Manchester City no longer have it their own way: teams have learned how to stymie Pep Guardiola

The cost of failing to win is significant for Manchester City.

City have not been playing well for a while, weaknesses are too frequently exposed while their failings are starting to become repetitive. That would suggest they are not minor issues and their problems could prove harder to resolve than initially thought.

There does not have to be a root cause for a team to dip, especially when you have won back-to-back league titles and completed a domestic clean sweep of silverware earlier this year. City are not looking as motivated, inevitable perhaps, after dominating football in this country for two years. Neither do they seem as confident or as certain of their omnipotence. There is a hint of doubt in their demeanour; the fear they may already be in decline, but have been too slow to realise it.

It would, of course, be dangerous to argue such a thing. City were supposedly going to allow Liverpool to become champions following a 2-1 defeat to Newcastle back in January, and responded by winning all their remaining league fixtures, along with both cup competitions to hammer home the riposte.

Dangerous, yes, because City demand respect, but neither is it a such a wild claim when the evidence to support it can be found in so many recent performances.

Too much of City’s attacking play has become predictable. They are easier to anticipate and therefore defend against. The Premier League have spent three years studying how Guardiola wants to play and are finding more effective ways to combat it.

Newcastle did not merely defend their area – a long established tactic against superior opponents, but a previously ineffective counter measure against City. They pushed their wingers, Miguel Almiron and Allan Saint-Maximin inside so that they also defended the edge of the box rather than their wings.

It left space out wide, but Steve Bruce effectively decided he would rather ask City’s full backs, Benjamin Mendy and Kyle Walker to cross into a crowded penalty area than let the clever and more creative players have space to pick passes through the middle.

City still created chances, but this was a makeshift Newcastle defence too. Furthermore, although Newcastle only had a handful of shots on target, they repeatedly threatened to get in behind City’s defence. Walker was given a torrid time by Saint-Maximin for an hour while Almiron’s refusal to stop running, in both directions, drained and eventually exhausted Mendy.

It is now one win in five in all competitions for Guardiola’s side. A blip? City are certainly out of form, although they may find it is more serious than that as the season unfolds.

A point for the hosts felt like a victory. Newcastle were excellent. It was a team performance of grit, yes, but also little flashes of quality too. Well organised and disciplined, the Magpies were also, occasionally, exciting going forward and if they can play like this consistently, nobody will enjoy facing them.

Bruce got his tactics right and, although they were lucky that Gabriel Jesus and Ilkay Gundogan missed good chances in the second half, the goal they did concede was down to the brilliance of De Bruyne.

What should really encourage Bruce — and the fans who are starting to drift back into the stadium, after several thousand stayed away in disgust following Rafa Benitez’s departure — Newcastle did not fold, give up or panic.

This was the second home game in a row that Newcastle have managed to find a way to collect valuable points after falling behind. That will raise confidence, on and off the pitch, but it will also make other teams wary of them. It has not been pretty, but Newcastle are becoming a difficult side to play at home and the stadium is starting to regain some of its old intimidation.

Both Newcastle goals were cleverly worked, Jetro Willems’ coming at the end of a silky passing move, Saint-Maximin realising there would be space to exploit if three City players were rushing out to close him down out wide.

And although the second equaliser was a special strike from Jonjo Shelvey, it was also a smart free kick trick, conning City into packing the box, only to roll it square for Newcastle’s captain to curl beyond Ederson.