Newcastle United were beaten with relative ease on Saturday evening.
In truth, Manchester City rarely had to get out of third gear during their FA Cup quarter-final clash at the Etihad Stadium.
While Alexander Isak may have given Newcastle something to build on had he put his chance away with the score at 2-0 following Bernardo Silva’s early brace, Eddie Howe’s side ultimately left with nothing.
Now out of the one competition offering some hope this season, it felt a very flat night for Newcastle.
Losing at Man City is hardly the biggest deal in the world but Howe’s side did not really lay much of a glove on their opponents. Though the hosts were the better team, their goals came from deflections, with Silva’s second strike skimming the head of Sven Botman before beating Martin Dubravka.
Speaking of the Dutchman, Alan Shearer had some interesting comments after the game.
Sven Botman: Alan Shearer on Newcastle star
Reflecting on the game during BBC One’s broadcast coverage, Shearer said: “He hasn’t looked the same player. He had a brilliant season last season but he hasn’t been the same player.
“He looks as if he’s been carrying an injury for a long time. He came back into the team after a while out and he hasn’t been the same player.”
Sven Botman injury: Fresh worry for Newcastle
Having already battled back from a serious injury this season, the sight of Botman coming off at the Etihad is yet another worry.
The defender has not been in good form this season, that much is obvious. Criticised by Gary Neville on Monday night at Chelsea too, it followed a poor performance at Arsenal.
Still, if he’s now ruled out again and doesn’t get the training time the club are believed to think he needs, it’s surely going to take Botman even longer to get back to his best.
His struggles this season just do not appear to be easing. Hopefully, at some point, we’re able to see the very best of Botman once again.
Newcastle are believed to be view him as one of their key players for the future of the PIF project. They need him firing on all cylinders very soon.
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