The Newcastle United team that last beat Man City ended up clocking up the air miles while others have left football completely
Newcastle United head to the Etihad Stadium for the 22nd time since Manchester City swapped Maine Road road for a new base in Eastlands.
Having yielded just two points from a possible 57, the last draw came way back in 2006 when Glenn Roeder guided Newcastle to a 0-0 stalemate long before both clubs enjoyed takeovers. Other than two draws, journeys to Man City have been painful for the Magpies with one defeat after another, apart from the one and only glory night at the Etihad, which came in the Capital One Cup (now the Carabao Cup) and resulted in a terrific and shock victory over City in their own backyard.
The Magpies overcame Man City 2-0 thanks to goals from Rolando Aarons and Moussa Sissoko against a home side that included David Silva, Yaya Toure, Sergio Aguero, Jesus Navas, and Fernandinho no less!
But what happened to Alan Pardew’s side that famously knocked out Man City to reach the quarter-finals that night? Here’s a run down of where those stars are now:
Rob Elliot
Now manager of Crawley Town in League Two as he plots to steer the Reds to safety in the bottom division. The goalkeeper made some key saves on the night and kept out the big names.
Left Newcastle after almost a decade on Tyneside in 2020 to sign for Watford before taking over as boss of Gateshead. After an initial stint as technical director, Elliot guided the Tynesiders to the FA Trophy in 2024 and the play-offs where they were unable to compete over a ground dispute with the council.
He is now looking to lead Crawley to safety, with his side winning 3-1 this week against Stevenage to boost their hopes.
Ryan Taylor
The Scouser made his first start in this game in two years after a double knee injury. Taylor will always be remembered for swirling home a winning free-kick against Sunderland in 2011.
The utility player left Newcastle in 2015 on a free transfer and had stints at Hull City, Port Vale, Fleetwood, Colne and Buxton. He is now an ambassador for Newcastle and pundit for Ladbrokes.
Daryl Janmaat
The Dutchman played his part in this one with a series of his trademark tough tackles. Signed from Feyenoord in 2014 by Graham Carr, the then Toon transfer chief, Janmaat’s career did not end in the way he hoped.
The defender suffered an arm injury while punching a wall in frustration in 2016 after a defeat at Southampton. He left Newcastle under a cloud after relegation and joined Watford after being criticised by fans for abandoning the club.
Janmaat retired after a short stint with Den Haag where he also held a position of technical area after hanging up his boots. The ex-Holland international is now out of work.
Fabricio Coloccini
The ex-Argentina international kept his fellow countryman Sergio Aguero quiet in the 2-0 win! He would go on to play for Newcastle until 2016 and captained the club during an uncertain period.
After relegation that year he left the club for San Lorenzo in Argentina. Coloccini had not seen eye to eye with Steve McClaren after Pardew and then John Carver were replaced by the ex-England boss.
Last spotted as boss of the Venezuela Under-20 side.
Paul Dummett
This game unfolded early in Dummett’s Newcastle career and he would go on to enjoy a long career in a black and white shirt, only moving on last summer after 12 years in the first-team. A stint at Wigan this season was followed by a switch to Carlisle where he remains a player in League Two.
Massadio Haidara
The Frenchman starred at the Etihad in one of his 54 appearances for the Magpies. He left Newcastle in 2018 after a series of injuries before signing for Lens.
The keen piano player is now 32 and still plying his trade at the top in France with Brest, appearing against PSG this week in the Champions League. He has also been capped by Mali 18 times.
Jack Colback
The midfielder was once dubbed the “Ginger Pirlo” by Roy Hodgson when the Killingworth lad was in England contention. Colback controversially swapped Sunderland for Newcastle in 2014 and was a regular under Pardew then John Carver.
Colback stuck with Newcastle after relegation and helped the team get promoted in 2017. He fell out with Rafa Benitez over a row in training and made the switch to Nottingham Forest.
Steve Bruce initially wanted to keep Colback in 2019, but squad numbers meant he was cut, and he was left without a club in 2019/20 because of a failure to get assurances from his new boss. Colback is still playing after a long and successful stint at Forest with the Geordie now at Queens Park Rangers still playing at 35.
Mehdi Abeid
Abeid was a promising youngster who impressed Alan Pardew after signing for £2m from Nancy. He would be given chances here and there but his career never took off on Tyneside despite early promise.
Abeid was sold to Panathinaikos and has had stints with Nantes, Dijon, Al-Nasr and Al-Raed. A tidy midfielder but never seemed to gain the full trust of Pardew.
Gabriel Obertan
This was one of Obertan’s better nights at Newcastle with Pardew winning the fight to sign the Frenchman over Carr during a bit of transfer war at St James’ Park. However, while Obertan helped Newcastle into Europe in 2012, after signing from Man United, he moved to the Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala.
Stints at Wigan, Levski Sofia, Erzurumspor, and finally, Charlotte Independence would follow.
Rolando Aarons
Aarons was tipped as a future star at Newcastle and even talked about as a future England international. You would have believed it in this game as he tore City to shreds and scored the opening goal.
But his career could not keep pace with the explosive tone he set against City that night. Injuries and off-field distractions did not help, and a series of loans at Wycombe, Sheff Wed, and Motherwell would follow, but his final Toon tally was just 25 appearances.
Aarons is now playing his trade in Slovenia for NK Celje.
Adam Armstrong
The youngster was tipped to have a big career in English football – and he has gone on to do exactly that, but not with Newcastle.
Boyhood fan Armstrong was not given the opportunity to have a run in the team at Newcastle and after a good spell at Coventry, he seemed an obvious choice for the Magpies in 2016/17 when they were relegated to the Championship.
Instead, he was loaned to Barnsley before stints at Bolton and Blackburn followed. Armstrong was a goal machine at Blackburn and has had stints at Southampton and now West Brom. With the Saints rock bottom of the Premier League, Armstrong scored on his debut for the Baggies against Sheff Wed and could help lead them to promotion.
Armstrong has 116 career goals to his name and counting and still has plenty of years left in him at 28.
Subs used
Moussa Sissoko
The scorer of the second goal at the Etihad, Sissoko, cried off after relegation in 2016 despite being asked to stay and joined Tottenham. He has since had stints at Watford and Nantes but has been booed and jeered by Toon fans who will never forget his attitude after going down.
Sammy Ameobi
Now out of football after leaving Newcastle in 2017. The winger enjoyed spells at Bolton, Middlesbrough, Cardiff, and Nottingham Forest. He is now earning £360-a-week as an apprentice and pled guilty last month to a hit and run charge.
Manu Riviere
Regarded as a flop at Newcastle after a £6m move from Monaco. Signed by Carr, he was probably a victim of the club’s transfer policy at the time. Left United in 2017 of Osasuna before stints at Metz, Cosenza and Crotone. He has been without a club since August 2021.
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