The Newcastle United legend delivered a withering assessment of Saturday’s heavy defeat at Premier League champions Manchester City.

Newcastle United legend Alan Shearer blasted an ‘unacceptable performance’ from the Magpies as they crumbled in a 4-0 defeat against Premier League champions Manchester City on Saturday afternoon.

Eddie Howe’s side had high hopes of building on the momentum gained by cup wins against Arsenal and Birmingham City by claiming a first ever Premier League win at the Etihad Stadium - but in reality, any hopes of racking up an impressive three points were blown apart by a dismal first-half display that was duly punished by a ruthless City side.

January signing Omar Marmoush gave his side a deserved lead on 19 minutes as he raced on to a long ball from goalkeeper Ederson and coolly dinked the ball over the advancing Martin Dubravka. The Egyptian international doubled his tally just after the midway point of the first-half before completing his first City hat-trick just after the half-hour mark after neat approach play from Savinho. A comfortable win was rounded off in the second-half when James McAtee rounded off the scoring inside the final five minutes - but the game had long since gone for United as their barren run at the Etihad Stadium continued.

A bewildering 90 minutes brought an understandably downbeat response from Magpies manager Howe as he bemoaned a ‘disappointing performance’ from his side.

He said: “Off the ball, in terms of trying to deliver a really competitive, energetic performance, it wasn’t there. "We were off on our duels, and then it becomes very difficult because they’re still the best team in the Premier League, maybe the world for me, in the build-up phase."With the ball, I think they’re still a very difficult team to play against. They can keep the ball for long periods of time, so it can become a difficult mix if you don’t get that first part right and we didn’t. Sadly, that led to a disappointing performance."

Shearer assessed his former club’s display in his role as a pundit on Match of the Day and delivered a withering verdict of what he had witnessed. United’s all-time record goalscorer questioned whether several players had one eye on next month’s Carabao Cup Final clash with Liverpool and described the performance as ‘an absolute horror show’.

The former Magpies captain said: “It was much better from Manchester City - but it was an absolute horror show from Newcastle United. It was an unacceptable performance. Whether too many players had one eye on the cup final or what, I don’t know - but they were all over the place today, they were dreadful. Manchester City, very good again.”

The Magpies now have a free midweek to prepare for next Sunday’s home game with fellow European contenders Nottingham Forest.

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