Newcastle United fans finally had a reason to sit down and enjoy Match of the Day again after what has been a long and difficult run of Saturday fixtures. Wins have been rare, performances have been inconsistent, and meanwhile Sunderland’s unexpected momentum has only made the contrast sharper.
But everything felt different this weekend. A brilliant 2-1 victory over Manchester City at St James’ Park brought life, excitement, and belief back into the fanbase, reminding everyone of what this team can be when it plays at full throttle under Eddie Howe.
The win was driven by two excellent second-half goals from Harvey Barnes, who delivered exactly when Newcastle needed him most. His composure helped secure three crucial points and created a spark that supporters hope will push the team into a stronger run of form.
Throughout the match Newcastle looked hungry, organised, and determined. They pressed City with confidence, kept the intensity high, and earned their result with a performance full of commitment. It was the kind of display that leaves even a manager like Pep Guardiola visibly frustrated at the final whistle.
Given all that excitement on the pitch, many fans tuned in on Saturday night expecting Match of the Day to reflect what they had witnessed live or listened to during the day.
But viewers were left disappointed by the highlight package, which felt strangely incomplete. Instead of showing the full range of big moments Newcastle created, the programme missed several major chances, leaving fans questioning why some of the best action never made it to air.
One of the biggest omissions involved Nick Woltemade, who caused serious problems for Manchester City’s defence and forced Gianluigi Donnarumma into several brilliant saves.
Yet, out of the three big stops the Italian goalkeeper produced against him, only one made the cut. Viewers saw Donnarumma react quickly to keep out Woltemade’s header from Jacob Murphy’s cross, but two other moments both excellent chance were left out entirely.
One came when Barnes played Woltemade through on goal, and the other was a first-time strike from another Murphy delivery that Donnarumma somehow tipped over the bar.
These were not half-chances, but clear opportunities that helped define the flow of the match, and their absence left fans wondering why they were not included.
Of course, it is not easy to condense nearly 100 minutes of football into a short highlight segment, especially with a late kick-off, and editors are often under pressure to produce a balanced and concise summary.
Matches involving top teams also tend to bring more incidents to cover, and naturally, not everyone will be satisfied with every editorial choice. But it still felt strange to replace two huge Newcastle opportunities with several minutes of Wayne Rooney breaking down penalty claims that were never awarded and never should have been in the first place.
Many supporters would have preferred to see the full picture of Newcastle’s threat rather than a long discussion over situations that had no impact on the outcome.
There was at least some thoughtful analysis from former West Ham goalkeeper Rob Green, who highlighted what Newcastle did well and even referenced Woltemade’s missed chance, though briefly.
His insight gave the segment more depth and balanced some of the frustration viewers felt over the missing clips.
Considering that this was only Newcastle’s third Premier League win on a Saturday this season, many supporters had been avoiding Match of the Day after disappointing results.
This weekend finally offered something enjoyable to watch, something worth celebrating. That made the omissions feel even more noticeable, because fans wanted the highlights to capture the complete story of a proud and well-earned win.
Still, the victory itself matters far more than any televised recap. Newcastle finally showed the sharpness and energy supporters have been waiting to see, and now attention turns to whether they can build on this momentum.
If they can deliver another strong performance against Everton next weekend, there will hopefully be more positive moments and more complete highlights to enjoy.
