Anthony Gordon’s second-half penalty saw Newcastle United come from behind to frustrate Premier League leaders Manchester City in a 1-1 draw at St James’ Park.

Gordon, who has been at the centre of media speculation over his future this week, levelled the score from the penalty spot in the 58th minute, converting a spot-kick that he won after being tripped by Ederson.

Josko Gvardiol had put City ahead with a neat close-range finish in the 35th minute of Saturday’s contest.

Both sides saw chances go begging as they pushed for a winner, with Erling Haaland heading at Nick Pope late on as the Norwegian failed to score for the first time in the league this season.

Pep Guardiola’s side drop to second in the table on 14 points after they were overtaken by Liverpool, who won 2-1 at Wolverhampton Wanderers. Aston Villa could also go above the champions with a win at Ipswich Town while Arsenal are level on points with City.

Newcastle drop to seventh following a win for Fulham at Nottingham Forest.

How the match unfolded

After a scrappy start, Gvardiol put City ahead when he skilfully dragged the ball away from Dan Burn before slotting a low strike into the bottom-right corner, with every City player other than Bernardo Silva playing a part in the build-up to the goal.

Ilkay Gundogan should have punished Pope for a mistake soon after, but sent a long-range chip straight at the backtracking goalkeeper.

Joelinton almost clawed Newcastle level on the stroke of half-time, bringing down a corner on the stretch, only to see his rifled effort pushed away by Ederson, though the City goalkeeper played his part in the hosts’ equaliser.

Gordon took a tumble as Ederson rushed out in a one-v-one, with the penalty awarded on field and confirmed by the VAR – Newcastle’s number 10 holding his nerve to slam home.

While Sean Longstaff dragged Newcastle’s best chance wide, Eddie Howe’s side were indebted to Pope at the other end as he punched the ball clear of Haaland before denying Silva and then collecting a header from City’s striker in the closing stages.

Gordon steals the spotlight

After what Howe described as their worst performance of the season against Fulham, Newcastle put up a great fight as they went toe-to-toe with the champions.

Joelinton was their driving force in the first half, causing real problems when the Magpies got the ball into the box, and he was unlucky not to get on the scoresheet.

And while the Brazilian continued to be a thorn in City’s side after the break, it was Gordon who proved the difference maker.

His quick-thinking won the penalty as he knocked the ball around Ederson, who rushed off his line before keeping his composure to equalise.

After that, he took it upon himself to try and create a winner, popping up on both wings and putting teasing crosses into the box that arguably should have been finished by Harvey Barnes.

He also did not shy away from his defensive work, dropping deep with the rest of his team-mates to protect what is surely a valuable point against the league leaders.

Gordon, who is reportedly close to signing a new contract at Newcastle, showed why he is so crucial to Howe’s plans.

Guardiola’s midfield headache

All eyes were on City’s midfield after the news that Rodri would be missing the rest of the season after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) against Arsenal last Sunday.

Guardiola described Rodri as “irreplaceable” and opted to change his formation in favour of a slightly more defensive set-up to make up for the Spaniard’s absence. 

Mateo Kovacic provided a steady base in the deeper role, freeing up Gundogan higher up the field, though the German struggled to make an impact, with his miss at the end of the half compounding his troubles.

Newcastle’s equaliser lit a fire in the hosts, and as they pushed for a winner, Guardiola was forced to change things again, with Phil Foden’s introduction giving City the control they had lacked at the start of the second half.

Foden’s involvement also allowed more space for Haaland, who saw opportunities come his way later on, though he was unable to extend his recent hot streak in front of goal. 

Club reports

Newcastle report | Man City report

Match officials 

Referee: Jarred Gillett. Assistants: Darren Cann, Akil Howson. Fourth official: Robert Jones. VAR: Stuart Attwell. Assistant VAR: Timothy Wood.