SEASON over? Eddie Howe will claim otherwise, but to all intents and purposes, a campaign that started with such excitement and anticipation for Newcastle United has ended in the middle of March as a damp squib.

European qualification remains a possibility via the league – although results will have to improve significantly in the next two months if it is to be achieved – but for the 69th season in succession, there will be no major domestic silverware to store at St James’ Park.

Losing to a Manchester City side that are attempting to win an unprecedented ‘double treble’ is no disgrace, but there will still be disappointment at the limp manner in which Newcastle exited the FA Cup at the Etihad.

The Magpies were ultimately undone by two deflected efforts in the first half from Bernardo Silva, but the fact they only recorded one effort on target highlights the extent to which they were successfully kept at arm’s length by a City side who rarely had to get out of first gear.

Guardiola’s reigning FA Cup holders therefore head to Wembley looking to defend their crown; Newcastle’s non-international players will jet to a warm-weather training camp in Dubai during the forthcoming international break licking their wounds. Increasingly, it feels as though major changes are needed in the summer.

Howe opted for a change in formation in an attempt to tighten up his side’s backline this afternoon, recalling Jacob Murphy and Jamaal Lascelles in a back five that featured Murphy and Dan Burn playing as wing-backs. Tino Livramento, nursing an ankle injury sustained in the defeat at Chelsea, was unavailable.

The plan was no doubt to keep things tight for as long as possible, but it was undermined as City claimed the lead in the 13th minute.

Rodri rolled the ball to Silva, who dribbled his way into the right-hand side of the 18-yard box. Burn decided to stand off the Portuguese forward, and when Silva fired in a shot, the ball deflected off the Newcastle wing-back and looped in over Martin Dubravka.

Dubravka saved from Erling Haaland shortly after as City’s attacking talisman broke beyond Newcastle’s back five, with Phil Foden also firing a long-distance strike over the crossbar as City pressed for a second goal.

Newcastle were not devoid of attacking threat, with Anthony Gordon pushing up alongside Alexander Isak to form a front two, but the visitors’ early attempts to float balls beyond the City backline were thwarted by the home side.

And their task became a whole lot harder shortly after the half-hour mark when Silva’s second goal of the game doubled City’s lead.

The diminutive forward dribbled to the corner of the 18-yard box, and with both Burn and Joe Willock once again standing off him, he curled in a shot that flicked off Sven Botman’s head to wrongfoot an unfortunate Dubravka.

Newcastle needed a response, and it almost arrived nine minutes before the break when they created their first opportunity of the game.

Murphy swung over a cross from the right, Burn nodded the ball down at the back post, but while Isak caught his swivelled half-volley sweetly, Stefan Ortega got down to make an excellent save.

Dubravka kept out efforts from Ruben Dias and Jeremy Doku to ensure Newcastle were only two goals down at the break, and was involved again three minutes after the break as he turned Doku’s shot around the post after the winger had played a slick one-two with Foden.

With the Magpies not looking any more threatening in the second half than they had for most of the first, Howe opted for a quadruple change just after the hour mark, bringing on Lewis Hall, Lewis Miley, Elliot Anderson and Miguel Almiron.

The alterations did not change the course of the game, but Newcastle should have done better in the 66th minute when they won the ball high up the field, enabling them to break three-on-two.

Almiron rolled a square pass to Isak, but the Swede’s first touch was poor, enabling Manuel Akanji to force him wide and block his eventual cross.