15th February, 2025
By Kazeem Ugbodaga
Manchester City delivered a dominant display at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, crushing Newcastle United 4-0 to climb back into the Premier League’s top four.
Omar Marmoush stole the spotlight with a sensational hat-trick, marking a statement performance for Pep Guardiola’s side.
City wasted no time asserting control, with Marmoush opening the scoring in the 19th minute.
Goalkeeper Ederson launched a pinpoint pass to the Egyptian forward, who timed his run to perfection before executing a sublime chip over Martin Dubravka.
The hosts doubled their advantage in the 24th minute when Ilkay Gundogan set up Marmoush at the edge of the box. The forward unleashed a powerful low drive into the bottom left corner, leaving Dubravka with no chance.
Marmoush completed his hat-trick in the 33rd minute, capitalising on a precise assist from Savinho. The Egyptian forward made no mistake, hammering the ball past Dubravka to put City in firm control.
Newcastle struggled to find any foothold in the game, with their best opportunity coming in the 30th minute when Alexander Isak’s effort inside the box was superbly blocked by City’s defence.
The rout was sealed in the 84th minute when Erling Haaland nodded down a corner, allowing James McAtee to smash home City’s fourth goal from close range.
Guardiola rotated his squad in the closing stages, with Haaland, Ilkay Gundogan, and Josko Gvardiol making way for fresh legs.
Meanwhile, Newcastle’s woes deepened as Alexander Isak was forced off with an injury late in the match.
