Newcastle played as if they had both eyes on the Carabao Cup final, never mind one, and so they left here with a pair of shiners. They certainly devoted none of their attention to Omar Marmoush, scorer of a first-half hat-trick and an Egyptian who looks like Manchester City’s very own Mo Salah.
But if Eddie Howe’s side continue like this before their big day, they will be black and blue all over by the time it comes around, never mind black and white. They were passive from the off and duly took a hiding.
‘If that’s the case (players focussed on final), we’re in trouble,’ said Howe, whose team face Liverpool at Wembley in four weeks. ‘The final is on the horizon but it should be a positive, not a negative.
‘This was painful to watch. I expected us to be competitive. We didn’t look a threat. We were a yard off where we needed to be. We weren’t in their faces enough. We seemed reactive and allowed technical players too much space. Those things cost you.’
It was a brutal assessment of a brutal afternoon. For City, this was a stroll. Marmoush walked through three times in the space of 14 minutes and only when the ball was in the net did Newcastle show some aggression, arguing amongst themselves as to who was to blame. A half-time delivery of mirrors to the away dressing-room would not have gone amiss.
Pep Guardiola has been scratching his head in frustration this season and has the blood beneath his fingernails to prove it. He was scratching it in bemusement this time, such is his respect for Howe and the likes of Newcastle captain Bruno Guimaraes. The only blood spilt should have been during Newcastle’s post-match inquest.
Omar Marmoush netted a first-half hat-trick as Manchester City defeated Newcastle
The 26-year-old netted three times in 14 minutes to give the hosts a commanding lead at the Etihad
Result sees Pep Guardiola’s side move into top four for just the second time since September
City had a harder outing against Leyton Orient last weekend. Orient ran, tackled and took some shots. Newcastle needed an hour to trouble Ederson and were still waiting for their first challenge of any substance. Guimaraes tried one early in the second half but ended up getting booked and hurt – it captured the calamity and self-harm of Newcastle’s performance.
And this against a City team who, this season at least, need more than three goals before they can relax. Don’t forget, Feyenoord trailed by three with 16 minutes to play and still left with a draw. But from the moment Marmoush completed his treble in the 33rd minute, it was game over. In truth, it was never really game on.
By way of preparation for Wednesday’s Champions League play-off against Real Madrid – in which City trail 3-2 from the first leg – this was perfect. It was good for body and mind, given how little exertion was needed.
It also marked the arrival of Marmoush. He had already shown his talent in four matches since joining from Eintracht Frankfurt last month, but comparisons in that time to countryman Salah felt premature. You have to score goals to win likeness to him. Well, here was a hat-trick bettered only in time by Sergio Aguero in City’s colours in the Premier League.
The Argentine got his three in 12 minutes. Funnily enough, that was during a 6-1 mauling of Newcastle, who have now lost 16 times in a row at the Etihad in the top-flight.
‘Marmoush presented a great level in Germany,’ said Guardiola. ‘He is a player with great quality and amazing speed. A player with this quality, in space, is unbelievable. This will give him a lot of confidence. The connection with Savinho and Erling (Haaland) was unbelievable.’
Guardiola’s men had the ball exclusively for the first four minutes. Literally, Newcastle did not complete a pass. But just when it was starting to feel like death by a thousand passes after another 15 minutes of possession without incision, Ederson went route one and Marmoush ran clear.
He was aided by Kieran Tripper’s decision to try and steal a ball he had no need to, and it allowed Marmoush to pick his pocket. There was still work to be done but the £59million playmaker made light of it, lobbing Martin Dubravka from outside the penalty area.
After setting up Marmoush’s opener Ederson became the goalkeeper with the most assists in Premier League history
Savinho was a consistent threat for the hosts, and set up Marmoush’s third goal on 33 minutes
James McAtee came off the bench to add a fourth goal for City during the closing stages
Eddie Howe’s side have now lost three of their last four games in the Premier League
It was his first for the club and he had another five minutes later. Newcastle let Ilkay Gundogan run through the middle of the park and he found Marmoush in the middle of the box. He took a touch, stepped away from Trippier and finished. It was all so easy.
His hat-trick goal was the simplest of the lot. Savinho ran by Lewis Hall – and not necessarily at speed – and pulled back for Marmoush, who Newcastle had chosen not to mark despite his two goals in the previous quarter of an hour. He applied a tidy steer from 10 yards.
There was a fourth for substitute James McAtee when he headed in from a Haaland flick in the 84th minute. The creator limped off moments later after jarring his knee, but he looked comfortable enough as he took his place in the dugout and that will be a relief ahead of the Madrid showdown.
For those in the opposite dugout, this was anything but comfortable.
