Newcastle stun holders Manchester City

IF this was Newcastle United not prioritising the cup competitions, goodness knows what they’d be capable of if they started taking them seriously.

On a barely-believable night at the Etihad Stadium, a Newcastle side containing a collection of fringe players, emerging youngsters and returning crocks outclassed the reigning Capital One Cup holders Manchester City to reach the quarter-finals of the competition for the first time in nine seasons.

Rolando Aarons’ sixth-minute opener was a huge surprise, but by the time Moussa Sissoko doubled Newcastle’s lead with 15 minutes left, it was impossible to deny that Alan Pardew’s side thoroughly deserved their victory.

Yes, there was resilience in the Magpies’ defending and some superb defensive midfield work from the tireless Jack Colback and Mehdi Abeid. But this was anything but a backs-to-the-wall job, with City barely testing Rob Elliot and the visitors spurning some decent chances to add to their lead, not to mention being denied what should have been a stonewall second-half penalty.

Rarely can football’s ability to confound expectations have been as obvious or exhilarating. Prior to kick-off, Alan Pardew’s decision to accede to his employers’ request to effectively disregard the cup competitions had looked like producing a mismatch.

Six changes from the side that beat Tottenham on Sunday, rests for the likes of Sissoko, Yoan Gouffran and Remy Cabella, rare starts for Abeid, Adam Armstrong and Aarons, not to mention Ryan Taylor, who made his comeback after a hellish two years with injury. Given that Manchester City’s entire outfield team were full internationals, was there any point in Newcastle’s shadow side even lining up?

Six minutes in, and the answer arrived in thrilling fashion. Taylor’s return after two separate cruciate ligament injuries was always going to be a hugely welcome development, with the popular 30-year-old having displayed impressive resolve and commitment to get his career back on track, and his impact on his return was both immediate and influential.

Having already produced the fourth-minute foul that forced David Silva to limp off with a knee injury, Taylor quickly fashioned a much better-timed challenge to help set up Newcastle’s shock sixth-minute opener.

With Fernandinho dawdling deep inside his own half, Taylor raced to close down his opponent before prodding the ball out of his possession. The loose ball ran invitingly to Aarons on the right-hand side of the penalty area, and the 18-year-old displayed remarkable composure to casually slot a low shot through Willy Caballero’s legs.

Two months ago, Aarons announced his arrival onto the senior scene with a goalscoring cameo against Crystal Palace. Last night’s finish, not to mention the quality of his all-round performance, strongly suggests that eye-catching display was no flash in the pan.

Newcastle’s early strike was unexpected, but it was anything but undeserved given the quality of the visitors’ first-half performance and the way in which their energy and intent contrasted with the apathy in the Manchester City ranks.

While City’s players strolled around as if their victory was assured, their opponents snapped into tackles, hassled and harried as if their lives depended on it and posed a consistent threat on the counter-attack.

Aarons’ pace ensured they always had an attacking outlet, but it was the defensive work of Taylor and Jack Colback in central midfield that was the key factor in restricting City’s first-half effectiveness.

The hosts still created chances, but Elliot made an excellent low save to deny Stevan Jovetic after the Montenegrin met Samir Nasri’s hanging cross with a fierce first-time volley.

Elliot made another fine parry to keep out Yaya Toure’s driven effort on the stroke of half-time, and in between times, Newcastle were fortunate to escape when Fabricio Coloccini sliced Aleksandar Kolarov’s centre against his own post. City’s anticipated cavalry charge, however, failed to materialise.

Indeed, had Paul Dummett displayed marginally more composure as he met Taylor’s corner 12 minutes before the interval, Newcastle might well have been two ahead at the break. Perhaps the defender had too long to pick his spot as the ball arced into his path, and his eventual effort was marginally too close to Caballero, who saved with his legs.

Even then, another first-half opportunity came the Magpies’ way, but while Martin Demichelis deflected Daryl Janmaat’s low cross onto Armstrong’s thigh, the rebound trickled agonisingly past the upright.

Unfortunately, the closing stages of the first half also saw Aarons suffer what appeared to be a recurrence of his hamstring injury and the Jamaica-born teenager was unable to reappear in the second half. Clearly, it is to be hoped he is not sidelined for another two months this time around.

Trailing at half-time for the second game in succession, City needed to add some intensity and creativity to their game in the second half, but while Newcastle’s midfield gradually edged towards their own penalty area, Elliot’s goal was never under siege.

Dummett produced a fine block to deny Edin Dzeko, but Manuel Pellegrini’s decision to replace Toure with Jesus Navas on the hour mark underlined the mounting sense of panic within the home ranks.

That panic might well have increased had referee Stuart Attwell not made the baffling decision to deny Newcastle what appeared a clear penalty with 21 minutes left.

Sammy Ameobi released Obertan beyond the City defence, and Kolarov got nowhere near the ball as he chopped down the winger from behind. Few penalty decisions have looked as obvious, yet Attwell, who was well behind the play, remained unmoved.

Fortunately, the error did not affect the outcome as Newcastle doubled their lead six minutes later anyway.

Sissoko had been on the pitch for 11 minutes when he picked up the ball from Ameobi, and after turning past Fernandinho and slotting the ball through Bacary Sagna’s legs, the Frenchman calmly slotted a crisp low finish past Caballero.

It was a magnificent solo goal, and provided a fitting climax to a thoroughly remarkable evening, with Taylor’s last-gasp block to deny Dzeko on the line shortly after earning an equally raucous cheer from the jubilant visiting fans.