{"id":590471,"date":"2025-11-24T09:05:29","date_gmt":"2025-11-24T09:05:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/590471\/"},"modified":"2025-11-24T09:05:29","modified_gmt":"2025-11-24T09:05:29","slug":"haaland-blanks-donnarumma-top-what-now-for-burn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/590471\/","title":{"rendered":"Haaland blanks, Donnarumma top + what now for Burn?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Newcastle United stopped Erling Haaland<\/strong> (\u00a314.9m) from scoring for the sixth league and cup match in a row on Saturday evening.<\/p>\n

The Magpies again saved their best for Tyneside with a 2-1 win over Pep Guardiola\u2019s side, who have won only two of their six away games this season.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what we learned from the clash at St James\u2019 Park.<\/p>\n

HAALAND BLANKS \u2013 SOMEHOW<\/p>\n

The brilliant Malick Thiaw<\/strong> (\u00a34.9m) rightly earned plaudits for his handling of Haaland on Saturday. But if this was the Norwegian at his \u2018quietest\u2019, then an expected goals (xG) total of 1.54 just underscores what an unrelenting menace the striker is.<\/p>\n

Yes, Thiaw and the recalled Fabian Schar<\/strong> (\u00a35.3m) generally shackled Haaland well. But FPL\u2019s runaway points leader should still have scored on two, possibly three occasions.<\/p>\n

As early as the second minute, Haaland was clean through on goal and uncharacteristically screwed an attempted chip wide. Half an hour later, he fired straight at Nick Pope<\/strong> (\u00a35.2m) from eight yards. Even with his lower-xG header in the 58th minute, you\u2019ve seen him bury that back-post chance on multiple occasions.<\/p>\n

He probably should have had a penalty, too, for a foul on Phil Foden<\/strong> (\u00a38.0m) that wasn\u2019t given.<\/p>\n

So, those who went against Haaland as captain this week can toast their decisions \u2013 but given that he posted his third-highest xG of 2025\/26, it shouldn\u2019t have worked out quite so well.<\/p>\n

\"blanks<\/p>\n

Above: The Gameweeks in which Erling Haaland has posted his highest xG figures this season<\/p>\n

DONNARUMMA IMPRESSES<\/p>\n

In what was a thoroughly entertaining and nutty game, the big chances arrived at a fierce pace \u2013 in the first half especially.<\/p>\n

\n

7 \u2013 The first half of Newcastle v Man City saw 7 big chances (4 Newcastle, 3 Man City) and 2.59 xG (1.18 Newcastle, 1.41 Man City). It’s the most big chances on record (from 10-11) and second-highest non-pen xG on record (from 12-13) in a goalless Premier League first half. How? pic.twitter.com\/8xS3TtMdYI<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) November 22, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

As well as Haaland\u2019s flurry of opportunities, Foden and Harvey Barnes<\/strong> (\u00a36.3m) both somehow screwed wide with the goal at their mercy.<\/p>\n

Rayan Cherki<\/strong> (\u00a36.4m), Jeremy Doku <\/strong>(\u00a36.5m) and Nico O\u2019Reilly<\/strong> (\u00a35.0m), who have each courted some FPL interest in recent weeks, were all denied assists thanks to the Foden and Haaland sitters. Doku, incidentally, is now second in the Premier League\u2019s chance creation (CC, below) table:<\/p>\n

\"blanks<\/p>\n

But the City boys had Gianluigi Donnarumma<\/strong> (\u00a35.7m) to thank for keeping them in the game at the other end. The Italian almost gifted Newcastle a goal early on \u2013 distribution is not his strong suit \u2013 but he made amends with three fine stops from a lively Nick Woltemade<\/strong> (\u00a37.4m).<\/p>\n

Donnarumma\u2019s save percentage is now at a league-second-best 78.3% since his summer move.<\/p>\n

A set-and-forget, rotation-proof (in theory!) \u2018keeper for the following run ahead?<\/p>\n

\"Donnarumma\"<\/p>\n

Those with money sloshing around may consider it but six points has very much been his ceiling this season.<\/p>\n

BRACES FOR BARNES + BRUNO<\/p>\n

Barnes made it three goals in two Gameweeks with a brace on Saturday.<\/p>\n

His goals-per-game ratio has always been strong; it\u2019s just the game-time guarantees that have been lacking. Anthony Gordon<\/strong>\u2018s (\u00a37.3m) imminent return doesn\u2019t help in that regard, even if Barnes holds the cards at present. Form or no form, you\u2019d imagine that rotation on the flanks will ramp up in December.<\/p>\n

As for Bruno Guimaraes<\/strong> (\u00a36.6m), he claimed assists for both of Barnes\u2019 strikes. Very quietly, he\u2019s now risen to joint-fifth in the FPL midfielders\u2019 points table:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

One thing worth noting here, however, is that Eddie Howe switched the roles of Bruno and Sandro Tonali<\/strong> (\u00a35.4m) on Saturday. The former, now in the \u2018six\u2019 role, made fewer final-third passes than he\u2019d registered in any match this season.<\/p>\n

It remains to be seen if Howe sticks with this tactic but it\u2019s worth considering for those tempted by Bruno.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cThat was one of the things we tweaked, without getting into too much detail, just to get the appropriate player in the position that we wanted them in. I thought both players played very, very well.\u201d \u2013 Eddie Howe on the midfield switcheroo<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

HALL EXCELS \u2013 BAD NEWS FOR BURN?<\/p>\n

It\u2019s probably no coincidence that Newcastle\u2019s display, particularly going forward, was better with Tino Livramento <\/strong>(\u00a34.9m) and Lewis Hall<\/strong> (\u00a35.2m) in the side. Both full-backs, Hall especially, were excellent on the night.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cThat was a great performance from [Hall]. Took the ball under pressure, linked really well with Harvey, ran forward when he was able to in that first half, before his legs started to tire!<\/p>\n

\u201cTino\u2026 physically looked unbelievable today, considering it was seven weeks out. A really high-level performance against a dangerous opponent.\u201d \u2013 Eddie Howe<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

It begs the question of how Dan Burn<\/strong> (\u00a35.1m) gets back in the side, with his one-match ban now over.<\/p>\n

You could see Burn starting the midweek Champions League match against Marseille at left-back, with Hall cramping in the closing stages on Saturday. Thereafter, does Hall come back in for Gameweek 13? Perhaps Burn\u2019s best chance of a recall is at left-sided centre-half, where Schar (on his wrong side) displaced the out-of-form Sven Botman<\/strong> (\u00a34.9m) against City.<\/p>\n

TRIPPIER + GORDON LATEST<\/p>\n

Livramento was in the side because Kieran Trippier<\/strong> (\u00a35.0m) was unexpectedly absent with a minor hamstring issue.<\/p>\n

Howe provided the latest on him and Gordon after full-time.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cAnthony is very close, just not quite ready for today. But he\u2019s working hard and he\u2019ll be ready, I think, in the next few days.<\/p>\n

\u201cKieran, I\u2019m unsure, I\u2019m waiting for feedback from the medical team.\u201d \u2013 Eddie Howe<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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