Jonjo Shelvey’s late leveller earned Newcastle United a 2-2 draw with reigning champions Manchester City on Saturday afternoon.
The stand-in Magpies captain fired home substitute Christian Atsu’s cutback to haul his side level for the second time in an engrossing contest at St. James’ Park, which had looked to have been won by Kevin De Bruyne’s wonderful second for City.
The visitors had led through Raheem Sterling, but Jetro Willems’ well-worked equaliser pulled Steve Bruce’s men level before the break.
De Bruyne’s moment of magic then looked to have secured three points for the visitors, but Shelvey’s own piece of brilliance – his third goal of the season so far – denied Pep Guardiola’s men, and maintained the hosts’ six-game unbeaten home record in the Premier League in the process.
The Magpies felt their way into the contest after the champions’ early, predictable command of the ball. Shelvey, wearing the armband in the absence of the injured Jamaal Lascelles, found Allan Saint-Maximin out wide, and he tested Ederson early on.
City fired a few warnings, with Riyad Mahrez and Gabriel Jesus combining in the box and Fernandinho thumping a header over the bar, and midway through the half their possession told. There was a touch of fortune about Sterling’s opener. David Silva had tried to play him into the box and but for Isaac Hayden’s fine sliding challenge he might have got a shot away earlier. A fortuitous bounce gave him another opportunity, though, and he took it, sliding it low beyond Martin Dúbravka.
Bruce’s side hit back straight away. Willems was the architect of the chance and also the beneficiary; his neat flick and pass freed Miguel Almirón on the left of the box and the Paraguayan’s cutback was well-weighted. Willems’ run brought him onto the pass at the just the right moment, and his drive – with his weaker right foot – was crisp, beating Ederson’s outsretched left arm on its way into the bottom corner.
It was Almirón’s first assist in black and white, and a sizeable lift for both the winger and his team. The equaliser seemed to steady United and for all City’s probing, the hosts kept them at bay. Shelvey swerved a free kick past the post after the break and De Bruyne fizzed an effort over in what was largely an even start to the second half.
Then Guardiola’s men began to turn the screw. Javier Manquillo, in for the injured DeAndre Yedlin at right back, stopped Jesus with a timely challenge as he turned goalwards ten yards out. Then Martin Dúbravka was called upon, repelling De Bruyne’s cross-shot with his feet, before a terrific save from Jesus. Slipped in by Silva’s delicate pass, the Brazilian looked favourable as he went one-on-one, but the Newcastle stopper stood firm, blocking the finish.
Substitute Bernardo Silva snatched at his chance, pulling it past the upright moments after coming on, and De Bruyne raked one wide soon after, but a goal was coming, and when it did, there was little the Magpies could do about it. Benjamin Mendy’s cross was headed clear by Paul Dummett but the Belgian controlled it, allowed it to bounce and struck it perfectly, leaving Dúbravka helpless as it bounced down off the crossbar on its way in.
But Newcastle refused to be beaten and, with two minutes of the 90 remaining, they levelled again. It was a beautifully worked set piece, so simple and effective in its execution; Christian Atsu played the free kick, down to the right of the penalty area, back to Shelvey, who had gone about his work in a quiet, industrious way all afternoon. He took the shot first time, curling it with pace into the far left-hand corner of the net, and Ederson was beaten once more.
It was no less than United deserved for what was a committed, disciplined showing and, right and the death, another smart save from Dúbravka – this time from Sterling – made sure of their point.
