Newcastle United defender Jamaal Lascelles believes his side 'made it difficult' for Manchester City on Saturday afternoon but ultimately fell short due to not taking their chances.
City temporarily closed the gap on table-toppers Arsenal with a 2-0 win at the Etihad - albeit the Gunners beat Bournemouth shortly after - thanks to goals from Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva either side of half-time. Pep Guardiola's side dominated much of the ball but nicked their second against the run of play as Eddie Howe's side went in search of an equaliser.
The away side had their fair share of chances as well, with Joelinton and Callum Wilson both spurning opportunities while Ruben Dias and Nathan Ake had to be at their best to block other efforts. And Lascelles, who came in for the injured Fabian Schar, admitted he was proud to have given City such a game but rued missed opportunities.
RATINGS: Foden and Dias great vs Newcastle
"We made it difficult," Lascelles said after the defeat. "On a different day, you don't know. We had chances to be fair. I think we have come a long way but to go toe to toe with them and play so high up the pitch here there are positives to take. Not many teams will come here and go on the front-foot and have a high press on the halfway line.
"I think we did that today. A couple of times we nearly nicked it. It just goes to show the way the manager wants to play. On the front-foot no matter who we face. We are disappointed not to get anything."
Erling Haaland failed to register a shot on target against Newcastle but found himself at the centre of a physical battle - not least when confronting Dan Burn after he reacted aggressively towards Jack Grealish. The Norwegian also frustrated the Magpies close to full-time when holding the ball in near the flag before winning several corners.
"I enjoyed it [the battle against Haaland]," Lascelles added. "He has a great record so far but I was looking forward to playing against him."
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