It ended Newcastle 1 Manchester City 3.
Ahead of each game we ask one of our writers to come up with three positives and three negatives following the match.
An ‘interesting’ match at St James’ Park.
Plenty to talk about after this FA Cup game.
As Newcastle United exited the competition at the last 16 stage.
On this occasion it is David Punton:
POSITIVES
Good start
Despite the defeat you can surely take some heart from the start to this game before we ran out of steam and Man City kicked into gear.
It was a lovely finish from Barnes.
With a proper number nine on the park / Woltemade in his correct position, we could have added a second and that might have paved the way for a win.
Give the oppo credit
It pains to say it but you’ve just got to say fair play to Manchester City.
They were really good, as they ought to be given what they have been able to spend on players.
They deserved to win and came up against a Newcastle team who ran themselves ragged with ten men in midweek.
Tino’s back
Livramento is very important player for us and it looks like he’s back to fitness and ready to be eased back into the fray. We need him.
NEGATIVES
A recurring dilemma
The centre forward situation remains a concern.
Woltemade was deployed deeper – again. Is that experiment working? It doesn’t appear to be the case.
I know Osula was the hero from midweek, and I’ve got the benefit of hindsight here, but I’d have reverted to Big Nick up front for the Man City test. That’s surely where he’s needed?
The club’s bearer of the number nine jersey, Mr Wissa, was benched yet again. Still waiting for his chance to make a mark.
Pep rage / Manchester misery
Guardiola is the best in the business but he keeps losing his rag when he comes up here.
He had to apologise for putting his hands on a cameraman earlier in the season and here he was shown a yellow for going berserk.
This was the fifth time we have had to play Man City this season. We’ve won one and lost four.
A reminder of how hard it is to get near the top echelon on the English top flight, especially when these clubs may come in for our best players.
Not many do beat Manchester City and it’s always disheartening to see that gulf in class on show.
Excuses or reality?
It depends how you view our progress this season.
One school of thought is that the European football plus the domestic league and cup schedule has been too much workload.
The players are doing their absolute best despite fatigue, mental and physical.
The decision to bench the spine was clearly the manager hedging his bets for the Barca game, so we went in against City without Burn, Joelinton and Gordon – plus Bruno injured, Ramsey banned and Miley injured.
A season of slog, thrills and spills taking its toll?
Or are these all excuses – and the manager has started to misfire in getting a tune from a talented group?
The run of games to come will perhaps answer the question – but make no mistake, this run of games is extremely tricky.