Manchester City drop more crucial points as Jonjo Shelvey's late screamer earns Newcastle deserved draw

Is that it for Manchester City’s title defence? Starting this game a distant nine points behind an apparently unassailable Liverpool, they misplaced another two in a freezing St James’ Park. Not that this was a case of City messing up. Indeed when Jurgen Klopp comes to celebrate his league title, he might do well to send a note of thanks to Steve Bruce. Because Bruce’s Newcastle United were magnificent here, resolute, determined, twice coming back when lesser teams would have been cowed by City’s relentless determinism.

Before kick off there was a plane flying overhead trailing a banner. Generally they say Ashley Out in these parts, but this one had an election theme: Vote Brexit Party. An odd insistence at a game which was an advert for multi-nationalism, with both sides filled with talent from overseas. The problem was City’s talent was of a more elevated variety: reading the team sheets beforehand it was impossible not to fear for Newcastle.

But they began with a clear and obvious tactical approach: to get at City’s vulnerable back four. The policy was clear from the start: have Joelinton attempt to outmuscle Fernandinho and John Stones and let Allen Saint-Maximin scare the living daylights out of Kyle Walker.

The City full-back was playing almost as an additional central midfielder, instructed to move forward and inside to support David Silva and Ilkay Gundogan. You could almost see Newcastle’s extravagantly coiffured Saint Maximin licking his lips at the space left open for him to exploit. And exploit it he did, running constantly down the left.

The problem was no end product was coming from his skittering runs. And City – firing the ball out to the left for Benjamin Mendy to advance – were always a lurking threat. A lovely interchange involving several back heels between Riyad Mahrez, Kevin De Bruyne and Gabriel Jesus opened up Newcastle, but Martin Dubravka managed to scramble the ball away.

Then, just after Jonjo Shelvey had spun a free-kick into the side netting, Silva broke into the Newcastle box, jinking and spinning. The ball ricocheted off Paul Dummett and fell to Raheem Sterling to steer into the bottom corner. He doesn’t miss those.

Just three minutes later, however, Newcastle came back with a goal from the Guardiola play book. Breaking at pace, with Saint-Maximin’s run distracting the visitors’ defence, Miguel Almiron spun down the side of the city box, laid the ball inside for Jetro Willems who, as he did at Anfield earlier in the season, fired an unstoppable shot into the corner of the net.

From here, the game barrelled from end to end: Sterling had a shot into Dubravka’s chest, Saint-Maximin ran direct through the centre of the City defence, only for the Brazilian finally to dispossess him, Miguel Almiron ran across the City box but was unable to control the ball sufficiently to fire in a shot.

Then came a brilliant run from Frederico Fernandez that took him from his own box to the City half, where he passed to Joelinton, who was fouled by Fernandinho. Shelvey put the free-kick wide. De Bruyne then ballooned a shot over. Almiron, meanwhile, epitomised Newcastle’s effort. He was everywhere, tracking back, intercepting, chasing.

And the defence blocking, throwing themselves at the ball as Sterling and Silva continuously tried to find a way through. City kept working the space, looking for an opening, probing. Sterling taking responsibility, leading the charge. Dubravka saved brilliantly from Jesus. The substitute Bernardo Silva fired wide when beautifully played in by Sterling.

City kept pressing, kept searching, kept probing. But Newcastle remained resolute. Until the ball fell to De Bruyne on the edge of the area. He took a pass on his chest, made two paces to his right and sent a fizzing, dipping unstoppable shot beyond Dubravka in off the bar. With Rodri arriving to seal up midfield, City slipped into possession mode, passing sideways to consume the remaining time.

But this Newcastle were not to be cowed. Whatever their elevated visitors could produce, they could match. When Manquillo was fouled by Fernandinho (who might have received a second booking for his recklessness), the substitute Christian Atsu found Shelvey on the edge of the box with the free-kick. The captain’s shot arced and fizzed with every bit of the spite of De Bruyne’s strike into the City net, sending St James’ Park into raptures.

2:25PM

"They have handed Liverpool the title today"

A huge result in the title race, this, and Joe Cole says it's game over at the top of the table.

2:23PM

FULL TIME: Newcastle 2 Manchester City 2

What a game that was. Two truly incredible goals to end it. Both were worthy of winning it but it's a point apiece for these two.

City drop points again. They are eight points behind Liverpool having played a game more. A really disappointing result for them at a ground where they tend to struggle.

A fully-deserved point for Newcastle, though. They seem to raise their game against the best teams, and have done so again today.

2:22PM

90 mins +4 - Newcastle 2 Manchester City 2

One last chance for City to cross. Clark gets in there to clear, though.

2:21PM

90 mins +2 - Newcastle 2 Manchester City 2

What a save! Sterling fluffs an absolutely huge chance to win it!

De Bruyne picks him out at the back post. He is completely unmarked. He has to score but somehow Dubravka gets down to keep him out! What a chance!

2:18PM

90 mins - Newcastle 2 Manchester City 2

Four minutes added on. Can City find a winner? Can Newcastle?!?!

2:16PM

GOOOOOOAL! NEWCASTLE ARE LEVEL! ANOTHER SCREAMER!

Atsu takes the free-kick from out on the right. Everyone expects a cross, and that takes all the players deep into the box, leaving space on the edge of the box for Jonjo Shelvey, and he curls it beautifully inside the far post, past an outstretched Ederson's flailing hand. Newcastle 2 Manchester City 2

2:15PM

87 mins - Newcastle 1 Manchester City 2

Fernandinho takes down Manquillo right on the edge of the box and SOMEHOW avoids a second yellow. How on earth has he got away with that?! Awful, awful decision.

2:14PM

86 mins - Newcastle 1 Manchester City 2

Fernandinho volleys over the bar from the edge of the box after a corner is half cleared.

2:13PM

Just watch this

2:13PM

85 mins - Newcastle 1 Manchester City 2

Jesus is replaced by Rodrigo as City try to close this one out. Five minutes for Newcastle to somehow find an equaliser.

2:12PM

It was only ever going to be KDB

2:09PM

GOOOOOOAAL!!!!! IT'S 2-1 TO CITY!

OH MY WHAT A GOAL FROM KEVIN DE BRUYNE! IT'S 2-1 TO CITY!

Mendy's cross is easily cleared by Fernandez but only as far as De Bruyne on the edge of the box. He takes it down on his chest and lines up an absolute thunderbolt as the ball falls and he slams it into the net off the underside of the crossbar.

2:08PM

80 mins - Newcastle 1 Manchester City 1

Shelvey launches a cross-field ball towards Saint-Maximin who is racing in on goal with Walker in pursuit. Walker heads back towards goal and Ederson gets off his line to smother well at S-M's feet. The Newcastle winger is down and needs treatment, though it isn't really clear how he got hurt there.

He can't continue, though. Christian Atsu replaces him for the final 10 minutes.

2:05PM

78 mins - Newcastle 1 Manchester City 1

It's all City at the moment. De Druyne has a shot deflected over the bar. Stones fails to turn a header towards goal from the resulting corner.

2:03PM

75 mins - Newcastle 1 Manchester City 1

Almiron tries to beat Mendy around the outside but the City defender blocks the man off and somehow gets away with it despite not once looking at the ball. Bizarre.

2:00PM

72 mins - Newcastle 1 Manchester City 1

Two more City chances. Foden has a free header from point-blank range but he gets it all wrong. Newcastle half clear, but City come again, and Bernardo Silva has a good chance from around the penalty spot, but he drags his shot wide of the target.

1:58PM

69 mins - Newcastle 1 Manchester City 1

Absolutely huge set of chances for City to take the lead but Dubruvka shuts both out! Silva slips Jesus in, but the Brazilian shoots straight at the keeper, and De Druyne does the same with the follow-up! It should be 2-1 to the visitors.

Some substitutions for both sides:

One Newcastle change: Dwight Gayle comes on for Joelinton.

Two City subs: Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden replace David Silva and Riyad Mahrez

1:55PM

67 mins - Newcastle 1 Manchester City 1

Surely Newcastle will start to tire soon. They are having to work so hard out of possession. De Bruyne gets to the byline but his attempted cross is well dealt with by Dubravka.

1:53PM

65 mins - Newcastle 1 Manchester City 1

Sterling looks most likely to provide the spark City need. He jinks past one and slips a good ball into De Bruyne but he can't quite get the ball back. Clark blocks from Jesus.

1:49PM

A frustrating game for both managers... for different reasons

City are really lacking ideas at the moment. Something has to change. Newcastle have wasted a few really good chances.

1:47PM

59 mins - Newcastle 1 Manchester City 1

Almiron picks Mendy's pocket and has a run at goal. Koelinton gets up in support but Almiron ignores him and fires well over the bar.

1:46PM

58 mins - Newcastle 1 Manchester City 1

Silva does brilliantly down the left and dinks a cross into the middle which at first looks harmless and over-hit but Dubravka is wobbling all over the place and looks very concerned as it floats over his head. Jesus meets it at the back post but Fernandez has done enough to put him off. Just.

1:42PM

55 mins - Newcastle 1 Manchester City 1

De Bruyne sends an effort well over the bar from distance.

1:42PM

54 mins - Newcastle 1 Manchester City 1

What a run from Federico Fernandez! He intercepts a pass on the edge of his own box and goes past one, two, three challenges! This is unreal! Saint-Maximin eat your heart out!

Someone finally gets a toe in but it inadvertently puts Joelinton in a foot race with Fernandinho to get in on goal. Joelinton gets there first and Fernandinho takes him down. A clear yellow card.

40 yards from goal, Shelvey shoots for some reason and it goes well wide. Idiotic decision.

1:38PM

51 mins - Newcastle 1 Manchester City 1

Saint-Maximin beats Walker, cuts back at the byline and then absolutely has to just lay the ball back to Willems, who for some reason has joined the attack as if S-M will pass to him. He doesn't, instead crossing aimlessly into the box and City clear. He's so frustrating!

1:37PM

49 mins - Newcastle 1 Manchester City 1

City start the second half very much on the front foot. Nine Newcastle players are camped on the edge of their own box and there is NO WAY THROUGH.

1:34PM

Second half

No changes for either team. City get us started, they need a huge improvement.

1:20PM

Half time: Newcastle 1 Manchester City 1

After a quiet opening 20 minutes or so this game has come to life and that was actually a really good, competitive half of football.

City have been way, way off their best - much like a significant portion of the season for them - and their goal was largely fortuitous. And they haven't really created anything else at all.

Newcastle have shown a few glimpses of quality going forward while defending well, and they are well in this match. It's all to play for after the break. You have to imagine Pep will consider changing things at some stage.

1:16PM

45 mins - Newcastle 1 Manchester City 1

The goal has done Newcastle so much. They are transformed and just so much more confident going forward. Willems does well to find Saint-Maximin, and he cuts off the wing and into space. It's all opened up, but then he plays a really, really poor pass to absolutely nobody. I don't even know what he was thinking there.

Two minutes added on.

1:14PM

43 mins - Newcastle 1 Manchester City 1

Finally Newcastle get up the other end with Almiron getting into space on the left. He works a yard of space and puts a ball across the face of goal but no Newcastle player is in sight. A real waste.

1:11PM

40 mins - Newcastle 1 Manchester City 1

It's all City at the moment. Newcastle are, however, do a good job of forcing play out wide. Crosses are being dealt with well by Clark and Fernandez.

1:07PM

36 mins - Newcastle 1 Manchester City 1

Allan Saint-Maximin is some player isn't he? Well, he could be if he had some end product. Joelinton heads a Sterling cross clear and Saint-Maximin picks it up well inside the Newcastle half. He beats one man, then another, then strides into the City half. Nobody can keep up, including his team-mates, and Ferndinho eventually gets over to him and nicks the ball. That was so nearly so, so good.

1:05PM

Two similar goals in quick succession

1:04PM

30 mins - Newcastle 1 Manchester City 1

City have responded but so have the home crowd. Sterling stings the palms of Dubravka but it is straight at the Newcastle keeper. The fans roar in encouragement as Newcastle try to break. City are turning up the pressure.

12:55PM

GOOOOAAAAAL!!! Jetro Willems equalises for Newcastle!

Newcastle go straight up the other end and level the game with their best impression of Manchester City.

Left-back Jetro Willems darts into the box and exchanges passes with Almiron, before firing low into the far corner of the net. It's not a dissimilar goal to Sterling's at all. Game on! Newcastle 1 Manchester City 1

12:54PM

24 mins - Newcastle 0 Manchester City 1

Gundogan trips Saint-Maximin as he tries to break through midfield and the German is given a yellow card.

12:53PM

GOAAAAAL!! Raheem Sterling puts City ahead!

Silva plays a neat one-two with Sterling before the ball gets away from him and ricochets off a couple of Newcastle defenders, but it comes back to the Spaniard. He shows brilliant awareness and skill to backheel the ball into Sterling's path and all of a sudden it has opened up for Raheem. He fires low and hard into the corner of the net and City are ahead, without getting out of third gear.  mins - Newcastle 0 Manchester City 1

12:50PM

20 mins - Newcastle 0 Manchester City 0

It's quite far out to the left but Shelvey goes for goal anyway... and he misses. Disappointing.

12:49PM

20 mins - Newcastle 0 Manchester City 0

De Bruyne takes down Saint-Maiximin right on the edge of the City box. Big chance, this. Shelvey lines it up.

12:48PM

18 mins - Newcastle 0 Manchester City 0

Fernandinho connects well with a header from a corner but he can't keep his effort down.

12:48PM

17 mins - Newcastle 0 Manchester City 0

The first signs of life from City as De Bruyne plays a gorgeous outside-of-the-boot through ball for Jesus to run onto. Dummett has a little tug on his arm but thinks better of it. Jesus tries to pulls it back for Sterling but Fernandez gets into to scramble it away.

12:45PM

15 mins - Newcastle 0 Manchester City 0

City's first attempt of the day is an uncharacteristic one: a header from a corner. Stones sends it well over.

12:44PM

Focused on the task at hand

Has Mikel Arteta got his phone on silent? Arsenal might be getting in touch soon.

12:40PM

10 mins - Newcastle 0 Manchester City 0

Newcastle have improved and the crowd are responding. Saint-Maximin throws a brilliant stepover one way and goes the other, and all of a sudden he's away from Walker. It looks like it might open up but he squares to Manquillo and his cross is poor and the move breaks down.

12:38PM

8 mins - Newcastle 0 Manchester City 0

We have our first shot of the game - and it's for Newcastle. Shelvey spreads play out to Saint-Maximin on the left flank. He cuts onto his right and shoots while running at a right angle to goal and just doesn't get hold of it at all. He hits the target but it's a tame effort and Ederson saves easily.

12:36PM

6 mins - Newcastle 0 Manchester City 0

Newcastle string their first few passes together and even make it into the City half... but are swiftly forced back where they came from and all the way back to Dubravka.

12:34PM

4 mins - Newcastle 0 Manchester City 0

Newcastle are clearly very good at crowding out attacks and they do a decent job of stopping De Bruyne in his tracks and forcing play out wide, but when they do win the ball they look direct for Joelinton and almost instantly lose possession.

12:32PM

2 mins - Newcastle 0 Manchester City 0

City start on the front foot with Gundogan trying to play Mahrez in behind but he is caught offside.

12:30PM

Kick-off

Newcastle get things under way.

12:27PM

Here come the players

It's a crisp lunchtime on Tyneside. The players, many of them gloved-up, are on their way onto the pitch.

12:14PM

Steve Bruce's pre-match thoughts

12:08PM

Any chance for Newcastle today?

Newcastle won this fixture last season, have already beaten Spurs and Manchester United under Steve Bruce and City have already lost three games this season, BUT Newcastle were just so poor in defeat at Aston Villa on Monday night and it's really hard to imagine them winning this game.

But they are as inconsistent as they come, and it is pretty difficult to predict how this game will pan out. 3-1 to City? 5-0 to City? 2-2? 0-0? I really don't know. Let's say 2-1 to City. Yeah, that sounds about right.

11:42AM

Team news

The returning Sean Longstaff only makes the bench for Newcastle. DeAndre Yedlin fails a fitness test and is replaced at right-back by Javier Manquillo.

There are three changes to the Manchester City lineup, with Sergio Aguero, Joao Cancelo and Rodrigo dropping to the bench. Gabriel Jesus, Kyle Walker and Ilkay Gundogan come in.

11:39AM

FOOTBALL!

It's been too long, lovely, lovely football, so welcome back to our lives, the Premier League.

It feels like every weekend is massive in the top flight at the moment, but this one is absolutely colossal. We've got an Unai Emery-less Arsenal, more of Jose Mourinho, three more managers facing the sack, Liverpool making do without Fabinho and so much more. But none of that comes before today's lunchtime kick-off, as Newcastle host Manchester City.

This game looks pretty much like a foregone conclusion in that City are very good and Newcastle are rather awful, but we would have said exactly the same 11 months ago, when Newcastle came from behind in this game to beat the eventual champions against the odds.

Will we see a repeat of that today? Probably not, but Newcastle are as unpredictable as they come. They have beaten both United and Spurs already this season, having also lost to Norwich and Aston Villa. Who knows which team will turn up today.