Newcastle's disastrous run at the Etihad Stadium continued on Saturday despite City's indifferent form this season, new signing Omar Marmoush helping himself to a hat-trick in 15 first half minutes.

Substitute James McAtee completed the misery with a late fourth for City as United continued their erratic form with a third reverse in four Premier League games.

Quite simply, Eddie Howe's side failed to turn up - despite enjoying their best run of away form since 1994 at the first whistle, winning all six games on the road since losing at Brentford in December.

And while we had a week to prepare after the Birmingham FA Cup win, the hosts went down 2-3 to Real Madrid here on Tuesday night, a tie that added another two names to their injury list.

What seemed the best chance in living memory of a positive result at our bogey ground was instead a nightmarish afternoon when a placid Magpies side allowed City to saunter past them with ease.

The manager spoke of adopting an aggressive attitude but there was precious little sign of that, as the same old timid and passive display here was soon punished.

Our own pre-game hope of Newcastle ending their Etihad goal drought became increasingly forlorn - and was ultimately downgraded to getting a shot on target.

The visitors had barely crossed the halfway line by the time City grabbed a 19th minute lead, Marmoush latching on to Edersen's punt forward before lobbing Martin Dubravka with ease.

That stirred an almost silent Etihad into life and home fans were celebrating again five minutes later, when the Egyptian took Ilkay Gundogan's pass inside the box and fired home without further ado.

0-2 then became 0-3 just after the half hour, Marmoush completing a 14 minute treble after Savinho swept past the dazed Lewis Hall and centred from the right.

With £30m youngster Vitor Reis on the bench, City's other three recent acquisitions featured: £59m arrival Mamoush, £50m midfield purchase Nico and £34m defender Abdukodir Khusanov, the latter tracked by United with a view to a close season arrival.

Newcastle of course fielded none, as they were unable to operate in the January market. It's tempting to say that had we played this game a month or so earlier than things could have different, but we were so woeful today then we wouldn't have troubled anyone.

Kieran Trippier and Joe Willock failed to return after half-time but replacements Tino Livramento and Lewis Miley never looked like sparking any sort of comeback, despite City's well-documented habit of imploding when leading this season.

Miley had one effort saved by Edersen on the hour but a non-event of a second half concluded with City stirring themselves to score a fourth goal - Erling Haaland heading a corner on at the near post for McAtee to steer in unopposed. 

By then, Sean Longstaff and Callum Wilson had replaced Bruno Guimaraes and Anthony Gordon and there was a brief runout for Emil Krafth as four minutes of added time approached. Harvey Barnes returned from injury but remained an unused substitute.

Trips to Old Trafford may have become heart-warming in recent seasons, but East Manchester remains a desert with just two points from the last 60. 

This non-event was as miserable as any of our previous visits here - that hated adjective "passive" making an unwelcome return to our vocabulary.

Newcastle dropped to seventh in the table with Bournemouth winning at Southampton. Nottingham Forest's loss at Fulham was the day's only positive and makes their visit to Tyneside next weekend a potentially pivotal fixture in terms of our European aspirations.

Another blank day then at the most unsuccessful of venues for us - ahead of visits to those other arenas of perpetual disappointment, Anfield and Wembley. Play like this and more misery awaits. 

And of course, this may not be our final game here this season - ourselves and City among the last 16 sides still involved the FA Cup and our last two quarter final exits coming at their hands.

Biffa

It's our sad duty to mark the death of lifelong supporter Alan Gardner aged 78. He's pictured here in happier times with his nephew and great nephew - three generations of the family related to former Magpie Alex Gardner, who won three Division One titles for the club between 1899 and 1909.