Saturday saw Newcastle suffer a third successive 0-2 defeat in league and cup, Manchester City taking full advantage of our profligacy to record their 14th successive win over us at the Etihad Stadium.

Although matching the reigning Champions for much of the game, the Magpies suffered only their third league loss of the season largely due to another forgettable afternoon in front of goal.    

Presentable chances fell to Anthony Gordon, Callum Wilson, Sean Longstaff, Joelinton and Allan Saint-Maximin, but the game was into second half added time when City 'keeper Ederson finally faced an on-target effort, that an unthreatening free kick from the boot of Kieran Trippier.

Winless in their last four PL games, Newcastle made a trio of changes to their starting line-up but both Dan Burn and Wilson kept their places. Jamaal Lascelles replaced concussion victim Fabian Schar, Gordon made his first Toon start for Saint-Maximin and Nick Pope returned following suspension, Martin Dubravka on the bench in preference to Loris Karius.

A long afternoon seemed on the cards when Phil Foden's mazy run into the area on 15 minutes ended with the ball in the back of the net via the boot of Sven Botman.

That was poor from a defensive perspective, but City's advantage should quickly have been wiped out when Bruno Guimaraes centred for Kieran Trippier to nod back across goal - only for Wilson to inexplicably scuff his attempted shot barely six yards out.

Longstaff then seemed a certain scorer before the break but couldn't get his shot away, Gordon having similarly failed earlier when it was still scoreless.

A subdued away end woke up to the fact that the visitors were still in this contest after the hosts resumed the second half in listless fashion - the usual morgue-like atmosphere here hardly inspiring Pep & Co.   

That optimism increased as a proactive treble swap by United brought Joe Willock, Alexander Isak and Saint-Maximin into the fray. A trio of near misses quickly followed, most glaringly one from Joelinton after Joe Willock fired a teasing low centre across the six yard box from the right.

Sadly though that mini-revival soon stalled as Pope's clearance led to Trippier losing possession and City stylishly cutting through the visiting defence or Silva to fire home in the 67th minute - ending the match as a contest.

So near but so far once again then; still a sizeable distance away from competing with the league's elite, despite their evident uplift this season. The progress made though is in real danger of being undone by our recurring goalscoring issues since the World Cup.  

If nothing else, avoiding our habitual humiliation at this ground was the cause of fleeting satisfaction and the way in which Lascelles stuck to his task of shadowing Haaland belied the fact that this was his first league start since August. Sadly though he was unable to help remedy our ongoing lack of prowess from set pieces at the other end of the field.

Preparations now begin for a tricky home game on Sunday against a Wolves side who ended their own three game winless run by beating Spurs. There'll be at least one enforced change from today's XI, Joelinton's tenth yellow card of the season prompting a automatic two game suspension.