Newcastle are finding out the hard way that it’s tough at the top.
The Toon Army have been on the march under Eddie Howe this season and armed with the affluence and ambition of their Saudi owners, they aren’t going to be waving a white flag anytime soon. But after being given a reality check in their first Wembley final for 24 years last week, they were dealt a second body blow by another team from Manchester who know what it takes to get over the line.
Pep Guardiola’s champions threatened to blow Newcastle away with a furious opening salvo that saw Phil Foden conjure up a brilliant goal. But Howe’s men hung in there - before finding a riposte of their own that had City reeling.
