Newcastle United

We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Newcastle and Brentford.

Here are some of your comments:

Newcastle fans

Pete: This feels like the beginning of the end. A real mess has been made in the transfer market. We made ill-thought-through signings and have an approach to matches devoid of pace, positive decision-making and attacking flair. There is staleness and dreadful body language. Bruno Guimaraes was right to call this a 'mess' a few months ago before being called out by his manager. A tactical approach that has outlived its welcome and loyalty to some that has been many a coach's Achilles heel. It feels a change is just around the corner...

Bryan: Shambolic. We have forwards who can't score, defenders who can't defend and a goalkeeper who'd rather use his feet than his hands to stop shots. Forget about Europe and concentrate on survival. We seem unable to string two passes together unless it's sideways or backwards.

John: A tired performance. With changes every match, not many players are at their best. Eddie Howe has lost his momentum. Are his days numbered?

Matt: We're really not connecting the dots at the minute. We have lacked being so ruthless and clinical for some time - albeit the effort is there. Fatigue? Maybe. But the shape and direction is massively off and it's getting dangerous now. We were nowhere near it on Saturday. I fear the media will jump on Eddie very soon. Dare I say we miss Alexander Isak?

Brentford fans

Gavin: Magnificent - from the tactical nous of the coaches to the application of every player, including substitutes. The turning point was the ever faithful Vitaly Janelt thwarting the traitor Yoane Wissa to stop Newcastle going 2-0 up. Janelt then headed the equaliser and ended the game wearing the captain's armband. For me, he is Christian Norgaard's natural successor. When Newcastle came out flying in the second half, Keith Andrews made a change quickly and their equalising penalty was rather unfortunate for Michael Kayode. However, Dango Outtara took his chance when it came, just as he did at Villa Park, and the Bees looked dangerous on the break the whole game. It's great being a Brentford fan. Long may it continue.

Shaun: I am lost for superlatives. Impressive defending. Electric attacks. The 92 years is long time, but this team can get the supporters' hearts racing and dreaming of Europe.

Steve: Another magnificent performance from the Superbees against the Geordies. Having supported them since the early 1960s, seeing how they have developed and progressed over the past few years to be an established Premier League team, run and managed superbly, is simply astonishing. I still have to pinch myself every time I look at the Premier League table. Like most Bees fans, I am loving living this dream!

Bee Keeper: Surely no-one else comes close to Andrews for Premier League manager of the season? Incredible stuff!

Pundits Alan Shearer and Danny Murphy join host Kelly Cates to bring you the action and talking points from Saturday's Premier League fixtures and Friday's action.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Bournemouth 1-1 Aston Villa

• Arsenal 3-0 Sunderland

• Newcastle 2-3 Brentford

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe, speaking to Match of the Day: "A strange game because I think at 2 - 2 you think you're going to go on and win it. The game got away from us with a really poor third goal, the construction of it we're all out attack, which is fine in that moment of course. But we need to do it in control, and we weren't in control of the transition well enough.

On giving up easy goals: "It's been a massive problem in this last group of games, we all know if you defend well you've got a chance with our attacking players of scoring. We scored two today and we lost the game and got nothing from it which is hugely frustrating from our view point.

On Bruno Guimaraes: "A big pressure moment and he responded with a really cool penalty. I thought he did well to get through the game considering he's missed quite a chunk of training."

Did you know?

• Newcastle have dropped more points from winning positions than any other side in the Premier League this season (19). Only in 2004-05 (31), 1999-00 (24) and 2021-22 (24) have they dropped more in a single campaign.

• Bruno Guimaraes has been involved in 10 goals in his last nine Premier League home games (7 goals, 3 assists) - the most of any player in the competition since the start of October.

Hear more from Howe on BBC Sounds

Hear Matthew Raisbeck & John Anderson's reaction to the defeat

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Newcastle's performance

What did you make of Brentford's display?

Come back on Sunday for a selection of your replies

Ciaran Kelly
Football reporter

Captain Bruno Guimaraes starts as Newcastle United make five changes for the visit of Brentford.

The influential Brazilian missed Newcastle's previous four games with an ankle injury, but is fit enough to start at St James' Park alongside the recalled Nick Pope, Jacob Murphy, Harvey Barnes and Yoane Wissa.

Wissa faces his former club for the first time since pushing to join Newcastle last summer.

Newcastle starting line-up: Pope, Trippier, Thiaw, Botman, Hall, Guimaraes, Tonali, Willock, Murphy, Wissa, Barnes

Subs: Ramsdale, Osula, Elanga, Woltemade, Burn, A.Murphy, Ramsey, Shahar, Neave

Keane Lewis-Potter comes in for the suspended Kevin Schade as Brentford make just one change

The winger makes his first league start in a month after Schade was sent off in his side's 1-0 win against Aston Villa last time out.

Skipper Nathan Collins stays on the bench after suffering a knock in training last week.

Brentford starting line-up: Kelleher, Kayode, Ajer, van den Berg, Henry, Henderson, Yanelt, Jensen, Lewis-Potter, Thiago, Ouattara

Subs: Valdimarsson, Hickey, Pinnock, Nelson, Yarmoliuk, Collins, Damsgaard, Donovan, Furo

There are seven games in the Premier League on Saturday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Man Utd v Tottenham (12:30)

• Arsenal v Sunderland - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Bournemouth v Aston Villa - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 2

• Burnley v West Ham

• Fulham v Everton

• Wolves v Chelsea

• Newcastle v Brentford (17:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra with second half on BBC Radio 5 Live

Kick-off times 15:00 GMT unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Bournemouth v Aston Villa" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Arsenal v Sunderland", for instance.

Find out more about how to listen to Premier League football on BBC Sounds

Chris Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League games this season, against AI, BBC Sport readers and a variety of guests.

His guest for week 25 is Gladiators star Apollo, real name Alex Gray, who supports Newcastle.

Sutton says: You just wonder how much Newcastle have got left in the tank after their Carabao Cup semi-final defeat to Manchester City on Wednesday.

The Magpies have a few injuries to contend with too, with Anthony Gordon their latest player to be sidelined, so they will have to dig deep and they will be hoping Bruno Guimaraes is back fit in time for this game.

Brentford got one heck of a win last time out at Villa, and their manager Keith Andrews deserves a lot of credit for getting that result despite being down to 10 men for the entire second half.

The Bees are always so well organised at the back and how Eddie Howe's side try to break them down will be the key to this one.

As good as Newcastle striker Nick Woltemade is with his back to goal, he doesn't run in behind. Doing that, and attacking with pace, is how Eddie Howe's side look the most dangerous - Harvey Barnes and Anthony Elanga will have to do that here.

Sutton's prediction: 3-1

Apollo's prediction: 3-1

AI's prediction: 2-1

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Image source, Getty Images

James Milner has been described as the "consummate professional" on BBC Radio 5 Live's The Commentators' View podcast, as he closes in on Gareth Barry's record for most appearances in the Premier League.

If Milner features for Brighton against Crystal Palace on Sunday, he will reach 653, the same number Barry finished with when he retired in 2020.

Speaking on the podcast, BBC senior football reporter Ian Dennis said: "I did spend a lot of time with him when I covered the England under-21s. There was a tournament in Holland in 2007 and then I remember him in Sweden in 2009 and spoke a lot to him when he was an England international at various England camps. And the way he has conducted himself, he is the model pro, isn't he? He is the consummate professional."

BBC commentator Alistair Bruce-Ball added: "The other thing when we're talking about being the consummate professional, 40 years old, he gets on for a minute or two at the end of that game [last weekend] and annoyingly when he's on, Everton equalise.

"You've got to do all the running after the game because you've only played a couple of minutes of football, but when you're in your 24th season of Premier League football, and you're still prepared to do all of that, that says something in itself."

BBC football correspondent John Murray touched on how much Milner will have had to look after himself to sustain the longevity he has had, saying: "It can't be a coincidence that he's kept himself fit over the years, which I think attests to himself being a professional. He's clearly had to look after himself to be able to do that."

Listen to the full podcast here

Noel Sliney
BBC Sport senior journalist

This is Newcastle's only home fixture across an eight-game spell in all competitions and a meagre tally of three away wins from 17 attempts this season intensifies the pressure on them to triumph on Tyneside.

They are unbeaten in their past 10 home matches against Brentford in all competitions, winning nine. Nonetheless, in-form Brentford are looking to complete their first league double over Newcastle since the 1934-35 season in the old Second Division in Saturday's meeting (17:30 GMT).

Toon and gloom

It's just one win in eight games for Newcastle, counting the FA Cup shootout success against Bournemouth at the start of that spell as a draw. A challenging season took a turn for the worse in midweek when their defence of the Carabao Cup was ended by Manchester City and Anthony Gordon became their latest injury casualty.

At 3-0 down on the night, and 5-0 on aggregate, Newcastle did at least belatedly rally to show some of the quality and fight that has helped them challenge the elite in recent years. They are traits that have not always been evident in domestic fixtures this season.

Substitute Anthony Elanga continued his improvement in recent games with a wonderfully taken first goal for the club, but Newcastle are yet to get the output they need or expect from him and their three other attack-minded summer signings at a combined cost of £209m.

Club record signing Nick Woltemade has gone 12 appearances without scoring and was replaced at half-time on Wednesday by ex-Brentford striker Yoane Wissa, who's only managed three goals this season. Like Wissa, midfielder Jacob Ramsey has had an injury-interrupted campaign but, after 25 games, his industry is yet to translate into any goals or assists.

Bees are buzzing

Brentford have quietly moved to within three points of the top six and are on a trajectory which could see them challenge their Premier League club record of 59 points, set in 2022-23.

Not bad for a side who only returned to the top flight in 2021 after an absence of 74 years and lost their head coach and last season's joint top scorers, one of whom was Wissa, during the summer.

Keith Andrews, whose promotion from set-piece coach to head coach has proved inspired, hailed his side's "defensive masterclass" with 10 men in the second half away to Aston Villa last weekend.

Brentford's deserved 1-0 victory meant they have accrued 16 points from their past eight league games, a record only bettered by league leaders Arsenal.

Those two sides and Manchester City share the best defensive record during that period, conceding seven goals apiece.

Ciaran Kelly
Newcastle United reporter

Image source, Getty Images

It is not long until 2030 comes around.

So Newcastle United clearly have an awful lot of work to do after CEO David Hopkinson this week doubled down on his assertion that the club will be competing for the biggest prizes in the game by then.

However, there is a reason head coach Eddie Howe admitted it was "very difficult" to respond to such a timeline.

"As a manager, I don't quite know what's going to happen next week – let alone in four years' time," he said at his news conference on Friday.

Howe was speaking just a few days after the holders were eliminated from the Carabao Cup following a 5-1 aggregate defeat against Manchester City in the semi-finals.

This challenging season is now starting to take shape.

By the time the month is over, Newcastle will know if they have progressed past Qarabag into the last 16 of the Champions League and whether they have got the better of Aston Villa to reach the FA Cup fifth round.

Their prospects in the league will also become a lot clearer following some crunch fixtures in the coming weeks.

Newcastle currently lie in 11th place in the table and this weary side desperately need a victory to kickstart their campaign again following a run of just one win in seven games in all competitions.

"I can assure you the players are maxed out physically, mentally, and we see them behind the scenes," Howe added before the visit of Brentford.

"That will be the same for the staff. We're all trying for success. It doesn't always go in a straight line. There will be bumps in the road as there has been this season.

"It's been a really challenging season on many different fronts, but we will give our all to get a positive outcome."

Melissa Edwards
BBC Sport journalist

Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Brentford at St James' Park (kick-off 17:30 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Anthony Gordon will miss Saturday's game after going off injured against Manchester City on Wednesday but Howe is hopeful he'll be back "pretty soon".

• Bruno Guimaraes has been absent with an ankle injury for the past four matches but trained this week and is likely to return to the squad, while Howe "waits for an update" on Lewis Miley, who he hopes isn't too far away from returning.

• Newcastle are four games without a win but Howe says he must look after the players' confidence: "I think naturally sometimes you can lose focus on the games that we've had – Paris [St-Germain], Liverpool and Manchester City away for any team in a short period of time is going to be difficult. Watching those games, the scorelines look pretty bad but the games were very different and all of them could have been different scorelines. We have to acknowledge and protect the confidence of the players, because if you carry that baggage it can be even more difficult."

• He added: "We need the players to play these games with clear heads. Losing is such a difficult feeling, you have to deal with the defeat, put it where you need to put it and you have to learn from it and evolve."

• The Magpies sit 11th in the Premier League table and a win could send them above Brentford into seventh, before facing Tottenham on Tuesday. Howe said: "Big week coming up. Focus back on to the Premier League. We need real focus on these next two games. Brentford and Tottenham - two really good games and games we look forward to and being back home after several aways is more than welcome, so this is a nice feeling for us on Saturday."

• Nick Woltemade hasn't scored for Newcastle in the league since Decemeber against Chelsea and Howe says the 23-year-old is "getting to grips" with the Premier League: "He is young, it's a new league, he started so well and everyone expected that to continue but I think that's very difficult to do, as much as we wanted that to happen for him. He's getting to grips with the Premier League – the speed, the intensity, the physicality and of course teams are getting to know him as well which I think is the biggest challenge for him."

• Howe added: "Teams understand his game and what he wants to do so he has to find solutions the other way. So there's work for him to do but I think he's done everything with such a great attitude."

• On Yoane Wissa, who will be facing his former club for the first time: "I am hopeful that he can find his best form as we go through the season. I think he will continue to get better and better physically. Unfortunately, there is no magic wand to his physical condition because when he came to us he hadn't trained regularly anyway, then he picked up a serious knee injury and he is starting again - in a hurry to get fit for his new team desperate to impress and get back."

• Howe continued: "He is fit and he's fine. It is just his match sharpness and things you take for granted when you're fully fit. Sometimes it can be hard to refind as quickly as you want to. There is no doubting his quality, his goalscoring abilities and his instincts are still there - it is just getting that last bit of sharpness in his game that will come through time."

• On Brentford: "Every game's a must-win game. There is no easy game in the Premier League and Brentford this year away from home have been really strong. I watched their games recently against Aston Villa and against Chelsea – they're really competitive, as we found out in the first game earlier in the season. Clear strengths and they've done really well to bounce back from some big departures in their squad and they look even stronger for it."

Listen to more from Howe on BBC Sounds

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Neil Johnston
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Twenty-four years after making his debut, James Milner, 40, will equal the record for most Premier League appearances if he features for Brighton against Crystal Palace on Sunday.

A stellar career spanning more than two decades, six top-flight clubs, 652 Premier League appearances, 61 England caps, three Premier League titles, two FA Cups and one Champions League triumph has also delivered some unexpected moments.

Milner is set to go level with Gareth Barry, who played 653 times, at the top of the all-time Premier League appearance list some 8,491 days after making his debut for hometown club Leeds United soon after leaving school in 2002.

Milner was just 16 and earning £70 a week as a YTS player when he broke into the first team at Leeds, six months after taking his GCSE exams.

Milner signed for Newcastle in a deal worth £5m in 2005.

Alan Shearer, who played with Milner at Newcastle, describes him as a model professional and a "manager's dream".

"You would do well if you had him in your squad because you knew exactly what you were going to get," adds former England captain Shearer.

However, a year after signing, Milner was sent out on loan to Premier League rivals Aston Villa, with then Magpies boss Graeme Souness defending his decision at the time saying "you won't win the league with James Milners".

Milner had impressed on loan at Villa so much that in September 2006 they offered around £4m to sign him permanently but Newcastle pulled out of the deal at the 11th hour at the end of the transfer window and he would not get his permanent switch to Villa for another two years.

In 2020 he opted for the challenge of reviving Manchester City's fortunes and left five years later having helped them win two Premier League titles, one FA Cup, one League Cup and one Community Shield.

"We won the Premier League together in 2012 but there were times that season when things were not going well," recalls former City defender Micah Richards.

"He was one of the people who kept everyone going."

After 147 top-flight appearances for City, he was ready for his next challenge.

Next stop...Liverpool, where he won the Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup, Uefa Super Cup, Fifa Club World Cup and the Community Shield.

After Liverpool came an offer from Brighton in 2023 to prolong his top-flight career, where he continues to compete in what is his 24th Premier League season.

Milner became the Premier League's second-oldest goalscorer earlier this season and celebrated by recreating Diogo Jota's celebration in tribute to his former Liverpool team-mate, who died in a car crash last July.

"I've not scored [in the Premier League] for six years and I was wearing his number. Obviously, I've got help from the great man," said an emotional Milner after the match.

Image source, Google

Milner still remembers a conversation with veteran Leeds goalkeeper Nigel Martyn soon after breaking into the first team 24 years ago.

"He told me, 'Enjoy it while you can because it goes so fast'. I said, 'Leave it out, Nige, I'm 16!'

"And here we are in the blink of an eye - and I'm where he was."

Read more on Milner as he nears the Premier League record

Ciaran Kelly
Newcastle United reporter

Image source, PA Media

It has been a gruelling run.

Newcastle United have faced Champions League winners Paris St-Germain, Premier League champions Liverpool and Carabao Cup finalists Manchester City on their travels in the past week or so.

But Saturday's visit of Brentford feels every bit as significant.

Newcastle have only won one of their past seven fixtures and go into the match below Keith Andrews' team in the table.

No wonder head coach Eddie Howe has talked about the need to get back to winning ways as quickly as possible to breathe "new energy" into the campaign as his side briefly return to St James' Park before another series of away fixtures.

Expect Howe to give fitness updates on Anthony Gordon, who hobbled off with a hamstring issue on Wednesday, as well as Bruno Guimaraes and Lewis Miley at his news conference this morning.

The Newcastle boss is also sure to be asked about the prospect of forward Yoane Wissa facing Brentford for the first time since pushing to leave his former club last summer.

Image source, PA Media

Former Newcastle defender Steve Howey, speaking to BBC Radio Newcastle about Anthony Elanga's first goal for the club and the winger's first few months with the Magpies:

"He'll be just as frustrated as anybody else - it is frustrating when you've got someone who has got ridiculous pace to burn getting into fantastic positions and then the final ball lets you down.

"It is disappointing because you can see what he did at Nottingham Forest.

"I do like the lad and what he did at Forest was excellent, that's why he got the move, but you have to be consistent and it's been nowhere near consistent.

"Let's hope that goal [at Manchester City on Wednesday] has given him confidence. [With Anthony Gordon injured] this is the time to show why Newcastle paid that amount of money for him."

Listen to more on BBC Sounds

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Newcastle United and Italy midfielder Sandro Tonali, 25, is Serie A side Juventus' top transfer target for the summer. (Gazzetta dello Sport - in Italian), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Friday's full gossip column

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We asked for your views on Newcastle's miraculous 4-4 comeback against Arsenal on this day in 2011.

Here are some of your comments:

Alex: I was at the game with my eldest son. We were shell shocked. 4-0 at halftime and could have been more goals on either side. My son, who is an eternal optimist said "We can get back into this". I was just hoping we could put on some kind of show for the second half. The rest is history. Arsenal defender red carded around the hour mark, followed by a quick goal. You saw the change in Arsenal's demeanour even then. Two more goals and then Tiote's superb equaliser.

What made it better was that we were in the John Hall stand with the Arsenal fans in the tiers above us (and in tears above us). Saw many great wins at St James' Park but somehow this capped them.

• Listen to a new BBC Radio Newcastle show about the draw

Matt: I wasn't a season ticket holder for very long - just a few seasons while I was at Uni/immediately after - but I've been to games whenever I can before and since. This game is definitely within the Top 3 that I've attended (along with the 5-1 win over them lot down the road in the same season and Shearer's Testimonial). When Nolan put one millimetres wide just before the final whistle I thought my hair was going to give out.

Richard: Just before half time the cameras caught this lad leaving and the guy got enormous stick for it in the light of what happened. Thing was, the poor lad - who was sat in front of me - had only gone to the loo. He was back in his seat for the whole of the game. Poor fella.

Phillip: I remember being at a mates house watching the game and having a few beers. I was so disheartened at half time, but jumping around with absolute joy at seeing the goal by Tiote. Still find it hard to believe that was his only goal for the Toon, but one of the most memorable I've ever seen.

David: Regarding Martin missing the great comeback against Arsenal, I was on the good end of luck for Howay 5-0. A lad I worked with had a season ticket but his brother had arranged their child's christening for the day we played Man United. Mick begrudgingly offered me his ticket for the day saying, "we'll get beaten anyway ". That's a day I'll never forget. Cheers Mick.

"What a game."

Newcastle fan Matty Renton reflects on the club's "sensational" 4-4 comeback against Arsenal on this day in 2011.

Find more from Matty at The Magpie Channel, external

Read the match report

Listen to BBC Radio Newcastle's special coverage looking back on the day

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Former Newcastle midfielder Kevin Nolan on the moment - exactly 15 years ago - when the Magpies, and Cheick Tiote, equalised in their 4-4 draw with Arsenal.

"We were a bit embarrassed that we were on our own turf and Arsenal were taking over. We knew we had to do something to stop it and that was part of it.

"When Cheick was weighing it up I was thinking 'what is he doing?'. I've never seen him hit one on his left. He ran round the ball to pass it on his right!

"It was an absolutely amazing volley. I was pulling out waiting for the ball to rebound out. The whole place erupted.

"It was like having a victory. I looked at Arsene Wenger's face at half-time and he had a big smile, but after he wasn't too happy. We felt we won. We showed character and spirit and the fans appreciated that."

Read the match report

Listen to BBC Radio Newcastle's special coverage looking back on the day

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On the 15th anniversary of Newcastle's stunning comeback from 4-0 down to draw 4-4 against Arsenal, spare a thought for Magpies fan Martin who experienced the moment from afar...

Speaking to a special BBC Radio Newcastle programme, celebrating the anniversary, he recalled: "I was at that famous game. Well half of it anyway.

"I went to the game with two mates and my brother. We all had a Saturday job in town where we usually worked until 18:00 but on matchdays we were allowed to leave to make it to the ground by 15:00.

"For whatever reason this day we couldn't leave early so we got into the ground late and we were at least 1-0 down. Then the third and fourth went in and we decided to go for a half-time pint. On the way down I remember my mate saying 'let's just go'.

"It's something I would never usually entertain, but I was in a mood and me and him left.

"You want Newcastle to get back into it but with every goal you're thinking 'what have we done here?'.

"It goes 4-3 and then with the equaliser our phones went mental with the grief we were getting from our friends still in the ground. We shouldn't have walked out anyway and 15 years later, every February, we know we'll get the stick again.

"Everyone tries to remember the anniversary, we try and forget it!

"Christmas happens, January is the longest month ever, then February I have to plan for a load of grief from the lads who stayed."

• Send us your memories of the game

Listen to BBC Radio Newcastle's special coverage looking back on the day

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Newcastle's goalkeeper on this day 15 years ago - the day of the famous 4-4 draw with Arsenal - was Steve Harper, who told BBC Radio Newcastle his recollections of the match.

"I can't believe it was 15 years ago. I'll never forget it because my youngest was 12 days old so I remember thinking during the first half 'this is the first and last Newcastle game he'll ever come to when I'm playing'.

"After Chris Hughton, who was popular with the players and fanbase, was dismissed and Andy Carroll left the club in recent months, the dark clouds were circling and were then amplified over the course of the first 45 minutes.

"We were 2-0 down after three minutes. We just needed to take a breath and get a foothold in the game, but they were relentless.

"We were 3-0 down after 10 and in shock. When we go 4-0 down after 26 minutes, I remember lying on my back and thinking 'we need half-time now'.

"I went in and said if any of you so-and-sos wave the white flag I'm going to be the first goalkeeper in Premier League history to let 10 goals in.

"Alan Pardew, we didn't see eye to eye, but he came in and he was brilliant and said 'Look lads, you need a response, the crowd need to see a response, you need to respond for each other. Your family and friends are in the crowd, what are they going to be thinking?'

"I thought it was really good because it's not a time to start ranting and raving and turning players on themselves.

"Kevin [Nolan] refereed the game without the referee knowing. He was an intimidating character who was streetwise. He knew if we tried to play football it would be six or seven - what we needed to do was the dark arts, get competitive and be horrible, which we were in promotion from the Championship."

Image source, Getty Images

On Cheick Tiote's equaliser: "I had the ultimate view. It was perfect, on his weaker foot. Never seen him do anything like it. It had a clear path and I knew it was in.

"The noise. In 33 years of being in and around St James' Park I've never heard anything like it. Tiote runs the length of the pitch and I ran towards the celebrations and elbowed Leon Best in the hamstring and he has to go off! Maybe we would have won the game if I hadn't.

"You just do mad things. People still talk about it to this day."

Come back later today for fan accounts and more players who featured in the fixture

Send us your memories of the game here

Listen to BBC Radio Newcastle's special coverage looking back on the day

On this page on Wednesday, we marked a famous Newcastle United anniversary as it was 20 years since Alan Shearer broke Jackie Milburn's record to become the club's all-time leading goalscorer.

Today, we look back at another famous day in the club's recent history. It is exactly 15 years since the Magpies fought back from 4-0 down to draw 4-4 with Arsenal in one of the most remarkable Premier League matches ever played.

Newcastle fans might have been forgiven for making an early exit from St James' Park when Arsenal scored three times in the opening 10 minutes and led 4-0 after 26 minutes.

Abou Diaby's red card meant the Gunners played for most of the second half with 10 men, but it was not until the 68th minute that Newcastle began their fightback.

Joey Barton converted two penalties either side of a goal from Leon Best, before Cheick Tiote's stunning volley from 25 yards completed a famous comeback.

That equaliser now carries extra poignance, following Tiote's death in 2017 aged just 30.

Send your memories

Read the match report

Listen to BBC Radio Newcastle's special coverage looking back on the day

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We asked for your thoughts after Wednesday's Carabao Cup semi-final second leg between Manchester City and Newcastle United.

Here are some of your comments:

Manchester City fans

Brian: A far more intense and more ruthless first 45 from Man City but yet again City lose the fight in the second half. Newcastle came to win but were outclassed by a new style Man City in the first half. Man City now need to prove that they are a match winning team that has one big game in their locker and not one good first half. City can win this cup and Arsenal will fear an aggressive Man City.

Stephen: Convincing win but still giving up to many chances for my liking which a better team would punish us for.

Gene: True to form, excellent first half and not interested in the second half. Sloppy, half hearted without much concentration, bad passes, slow tracking back, if they really want to win trophies the desire to slam the door shut must become an every match occurrence.

Nick: It was a great first half performance. The new players have settled well and we are looking great for the future. The thing that takes longer to develop is the instinct of how to close the game down when it should be won, our old guard were masters at it but it takes longer to perfect than pure match tactics.

Newcastle fans

Michael: Tie was already as good as over but Groundhog Day all the same - easily exposed and poor finishing again - that can't be a good combination.

Barry: It was always going to be a big ask to go to the Etihad and get a result. The squad is stretched and the injuries continue to pile up. I trust Eddie and the team to turn things around, plus Elanga looks a bit more like the player we hoped he would be. Now is the time for unity and to really get behind the team. Howay the lads.

J: The worst performance I've witnessed. Newcastle showed no fight, no desire, no effort. Man City cut us apart time and again, the defending was shocking! Second half was a little better but we had lots of missed chances could have drawn that on aggregate if Newcastle taken their chances!

Nick: Obviously a bit demoralising, but we had to go for it. Our biggest problem is still our wastefulness in front of goal. We are creating a host of chances most weeks. I still think Eddie is doing a great job with a slim squad. The coach isn't to blame if your strikers aren't putting the chances away.