Same old script for Newcastle United as they are made to pay for missed opportunities at Man City

MANCHESTER: New weekend, same old Newcastle United.

Without even watching Eddie Howe’s side, they are becoming the easiest of Premier League sides to script.

Play well between both boxes, move it positively, create the odd decent opportunity but fall woefully short at the top end and let things slip away at the other.

And like West Ham and Bournemouth and Liverpool and Manchester United before it, this trip to the Etihad was the same old story for the Magpies.

A first half strike from Phil Foden and one against the run of play from substitute Bernardo Silva, as Newcastle looked at their most dangerous, ensured the Magpies suffered their third defeat on the bounce in all competitions, a sequence not seen since last season’s battle against relegation.

Newcastle’s three goals in the Premier League in 2023 is the lowest of all of the 20 sides in the division.

Having suffered a 2-0 defeat in the Carabao Cup final last weekend, Howe made three changes to his side, with Loris Karius dropping out of the squad altogether and Nick Pope returning to the starting 11, with Martin Dubravka on the bench.

Anthony Gordon, cup-tied last weekend, also came in for Allan Saint-Maximin while Jamaal Lascelles got a run at the back with Fabian Schar out injured.

It took the hosts just 15 minutes, after a brightish opening for Howe’s men, to get their noses in front, as they closed the gap on league leaders Arsenal.

And it will be one the Newcastle players will not want to watch back.

Some lax defending and pressing allowed Foden to waltz first past Dan Burn, then Gordon and Bruno Guimaraes before he fired past Pope via a deflection from Sven Botman, one very much akin to the Marcus Rashford Wembley strike six days ago.

It should