{"id":464237,"date":"2026-03-08T12:48:11","date_gmt":"2026-03-08T12:48:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/464237\/"},"modified":"2026-03-08T12:48:11","modified_gmt":"2026-03-08T12:48:11","slug":"why-haaland-missed-out-oreilly-returns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/464237\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Haaland missed out + O’Reilly returns"},"content":{"rendered":"

Having already covered the Blank Gameweek 31\/34 permutations from Manchester City\u2019s FA Cup fifth-round win over Newcastle United<\/a>, now we look at the other Fantasy talking points from St James\u2019 Park.<\/p>\n

RESULTHomeAwayResultGoalsAssistsNewcastle UnitedManchester City1-3Barnes | Savinho, Marmoush x2Tonali | Doku, Nunes x2SELECTION\/ROTATIONTEAMCHANGES FROM GAMEWEEK 29PLAYERS WHO KEPT THEIR PLACES (+ MINS)OTHER NOTABLE PLAYERS (+ MINS)Newcastle United4Ramsdale (90), Thiaw (90), Tonali (90), Barnes (90), Hall (80), Trippier (63), Elanga (62)Botman (90), Willock (90), Woltemade (72), Osula (63), Joelinton (28), Wissa (27), Burn (27), Gordon (18), Livramento (10)Manchester City10Nunes (90)Trafford (90), Khusanov (90), Stones (90), Ake (90), Gonzalez (90), Reijnders (90), O\u2019Reilly (90), Savinho (79), Doku (79), Marmoush (73), Semenyo (17), Foden (11), Cherki (11)WHY HAALAND MISSED OUT<\/p>\n

While nine of the 10 players Pep Guardiola rotated out of the side were on the bench at St James\u2019 Park, Erling Haaland (\u00a314.6m) was absent entirely.<\/p>\n

There are no injury concerns, though, it seems.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was not planning to play [him]. I would prefer to make good training sessions than be on the bench, travel or play just 10-15 minutes.\u201d \u2013 Pep Guardiola on why Erling Haaland missed out<\/p>\n

O\u2019REILLY BACK FROM INJURY<\/p>\n

Making a swift return from injury, meanwhile, was Nico O\u2019Reilly (\u00a35.1m). There are no lingering worries with him, as he got through a full 90 minutes on Tyneside.<\/p>\n

Again stationed \u2018out of position\u2019 in midfield, he had another two great chances to score. Firstly, he dithered when being presented with the ball when Aaron Ramsdale (\u00a34.8m) had gone walkabout. And secondly, he somehow failed to make contact with the low cross that Matheus Nunes (\u00a35.4m) supplied for City\u2019s second goal, which was eventually turned in by Omar Marmoush (\u00a38.3m).<\/p>\n

In terms of both fitness and ongoing goal threat, this was an encouraging comeback for O\u2019Reilly owners.<\/p>\n

PEP ON ROTATION<\/p>\n

City enjoyed the luxury of two midweeks off in February but we\u2019re back to the fixture crush now. They could, feasibly, be playing every weekend and midweek between now and the end of 2025\/26<\/a> (ignoring the international break).<\/p>\n

You do wonder what Guardiola has in store for us in Gameweek 30, given that a double-header against Real Madrid falls either side of it. The EFL Cup final is coming up in two weeks\u2019 time, too.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we play all competitions and we have [games every] three days, four days, and we have the squad, the joy of players that I have, we have to do it. The risk [is that] we lose and go home\u2026 but everybody has to play because [of] the fatigue [from the] last game and after, we go to Madrid. After that, we come and go to West Ham. Everybody has to be involved and hopefully, we can continue to behave in that way.\u201d \u2013 Pep Guardiola on making 10 changes at Newcastle<\/p>\n

MARMOUSH\u2019S FAVOURITE OPPONENTS?<\/p>\n

While Arsenal\u2019s reserves did little to impress at Mansfield, City\u2019s second string did a whole lot better. Guardiola, indeed, called this the \u201cbest game\u201d his side has played against Newcastle in his time at the club.<\/p>\n

While that\u2019s perhaps hyperbolic, they were certainly in complete control from half an hour in.<\/p>\n

Savinho (\u00a36.9m) was impressive on the right, even if he knew little about his opener.<\/a> Jeremy Doku (\u00a36.4m) supplied the assist for that from the opposite flank.<\/p>\n

Marmoush, meanwhile, did what he did best: score against Newcastle. A remarkable 50% of his goals for City have come against the Magpies.<\/p>\n

Nunes claimed the assists for both of the Egyptian\u2019s strikes but the second goal was all about Marmoush, who unleashed a stunner from the edge of the box.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe has to improve a little bit in the smaller spaces and a little bit the first control. But yeah, he made a fantastic game. He deserves it. I\u2019m so happy for him.\u201d \u2013 Pep Guardiola on Omar Marmoush<\/p>\n

There should have been other\/further goals, too. Tijjani Reijnders (\u00a35.0m) was the main culprit, wasting a handful of big chances. He had a game-high eight shots in all, playing as the most advanced of City\u2019s central midfield three.<\/p>\n

NEWCASTLE \u2013 FROM BUSIEST CLUB IN 2026 TO CONCENTRATING ON THE LEAGUE?<\/p>\n

So, then, Newcastle are now out of both domestic cups thanks to City. If the UEFA Champions League last 16 goes the way the bookies think (they give the Magpies around a 30% chance of progressing), they\u2019ll also be out of Europe by Gameweek 31.<\/p>\n

From statistically the busiest Premier League team of 2026, with no midweeks off, to potentially just competing on one front.<\/p>\n

That could rekindle Fantasy interest in the Magpies for the run-in, especially as their schedule (Gameweek 34 aside) is fairly kind:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The accumulated fatigue may have played a part on Saturday. Eddie Howe, indeed, said his side \u201cmaybe ran out of gas\u201c.<\/p>\n

Newcastle had started with their traditional intensity, bossing the opening half an hour. Five of their six shots in the box came in the first 20 minutes, indeed. One of those was Harvey Barnes\u2018 (\u00a36.1m) opener.<\/p>\n

Thereafter, though, they barely got a sniff.<\/p>\n

LIVRAMENTO RETURNS, GORDON PROTECTED<\/p>\n

There were some positives for Newcastle, chiefly the return of Tino Livramento (\u00a34.9m) from a medium-term lay-off. Eased in with a sub appearance here, he\u2019ll have designs on Kieran Trippier\u2018s (\u00a34.9m) place in the run-in.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s huge. We\u2019ve really missed him. His versatility, his athleticism. He\u2019s a massive player for us, so great to have him back and [get] some valuable minutes. He hasn\u2019t done a lot of training, so we needed to protect him today.\u201d \u2013 Eddie Howe on Tino Livramento<\/p>\n

Anthony Gordon\u2018s (\u00a37.2m) owners in UCL Fantasy wouldn\u2019t have been disappointed to see him benched here, either. While Howe hinted at an ankle problem, Gordon was still fit enough to come on as a substitute. You\u2019d expect him to start up front against Barcelona in midweek, with Will Osula (\u00a35.4m) the latest forward to flunk his audition.<\/p>\n

Howe explained that there were a couple of other fitness issues behind his selection.<\/p>\n

\u201cI couldn\u2019t use Jacob Murphy today because of a neck problem, which he suffered yesterday.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnthony Gordon\u2019s coming in with an ankle problem, we had to protect him today.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had to protect Joelinton today, with past experience.\u201d \u2013 Eddie Howe<\/p>\n

One of the others who has yet to convince up top, Nick Woltemade (\u00a36.7m), was again in midfield, but there are diminishing returns from that once-promising tactical experiment.<\/p>\n

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