Overview
- Newcastle beat Manchester City 2-1 at St James’ Park, with Harvey Barnes scoring twice and Ruben Dias netting for the visitors.
- After a lengthy check, the Premier League Match Centre said VAR validated the goal by confirming onside positions for Bruno Guimaraes and Barnes and no foul on Gianluigi Donnarumma.
- Pep Guardiola confronted officials at full-time then kept his media duties brief, while Ruben Dias used a Sky Sports interview to urge clarity on what constitutes a foul on goalkeepers.
- The defeat was City’s fourth in the league, leaving them third and four points behind leaders Arsenal, with pundit Alan Shearer arguing City should focus on defensive shortcomings.
- Eddie Howe called the performance a platform to build momentum, as analysis highlighted standout displays from Barnes, Tino Livramento, Lewis Hall and Malick Thiaw before a midweek trip to Marseille.