Newcastle United's recent woes were compounded after falling to successive defeats in the Premier League, losing against Manchester City one week after coming up short against Manchester United in the Carabao Cup final.

Nick Pope's red card against Liverpool two weeks ago ensured that a comeback was not on the cards, with the Reds defeating the Magpies 2-0 at St. James' Park, while the tricky run has indeed continued against the imperious force that is Pep Guardiola's City, and the Tynesiders are now winless across their past five outings in the top-flight.

Despite still boasting the most formidable defence in the league, shipping only 17 goals from 24 matches, the offensive potency has run dry, with just nine goals scored from the past 13 matches across all competitions.

And while travelling to the Etihad Stadium is a daunting and onerous task for even the most distinguished of outfits, the failure to capitalise on fruitful moments in the offensive third will be alarming for manager Eddie Howe, who is hoping for a monumental finish in the battle for Champions League qualification.

Among the culprits: Callum Wilson. The striker was largely subdued to a minimal threat, but will have left Howe staring ruefully after failing to take a big opportunity to restore parity in the first-half.

Was Wilson "woeful" vs Man City?

Recording a match rating of 6.8 - via Sofascore - Wilson did not actually play his worst game in black and white, but the blunt edge to his attacking game on the afternoon resulted in his withdrawal after only 63 minutes, replaced for the dynamic and exciting £63m summer signing Alexander Isak.

Completing just six passes and making only 14 total touches, less than half that of Pope between the sticks (33), the £92k-per-week star did complete his only dribble, also succeeding in his only ground duel, but the fact he was restricted to such little moments to impress hardly helps his case in missing a glorious chance to level the play before the break.

Reporter Luke Edwards lamented the forward for his "woeful" attempt when finding an opportune moment to strike and silence the roaring City crowd, with Aaron Stokes also saying "the Callum Wilson of old buries that chance", and that City were "let off the hook" by the wayward finishing.

Writer Jordan Cronin also remarked that the 31-year-old "should have scored", and had he done so, the flow of the second-half could have been very different indeed, with the Magpies' "lack of clinical edge" letting them down, according to journalist Josh Bunting.

Granted, Wilson will not be playing opposition of the cobra-constricting nature of the Cityzens each week, but if he fails to take his opportunities, he will indeed find game time harder to come by under Howe's wing.