Quickfire goals by Erling Haaland and Bernardo Silva helped Manchester City recover from two goals down to draw 3-3 with Newcastle United in a rip-roaring Premier League clash at St James’ Park on Sunday.
Neither side had conceded a goal in the league this season but Ilkay Gundogan opened the scoring for champions City in the fifth minute, ghosting in and catching the Newcastle defence flat-footed before finishing from close range.
City should have gone two up in the 16th minute when Phil Foden attacked down the right, but he chose to shoot from a tight angle rather than squaring the ball to Haaland and the chance was wasted.
The home side levelled through Miguel Almiron in the 28th minute as he bundled a pinpoint cross from Allan Saint-Maximin into the net before enduring a nervous VAR check that allowed the goal to stand.
Saint-Maximin tormented City full back Kyle Walker and he put Newcastle in position to pull off a huge upset when he set up Callum Wilson to make it 2-1 before half-time.
A brilliant free kick by Kieran Trippier nine minutes after the break put them 3-1 ahead.
That sparked City into life, however, with Haaland hitting a post before pulling a goal back on the hour mark and Silva converted a glorious pass from Kevin De Bruyne to make it 3-3.
Newcastle’s challenge looked set to come unstuck when Trippier was shown a straight red card for a cynical high trip on De Bruyne, but after a VAR review the decision was overturned and he was given a yellow.
City dominated possession in the final stages but had to settle for a draw that left them second in the table on seven points, two behind leaders Arsenal. Newcastle are sixth on five points.
Leeds lesson
Earlier, Leeds United produced a relentless display to earn a 3-0 victory over Chelsea as they continued to impress under American coach Jesse Marsch.
In a raucous Elland Road atmosphere, two goals in five first-half minutes saw the hosts race into a 2-0 lead with Chelsea, who finished with 10 men, unable to cope with the intensity.
The opener came after a monumental error from away goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, allowing American Brenden Aaronson in to score his first Premier League goal in the 33rd minute, before Rodrigo headed in his fourth of the season to make it two.
There was no letting up from Leeds United as they put the game to bed with a 69th-minute third through Jack Harrison, before Chelsea’s close-season signing Kalidou Koulibaly was sent off late on. A second victory from three at the start of the new campaign came at a canter from there on.
Looking to get back to winning ways after a fiery draw with Tottenham Hotspur last time out, Chelsea flew out of the traps, with close-season signing Raheem Sterling flashing a strike wide after just 36 seconds.
Tackles were flying in in the West Yorkshire sunshine as the intensity levels remained high. Harrison also went close early on, while Sterling had the ball in the net 15 minutes in, but was correctly ruled offside.
