Newcastle 2-3 Manchester City: Bobb’s your uncle as Guardiola oversees incredible comeback win | OneFootball

Manchester City scored the opener before coming from behind to beat Newcastle 3-2 in stoppage-time to maintain their Premier League title charge.

With Erling Haaland expected to be sidelined for the remainder of the month, it was compatriot Oscar Bobb who rescued Manchester City with a sublime goal 10 minutes after coming on.

The 20-year-old controlled a Kevin de Bruyne ball over the top, rode the challenge of Kieran Trippier and showed wonderful footwork to score from close range.

The visitors had taken the lead after half an hour or so through a delightful Bernardo Silva flick, which met Kyle Walker’s low cross and entirely deceived keeper Martin Dubravka.

The game had already been eventful by that point, with Newcastle having a goal disallowed for offside and Ederson being taken off due to injury.

Manchester City were completely on top by the time they took the lead but the opener sparked an overwhelming response from Newcastle, the hosts scoring two goals in as many minutes before half-time through Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon.

The visitors were the aggressors from that point as they sought to lose no more ground in the title race, their pressure finally telling when Kevin de Bruyne came off the bench to score from outside the area as if he hadn’t just been out injured for actual months.

The Belgian then turned provider for Bobb to keep Manchester City within touching distance of Liverpool as they leapfrogged Aston Villa into second and closed to within two points of the summit.

Eddie Howe’s men thought they had got off to a fine start when Trippier lifted the ball over the top for Isak to cross for Sean Longstaff to fire home, but a late offside flag ended the celebrations while City goalkeeper Ederson needed treatment after colliding with Walker.

Miguel Almiron charged down the ailing keeper’s hurried clearance soon after, but neither he nor Gordon were able to take full advantage with the visitors in disarray.

City’s problems grew seconds later when Ederson had to leave the field to be replaced by Stefan Ortega.

However after a shaky start, Guardiola’s side settled into their slick passing game, although Ruben Dias did just enough to put off Isak in front of goal after Trippier had played Almiron in behind full-back Josko Gvardiol once again.

Silva should have given City a 17th-minute lead, but blazed over after Mateo Kovacic’s attempt from Jeremy Doku’s run had been blocked.

The Portuguese playmaker made amends nine minutes later with an audacious flick to convert Walker’s cross, with Newcastle appealing in vain for a foul by Dias on Gordon during the build-up.

Phil Foden fired wide with Doku once again the provider and Dubravka acrobatically turned Silva’s strike onto his crossbar.

Rodri had to come to Ortega’s rescue after Isak had blocked his attempted clearance, before City came close again when Julian Alvarez forced Dubravka into a solid 34th-minute save.

However, the home side were level within seconds when, after Fabian Schar had dispossessed Doku, Bruno Guimaraes played in Isak and he cut inside Walker before curling a superb shot past Ortega and inside the far post.

The home fans were still celebrating when Dan Burn picked out Gordon in space on the left and he came inside on to his right foot to drill the ball past Ortega’s outstretched hand and into the net.

Ortega spared his side further punishment when he denied Isak one-on-one after Trippier and Lewis Miley had combined down the right.

City dominated possession at the start of the second half as they attempted to restore parity, but struggled to find a way through the massed ranks of black-and-white shirts.

Dubravka palmed away Alvarez’s 52nd-minute free-kick and claimed Foden’s skidding drive six minutes later, but he needed the help of Guimaraes to keep out Rodri after Walker had surged deep into enemy territory before pulling the ball back.

The Slovakia international repelled Alvarez’s strike and then safely pouched Kovacic’s deflected attempt, prompting Guardiola to send on De Bruyne for Silva with 21 minutes remaining.

De Bruyne’s first touch saw him hit the defensive wall with a free-kick before Alvarez shot wastefully over in the ensuing melee.

Dubravka was beaten with 16 minutes remaining when De Bruyne collected Rodri’s pass and steered a low shot past him and into into the bottom corner.

And the final twist arrived in stoppage time when Bobb controlled De Bruyne’s cross superbly and stabbed past Dubravka to clinch victory.