Man City 2 Newcastle 1 — Where does it leave the title race? How good is O’Reilly? Was Burn pushed offside?

Manchester City closed the gap to Arsenal at the top of the Premier League to two points after Nico O’Reilly scored twice to beat Newcastle United.

O’Reilly scored his first of the game with a low shot that Nick Pope got a hand to but could not keep out and then restored City’s lead with a towering header after Lewis Hall’s deflected shot had drawn Newcastle level.

That was all inside the first 30 minutes and Dan Burn thought he had equalised again only for his header to be ruled offside, though replays showed he may have been pushed into that position by Ruben Dias.

City beat Newcastle 5-1 over two legs of their Carabao Cup semi-final but Eddie Howe’s side put up much more of a fight here and Pep Guardiola’s side had to work hard to claim all three points in a fast and physical game.

The top two now each have 11 league games left to play but Arsenal can restore their advantage to five points if they beat Spurs in the north London derby on Sunday.

Here The Athletic’s Sam Lee and Chris Waugh break down the game’s key talking points.

Where does this leave the title race?

This felt tense. It has been a while since Guardiola has been down on his haunches in his technical area quite so often, but with his team missing chances and Newcastle’s threat growing throughout the second half, the City boss was evidently very nervous about what might happen next, and surely about the wider consequences of the title race.

City created the best chances after the break but conspired to fluff them all, always offering Newcastle an equaliser, and Arsenal a much-needed momentum boost in the title race. And this is not the City team to ‘put the ball in the fridge’, as Guardiola says, by stringing passes together.

Had they taken their numerous chances, things would have been a lot calmer, and this was extremely nervy all the way until the end, with both Erling Haaland and Phil Foden thwarted in stoppage time, but City got the job done and the result will put even more pressure on Arsenal.

Considering City’s second-half struggles and lost leads in 2026, this could easily have gone the same way, but they held on for what feels, tonight, like a huge victory.

Sam Lee

How good is Nico O’Reilly?

For all the new players that have arrived at City since the start of 2025, perhaps it is the one who came up through the academy who has made the biggest impression to date.

Having broken through as a left-back in the second half of last season, after what had initially seemed like a decent solution for cup games against lower league teams, he has, in the past month, moved up into midfield, and he has shone.

He came through the ranks as an attacking midfielder, so in some respects it is no surprise that he looks so comfortable in the engine room, but nothing can be taken for granted considering this is a 20-year-old who has become a mainstay alongside seasoned veterans like Rodri and Bernardo Silva.

O’Reilly has excelled further forward (Martin Rickett/PA Images via Getty Images)

His first goal, like his strike against Fulham recently, was taken brilliantly — and he was in the right place to pounce because City left him high up alongside Haaland when Newcastle were pumping goal kicks long. O’Reilly’s tenacity and attacking instincts were well deployed when City won the first header and could spring forward, and the first goal was evidence of that.

His second was a well-taken header, before having to show the grittier side to his game in the second half, being used as a target man late on as City battled to keep their lead. O’Reilly is a serious player and surely features heavily this season and beyond.

Sam Lee

Was Howe right to stick with his man-for-man approach?

Under Howe, Newcastle had never previously scored at the Etihad in the Premier League, never mind won (or drawn), in four visits.

Having tried basically all possible tactics at this ground before, Howe was bold and went for a man-for-man approach off the ball.

Burn followed Haaland around the pitch, and was booked early on for wrestling with the striker, while Hall tracked Antoine Semenyo and Nick Woltemade was usually on Bernardo.

This set-up allowed Newcastle to nick the ball on occasion and then send Anthony Gordon, Anthony Elanga and Joe Willock away behind Manchester City’s high line. And the pace of Newcastle’s front three certainly caused the home side’s centre-backs serious issues.

But such a brave out-of-possession gameplan was always going to have significant elements of risk, as well as reward. With Newcastle looking to press high, whenever they ceded possession themselves, Manchester City cut through their lines with ease, with Omar Marmoush and Semenyo often profiting, having acres of space to advance into.

Woltemade was again deployed in more of a midfield role (Stu Forster/Getty Images)

There were also mismatches across the pitch whenever markers changed. Woltemade, deployed for the third successive match as a left-sided No 8, but for the first time in the Premier League, was far too weak during the build-up to Manchester City’s second goal when he was left to close Semenyo.

O’Reilly, meanwhile, was completely untracked for both of his goals, having an age to unleash his opener from the edge of the area, and then finding himself largely unopposed for his header.

Howe could have sat back and Newcastle may have succumbed regardless, but did it matter that this was a valiant performance if it was still in defeat?

Chris Waugh

Was Burn pushed offside? Were he and Silva lucky to avoid red?

Newcastle certainly felt aggrieved by some of the decisions from the officials.

In the 42nd minute, Sandro Tonali whipped a right-footed free-kick in from the left flank, which Burn nodded above Gianluigi Donnarumma, who had rushed off his line, and into the net.

The offside flag was raised and the centre-back was marginally in front of the Manchester City backline when the ball was played. However, Ruben Dias did appear to shove Burn into that offside position, even if his starting stance was already behind the defence.

Newcastle felt it was a foul, but the officials did not deem it so, even though VAR checked the incident.

Bernardo, meanwhile, escaped a second booking less a minute after being shown a yellow card. The Portuguese jumped into Burn, making no attempt to play the ball and, while a foul was given by referee Thomas Bramall, another caution did not follow.

Burn was also arguably fortunate to avoid a second booking, mind, having been shown a yellow card early for wrestling with Haaland. A soft, yet clear, tug on the Norwegian’s shirt 10 minutes into the second half again brought a foul, but no further caution.

Haaland and Burn in an earlier duel (Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images)

Chris Waugh

What did Guardiola say?

We will bring you this after he has spoken at the post-match press conference.

What did Howe say?

We will bring you this after he has spoken at the post-match press conference.

What next for City?

Saturday, February 28:  Leeds (Away), Premier League, 5.30pm UK, 12,30pm ET

What next for Newcastle?

Tuesday, February 24: Qarabag (Home), Champions League play-off second leg, 8pm UK, 3pm ET