Newcastle vs Man City final score, highlights and result as De Bruyne inspires last-gasp win for champions

Dom Farrell

Newcastle vs Man City final score, highlights and result as De Bruyne inspires last-gasp win for champions image

Kevin De Bruyne inspired a thrilling 3-2 victory for Manchester City as youngster Oscar Bobb netted a stoppage-time winner against Newcastle at St James' Park.

Quickfire goals after the half-hour from Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon overturned Bernardo Silva's delightful opener and, despite their dominance of the second period, City were facing the prospect of losing more ground on leaders Liverpool.

De Bruyne, who returned from hamstring surgery with a substitute appearance against Huddersfield Town in the FA Cup last weekend, came on for his first Premier League appearance since August and levelled in the 74th minute. The Belgium international collected a pass from the imperious Rodri, stormed forward, shot through Fabian Schar's legs and into the bottom corner.

Pep Guardiola's side remain without Erling Haaland but it was another Norwegian who proved to be their match-winner. De Bruyne was the architect with a lofted ball over Kieran Trippier.

"He's the only one in the world who can do that," Bobb told TNT Sport afterwards. The 20-year-old winger's deft touch to coolly round the excellent Martin Dubravka and slot home a maiden Premier League goal also suggested a rare talent.

Newcastle vs Man City final score

  Fulltime Goalscorers
Newcastle 2 Isak '34, Gordon '37
Man City 3 Silva '26, De Bruyne '74

Lineups:

Newcastle (4-3-3, right to left): 1. Martin Dubravka (GK) — 2. Kieran Trippier, 4. Sven Botman, 5. Fabian Schar, 33. Dan Burn — 36. Sean Longstaff, Guimaraes, Miley — Almiron, Isak, Gordon.

Man City (4-2-3-1, right to left): 31. Ederson (GK)  (18 Stefan Ortega) — 2. Kyle Walker, 3. Ruben Dias, 6. Nathan Ake, 24. Josko Gvardiol — 16. Rodri, 8. Mateo Kovacic —  20. Bernardo Silva, 47. Phil Foden, 11. Jeremy Doku (52. Oscar Bobb) — 19. Julian Alvarez

MORE: Is Kevin De Bruyne playing today? Latest on Man City star's injury return ahead of Newcastle Premier League game

De Bruyne threatens monstrous Man City title run

“Kevin de Bruyne is warming up and the whole country is starting to shake,” Jurgen Klopp said last month. Someone check the Richter scale.

In his first cameo in the FA Cup last weekend, De Bruyne worked off some rust and grabbed a customary assist. Here, he looked every inch the outstanding footballer in the Premier League over the past decade. 

De Bruyne’s goal was brilliant and his pass to Bobb was sumptuous. It was an injection of quality that an injury-wrecked Newcastle squad, pushed to the brink as Rodri manoeuvered them wherever he fancied, were ultimately unable to contain.

After a wobbly run through November and December, that’s three Premier League wins in succession. Second-bottom Burnley are City’s next league game and, in the seven top-flight matches between now and a potentially pivotal trip to Anfield on March 9, they Chelsea and Manchester United are the only two top-half teams they will play. 

Liverpool have lost just once this season and lead by two points. Will that be enough with Manchester City’s master shaker back in the groove?

Newcastle expose Man City’s fullback flaws

But before we start declaring the inevitability of a dominant City run to glory, it’s worth considering that defensive problems remain for this version of Guardiola’s team. He will hope the injury that forced Ederson off early on is not serious, even though Stefan Ortega is a fine understudy.

What’s going on in front of the goalkeeper looks like it might take a bit more fixing. With John Stones back on the sidelines (like Ederson, injured in an incident made possible by the modern irritant that is the late offside flag) City are not as stable in defence or as smooth in the first stages of possession without the England international striding into midfield. It's forced a chance of shape that is yet to convince.

Kyle Walker set up Silva’s wonderful backheel goal, but his one-vs-one defending was notably sub-par as Isak and Gordon punished City down their right flank. On the other side, Josko Gvardiol was frequently caught out of position before halftime, with Guardiola’s instructions for his full-backs to push high leaving them exposed.

Injury woes battering Howe and Newcastle

Tino Livramento pulling out due to illness ticked the number of Newcastle absentees to 11. It’s a situation that’s unsustainable, as a fourth successive Premier League loss demonstrated.

Newcastle were excellent before halftime and could have led by more, but as Rodri and City prescribed death by 1,000 passes after the break, a depleted set of players asked to go to the well too often eventually yielded.

FFP concerns mean Newcastle can’t do much business this month. At this point, the likes of Harvey Barnes, Callum Wilson, Joelinton and Joe Willock will feel like new signings. Howe’s team are doing an awful lot right despite their circumstances.

Newcastle vs Man City live updates, highlights, and commentary

Fulltime: De Bruyne, the hero of the hour, roars in celebration towards the travelling fans. Newcastle's exhausted players are utterly crestfallen. How Eddie Howe needs some squad depth back. After the rip-roaring first-half, City - conducted by the imperious Rodri - pushed and prodded them to distraction after the break. De Bruyne equalised and then set up Bobb for a the fifth wonderful goal of the night. One of the games of the season and City are up to second and two points behind Liverpool. Thanks for joining us.

90th minute+1GOOOOAAAAAAALLLL!!!! Oscar Bobb!!!

The Norway youngster has won it for City. De Bruyne aims a tantalising ball in behind Trippier, who lunges to clear but Bobb's touch is majestic. He then rounds Dubravka and taps home. Another wonderfully taken goal.

Available in the US

Available in the UK

85th minute: Isak glances a headed clearance towards his own goal and Dubravka has to tip behind. Come on, lads, he's getting enough shots to save as it is!

84th minute: Rodri, regally towards the Newcastle box. He digs out a find shot and that might be Dubravka's best save of the night, low down to his left. Burn, as ever, is there to boot the corner away.

80th minute: Good gracious! Foden spots Dubravka out of his ground and tries a shot from near halfway. he doesn't get all of it, so Dubravka scampers back, gets behind the shot and is knocked over.

79th minute: Newcastle get out from their defensive ordeal to breathe. Gordon has a shot deflected behind. They can't go in front again, can they?

73rd minuteGOOOOAAAAAAALLLL!!!! Kevin De Bruyne!!!

Guess who's back? Rodri turns and plays a ball around the corner and De Bruyne is into his stride before dispatching a shot from outside the box, through Schar's legs and into the bottom corner.

Available in the US

Available in the UK

71st minute: Schar blocks to deny Alvarez from a delicious De Bruyne cross. Foden blazes the rebound off target from a tight angle. We're getting into Alamo territory for Newcastle now.

70th minute: De Bruyne plonks the free-kick into the wall. City come againoh Julian Alvarez what have you done?! The ball breaks to the Argentina star no more than 10 yards out and he splays a left-footed shot over.

68th minute: Smart goalkeeping from Dubravka. Kovacic has a shot that deflects but he watches it all the way. Not to smart defending from Longstaff, who fouls Rodri right on the edge of the box. De Bruyne comes on for Silva. He might fancy this,.

67th minute: From nowhere Newcastle break, Burn is up with the attack and Ortega needs to spring from his line to deny Isak. Then Guimaraes has a shot blocked.

65th minute: Doku wins a corner. De Bruyne is ready to go on the touchline.

64th minute: Alvarez collects a low cross from Doku and thunders goalwards. Dubravka beats it away. That was well hit but far too close to the Newcastle goalkeeper.

63rd minute: Alvarez drives City forward and sends Walker tearing into the Newcastle box. Foden can't get the cutback out of his feet before Guimaraes makes a fantastic and brave challenge to thwart Rodri.

60th minute: City work their latest corner short to Foden, who scored from a similar routine in the FA Cup last week. This time he wallops his effort well over.

58th minute: Rodri pulls the strings before some rat-a-tat-tat passing from City. Kovacic, to Alvarez to Foden, whose low drive is pounced on by Dubravka.

56th minute: Silva is booked for bringing down a shimmying Schar. Guardiola is furious given Burn wasn't booked for a very similar foul a few moments ago.

54th minute: A Newcastle attack. Guimaraes drills a low cross to the near post. Longstaff has made a nice run and thinks about producing his own Bernardo Silva special and can't pull it off.

52nd minute: Nice hit from Alvarez and Dubravka is across to punch firmly clear.

51st minute: Schar closes down Kovacic shot following smart work by Foden and Doku. City keep rumbling on and on though and Burn brings down Rodri about 25 yards from goal.

49th minute: Walker drills a low cross that's cleared behind by Burn to maintain rolling spell of City pressure early in this half. Burn gets to Alvarez's right-wing delivery too. And another clearance from the big man!

46th minute: We're back. No changes for either side. It shouldn't be dull...

Halftime: Well, well what a marvellous half of football. City lost Ederson to injury early on and looked imperious either side of Bernardo Silva giving them the lead before being stunned by Alexander Isak's equaliser. They were still reeling as Anthony Gordon made it 2-1. After that, Newcastle maybe could have extended their lead. A big 45 minutes in the champions' title defence coming up.

45th minute+7: City work the ball tidily and Doku wins a corner. Dubravka seems to make a hash of Alvarez's delivery but the ball rolls back into his arms. You take those wherever you can find them.

45th minute+4: Ohh, a little bit spicy. Rodri is down after Guimaraes seems to fairly deliberately stand on his foot. The Brazilian has already been booked. Rodri gets back up and thumps Guimaraes in the chest when the ball comes his way. Now he also has a yellow card.

45th minute+2: Gordon leaps to attacking a cross from the right. Isak then takes an air shot at the bouncing ball. That was a good opportunity, where both men would probably have preferred the other's chance.

45th minute+1: All of Ederson's woes earlier contribute to eight minutes of stoppage time. Newcastle scenting blood here.

44th minute: Almiron now in behind, Ortega in no-man's land and he lobs wide. Offside in any case.

43rd minute: Newcastle's press is suffocating City now. Dias aims a ball out to Gvardiol that's nowhere near. Trippier scoots down the right and his cross is delightful. No one there to finish it.

41st minute: Ohhh, it could have been 3-1. Miley threads a dreamy pass through what remains of the City offside trap. Isak motors onto it but Ortega stands firm.

39th minute: Doku looks to wriggle clear but Burn sticks to his task and the Gallowgate End roars.

37th minuteGOOOOAAAAALLLLL!!!! Anthony Gordon!!!!

An incredible turnaround at St James' Park! Rodri is lax on the ball and Isak gets in interception in. Now here's Gordon down the left, cutting inside and rifling a superb finish into the far corner.

Available in the US

34th minuteGOOOOAAAAALLLLL!!!! Alexander Isak!!!!

It's against the run of play but Newcastle are back on terms in style. Guimaraes sweeps a wonderful raking pass towards Isak. Gordon's overlapping run means Walker cannot fully commit to a challenge and Isak uses him to curl a shot beyond Ortega.

Available in the UK

33rd minute: Burn slips, legs in the air like a stricken giraffe. Foden finds Alvarez and Dubravka beats his shot behind before Newcastle see off the corner.

32nd minute: Ortega dawdles on the ball and Isak gets a block on his pass. The ball comes back to the Sweden star, Rodri gets a last-ditch tackle in and then delivers an absolute volley to his goalkeeper.

31st minute: Newcastle's sporadic moments of joy are coming down that right-hand side. Kovacic gets back to clear.

29th minute: Almost two! Alvarez presses high and Newcastle are in trouble. Silva ditches deftness for raw power and Dubravka needs two hands to push the shot onto the crossbar.

26th minute: GOOOAAAALLLLL!!!!! Bernardo Silva!!!!

Available in the US

Ohhh, that's sublime! City never loft the ball after that Dias and Gordon coming together, as such Newcastle aren't happy. But it's a lovely goal. The ball is sprayed out to Walker, who takes a touch and drives in a low cross. It's slightly behind Silva, who improvises a delightful backheel finish.

Available in the UK

24th minute: Dias shuts the door on Gordon as the Newcastle winger tries to tear down the left flank. The referee isn't interested. Eddie Howe is pretty cross.

20th minute: City take a corner short. Kyle Walker, who last scored for his club in 2021, drags a rubbish long-range effort wide.

17th minute: Now Doku has a shot blocked. The pattern seems pretty set of City attacking the small congested spaces and Newcastle romping into the big open spaces at the other end when they can.

16th minute: Scratch that, a goal kick was the decision. And City play through their opponents sublimely. Doku into the box, Kovacic is crowded out and Silva smashes a bouncing ball over.

15th minute: Trippier gets in down the City left, an area Newcastle are targeting. Dias does enough to get in the way of Isak's attempted finish. Corner to the hosts.

13th minute: City have settled themselves with one of their customary periods of possession, pushing Newcastle deep. Foden gets in between full-back and centre-back and Guimaraes has to make a vital challenge with Alvarez waiting to convert the cutback.

7th minute: More treatment for Ederson. His race is run. On comes Stefan Ortega.

6th minuteEderson gets himself into a complete tangle. He's not right. He duffs a clearance straight into Almiron. The Paraguayan winger then gets in Guimaraes' way, who hacks at fresh air. Gordon can't finish and City clear.

5th minute: Ederson is still down here. City lost John Stones to an ankle injury before Christmas that came in a similar passage of play, with a the injury occurring in between the offside offence and the late flag. The Brazil international is now up and hobbling.

2nd minute: Newcastle have the ball in the ball in the with Longstaff bundling in from Isak's low cross. But there's a late offside flag. Ederson has taken a whack trying to prevent that goal, which is an obvious source of frustration to Guardiola and the City players.

1st minute: City get us underway, Ederson goes long and Burn gets an early headed clearance in.

5 mins prior to kickoff: The teams are in the tunnel. St James' Park is typically loud for such an occasion. Strap yourselves in.

20 mins prior to kickoff: Historically, City enjoy this fixture, having won more games (30), scored more goals (98) and kept more clean sheets (22) against Newcastle than any other Premier League opponent. However, the Magpies won 1-0 when the sides met here in the third round of the Carabao Cup last September.

40 mins prior to kickoff: During last season's game, Allan Saint-Maximin was borderline unplayable for Newcastle, one of his last great performances for the club. The livewire winger tonight could be Doku. The Belgium international made a dazzling start to life at City before his injury halted his progress. He'll get to have a look at a Newcastle backline that has been forced to go to the well time and time again.

Getty Images

55 mins prior to kickoff: Here's the Newcastle team. Lewis Miley comes in for the injured Joelinton. Not for the first time this season, injuries mean much of Howe's team picks itself.

1 hour prior to kickoff: The teams are in. Jeremy Doku makes his first start since suffering a thigh injury against Tottenham on December 3. Jack Grealish, who has been suffering with a virus this week, drops to the bench alongside that man De Bruyne.

1 hr 40 mins prior to kickoff: Erling Haaland sparked City's second-half comeback in the north east last season and Bernardo Silva's equaliser came courtesy of a sublime Kevin De Bruyne through ball. Haaland remains sidelined with a foot injury, meaning Julian Alvarez is set to lead the line once more, but De Bruyne made his return from hamstring surgery as a substitute during last weekend's FA Cup routing of Huddersfield Town. Pep Guardiola said the playmaker is ready to start but a place on the bench feels more likely. Confirmed team news will be along in 20 minutes.

1 hr 40 mins prior to kickoff: It's a sparse Premier League schedule this weekend, with half of the division sitting it out as part of the staggered mid-season break, but this one could be a cracker. City need to close the gap on leaders Liverpool and a packed house will hope Newcastle get back on track in the Premier League after beating bitter rivals Sunderland in the FA Cup. This fixture last season produced a six-goal thriller, with City going 1-0 up early on before being forced to come back from 3-1 down.

2 hours prior to kickoff: Hello and welcome to The Sporting News' live coverage of Newcastle vs. Manchester City at St James' Park. Victory would move Pep Guardiola's reigning champions to within two points of Liverpool at the Premier League summit.

Newcastle vs Man City lineups, team news

Brazil international Joelinton has joined the Newcastle injury list and the midfielder is not expected to return to action until February. Teenager Lewis Miley is set to come in as a replacement against City.

Newcastle lineup (4-3-3, right to left): Dubravka (GK) — Trippier, Botman, Schar, Burn — Longstaff, Guimaraes, Miley — Almiron, Isak, Gordon.

Newcastle subs (9): Matchday squad released one hour prior to kickoff

Erling Haaland is still out and will not return until after City's mid-season break. Manuel Akankji joins fellow defender John Stones on the sidelines, with Jack Grealish is doubtful following a bout of illness.

Man City lineup (4-2-3-1, right to left): Ederson (GK) — Walker, Dias, Ake, Gvardiol — Rodri, Kovacic —  Silva, Foden, Doku — Alvarez

Man City subs (9): Matchday squad released one hour prior to kickoff

MORE: English Premier League table 2023/24: Updated EPL standings as Liverpool leapfrog Arsenal

Newcastle vs Man City live stream, TV channel

Here's how to watch this Premier League match across selected areas of the world's major regions:

Region TV Streaming
USA NBC USA Network, Universo Fubo, Peacock,Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, Universo NOW
Canada

Fubo Canada

UK TNT Sports 1 discovery+
Australia Optus Sport
India JioTV, Hotstar

USA: This game is available on the NBC USA Network. Streaming can be accessed via Fubo, with Spanish language options on Telemundo Deportes En Vivo and Universo NOW.

Canada: Every Premier League game this season is live streaming exclusively via Fubo in Canada.

Australia: Fans in Australia can stream every match live and on demand on Optus Sport.

UK: This match is available for live broadcast via TNT Sports with streaming options on discovery+.

MORE: English Premier League table 2023/24: Updated EPL standings as Liverpool leapfrog Arsenal

Dom Farrell

Dom Farrell Photo

Dom is the senior content producer for Sporting News UK. He previously worked as fan brands editor for Manchester City at Reach Plc. Prior to that, he built more than a decade of experience in the sports journalism industry, primarily for the Stats Perform and Press Association news agencies. Dom has covered major football events on location, including the entirety of Euro 2016 and the 2018 World Cup in Paris and St Petersburg respectively, along with numerous high-profile Premier League, Champions League and England international matches. Cricket and boxing are his other major sporting passions and he has covered the likes of Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, Wladimir Klitschko, Gennadiy Golovkin and Vasyl Lomachenko live from ringside.