed, ahead of this fixture, Pep Guardiola, ominously, spoke of how 'I'm only thinking about Newcastle.'
Only City and Liverpool have picked up more points than Newcastle in the Premier League in 2022, but you could get odds of 19/1 with some bookmakers on the Magpies causing an upset at the Etihad. Perhaps that should not have come as a huge surprise.
Newcastle had never triumphed in a league game at the Etihad and the black-and-whites had only won one of their previous 28 top-flight fixtures against City. Eddie Howe, meanwhile, had the longest 100% losing record a manager has recorded against a single opponent, in City, while nine of those 11 defeats came against Pep Guardiola, which is also the longest 100% losing record in Premier League history.
Yet, eight days on from a narrow defeat against Liverpool, this was another opportunity for Newcastle to show how far they have come, to play with the aggression that was sorely missing eight days previously as the eyes of the world watched on once more. There was once a time, in a previous era, where getting anything from these sorts of games was considered a bonus but they are not free hits under Howe. Indeed, far from keeping the score down, even captain Jamaal Lascelles said the 'mindset will definitely be to go there and try and win'.
It was not going to be possible to do just that by merely going toe to toe with City, of course, but Howe did start a recognised striker this time in Chris Wood after the Newcastle boss was forced into three changes. Fabian Schar was only fit enough to make the bench after hobbling off against Liverpool so Jamaal Lascelles started at the back while Sean Longstaff and Wood came in for Joe Willock and Jonjo Shelvey, who both look set to miss the rest of the campaign through injury.
Regardless of who lined up, Newcastle needed to make an assured start at the Etihad after going behind after just five minutes in the reverse fixture last December and the Magpies did do just that. Howe's side pressed City whenever the hosts crossed the halfway line and made the opening stages niggly and stop-start. Most encouragingly, Newcastle were composed on the ball and the visitors came closest to opening the scoring in the eighth minute.
Allan Saint-Maximin picked the ball up out on the right and whipped in an inviting cross to Chris Wood at the back post, but the striker's header from point-blank range was easily claimed by Ederson. It was a huge opportunity, particularly in a game like this, and you could not help but think back to Saint-Maximin's comments that he would have 10-15 assists if he had a 'player capable of finishing' earlier this week.
However, as effective as Saint-Maximin can be in the final third on his day, the mercurial forward's limitations going the other way were brutally exposed after the quarter-hour mark. City had already gone close to breaking the deadlock through Aymeric Laporte and Joao Cancelo when Ilkay Gundogan sent a lofted ball towards the back post in the 18th minute. Cancelo easily stole a march on Saint-Maximin to head the ball across goal and there was Sterling to nod home.
It was a poor goal to concede and Newcastle's defending again left a lot to be desired for City's killer second goal in the 38th minute. Cancelo's corner was met by the unmarked Gundogan on the volley and Martin Dubravka spilled the midfielder's effort. Although the Newcastle 'keeper managed to recover to deny Ruben Dias on the rebound, Laporte knocked the ball in to double the hosts' advantage.
It was a long way back for Newcastle and the shattered Magpies were soon chasing shadows in the second half. Newcastle again gave City a helping hand for the Citizens' third after the hour mark and the unmarked Rodri's header made it 3-0 from Kevin De Bruyne's corner.
Howe turned to his bench as Callum Wilson and Kieran Trippier made their first appearances since December and February respectively after recovering from injury. Wilson was soon played in by fellow substitute Jacob Murphy, but Ederson rushed out of his goal to deny the number nine.
If that chance gave Newcastle hope of a consolation, well, City quickly extinguished it as Foden and Sterling added the gloss at the death. You can't say 5-0 flattered the champions.
For the latest Newcastle news direct to your inbox, go here to sign up to our free newsletter
