Manchester City cede ground to Arsenal in title race after disappointing draw against Newcastle

Anthony Gordon won the penalty for Newcastle against Manchester City | Imago

Manchester City cede ground to Arsenal in title race after disappointing draw against Newcastle

Ayoola Kelechi 14:36 - 28.09.2024

Arsenal were the real winners as Manchester City shared the spoils away to Newcastle United

A controversial penalty call helped Newcastle hold reigning champions Manchester City to a nervy 1-1 draw at St. James' Park.

Manchester City took the lead through defender Josko Gvardiol in the first half, but were pegged back by a second-half Anthony Gordon penalty after the Newcastle man was brought down in the box by Ederson.

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The draw will disappoint Manchester City after the Cityzens dropped points in the title race, potentially giving Arsenal the chance to go top of the Premier League when they take on Leicester City.

How it happened

The hosts started brightly, creating early threats on the counterattack, but Manchester City soon came into their stride as the game wore on.

Despite Newcastle's energetic start, Manchester City took the lead against the run of play 10 minutes before halftime when Gvardiol scored with a well-placed shot past Nick Pope to give the Cityzens the lead going into the break.

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In the second half, Newcastle came out stronger, and Anthony Gordon was brought down by Ederson after breaking through the offside trap. Gordon coolly converted the resulting penalty, leveling the score at 1-1.

The Magpies continued to press, with Harvey Barnes forcing another save from Ederson as City looked unsettled.

The introduction of Phil Foden helped City regain control, and they created a few chances late on, but neither side could find a decisive goal and the teams were forced to share the spoils.