Newcastle 3 Man City 4: Watch Ferran Torres score outrageous flick as winger bags hat-trick in seven-goal thriller
TWO Magpies killed with one Mancunian stone, as the records kept on tumbling in one of the craziest games of the craziest season.
Ferran Torres was the difference for the Manchester City ‘reserves’ with a stunning hat-trick.
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The Citizens are now unbeaten in 23 away games in all competitions, surpassing Notts County’s 2012 run in League One.
The oldest club in the land replaced by the best, with the shot at European immortality in Lisbon to come.
City were far from their best but Torres was a cut above – even if he’s got next to no hope of forcing his way in for the Champions League final against Chelsea in 14 days.
The winger’s first was the best of the lot, an outrageous flick with the outside of his foot from Ilkay Gundogan’s free kick.
The second was more bog standard, poking Gabriel Jesus’ low cross home.
The third was another beauty and all about his reactions as the Spaniard, 21, latched onto Joao Cancelo’s shot that had cannoned off the post to volley in City’s fourth.
In a helter-skelter night on Tyneside, Emil Krafth headed Newcastle ahead before Cancelo levelled up before Torres’ first three minutes later.
Joelinton equalised from the spot just before the break, with Joe Willock’s penalty 62 minutes in putting Newcastle 3-2 up.
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But just as April Manager of the Month Steve Bruce was dreaming of outdoing Pep Guardiola, up popped Torres with two goals in as many minutes to settle it.
All eyes were on City’s team with veteran keeper Scott Carson in for his debut having spent the last two years on loan from Derby giving Ederson a break from shooting practice.
Carson, 35, has not played in the top flight since May 2011 – some 3,645 days ago – for West Brom against the Mags in a final day 3-3 draw at St James’ Park.
Kyle Walker, Ilkay Gundogan, Rodri and Bernardo Silva were the only ones likely to start the final in the starting 11 here.
Before kick-off, Carson and co lapped up a guard of honour from the Newcastle players.
But if Newcastle thought they would have any of the ball against the second string they were sorely mistaken.
Steve Bruce, fresh from winning Manager of the Month, unsurprisingly looked to dig in and play on the counter.
For the first 20 minutes they barely had a touch, with panicked hoof after panicked hoof finding Sky Blue shirts.
City had chances to take the lead but Gabriel Jesus, Gundogan and Ferran Torres all fired half-chances wide.
And just when one of those hopeful Toon punts found a team-mate, Newcastle were ahead.
Allan Saint-Maximin latched onto it down the right and found Joelinton, who forced a corner.
Jonjo Shelvey swung it in from the left and Krafth got in between Nathan Ake and Joao Cancelo to head home his first Mags goal.
Carson could do little about it, just as he was powerless to stop Shelvey’s 25-yard free-kick moments later as it clattered off the woodwork.
But as City looked on the ropes they sprung into gear and scored two in three minutes via Cancelo and Ferran Torres.
The first was as lucky as they come, with Cancelo’s speculative drive from the top-left corner of the box taking a wicked deflection off Jacob Murphy before flying past Martin Dubravka.
For all the fortune involved there, the second was a thing of beauty.
Gundogan’s free-kick from the left was whipped in with plenty of pace and Torres got ahead of Shelvey before a stunning flick with the outside of his right foot flew over Dubravka.
The crazy first half had one more twist in injury time though as Joelinton scored his third in seven games from the spot.
The Brazilian went down under a sliding challenge from Nathan Ake, but ref Kevin Friend blew for offside.
VAR Darren England got involved, and after a long delay determining that Saint-Maximin was onside in the build-up, gave the penalty – despite replays showing the Brazilian planting his foot on the defender.
And Joelinton made no mistake from 12 yards, burying his fourth league goal of the season beyond Carson, who went the correct way to his right but had no chance.
The £40million forward was then taken off penalty duty 62 minutes in when Joe Willock was taken out by Kyle Walker after gassing Eric Garcia down the left.
Willock took responsibility but Carson was up to the job, getting down superbly to his left.
But it fell straight back into the Arsenal loanee’s path to bury his fifth goal in as many games.
This madcap evening was far from done though as City – and Torres – struck twice in two minutes to go 4-3 up.
A first-time low finish from Jesus’ cross was simple enough, coming 100 seconds after Willock had put Toon ahead.
But the next, to bring up his hat-trick, was another pearler.
Quick as a flash to sort his body out, the youngster volleyed City into the lead after Cancelo’s rasping shot from outside the box hit the post and flew back at him.
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