Newcastle United 3-3 Manchester City was one of the best Premier League matches in recent memory.

The two sides played out a thriller at St James' Park and the only thing missing was a dramatic last-minute winner.

Everyone thought City would cruise to victory when they took a very early lead through Ilkay Gundogan, but Newcastle had other ideas.

The Magpies went into the half-time break 2-1 ahead thanks to goals from Miguel Almiron and Callum Wilson, both of them assisted by the irrepressible Allan Saint-Maximin.

Eddie Howe's side extended their advantage after the interval courtesy of a marvellous free-kick from Kieran Trippier - one that was arguably even better than his famous 2018 World Cup semi-final effort against Croatia.

City then changed gear following that goal, with quickfire strikes from Erling Haaland and Bernardo Silva restoring parity between the two sides.

It really was a bona fide Premier League classic, although poor ol' Kyle Walker will be desperate to forget about the events that unfolded on Tyneside last Sunday.

NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND - AUGUST 21: Kyle Walker of Manchester City challenges Allan Saint-Maximin of Newcastle United during the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Manchester City at St. James Park on August 21, 2022 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

The England international was given a torrid time by the magnificent Saint-Maximin, who got the better of him time and time again.

Walker's trademark pace couldn't bail him out of trouble on the day and he was even made to look rather slow by midfielder Joe Willock.

In the first half, the two players contested a foot race and on Usain Bolt's birthday, the Newcastle man decided to pay tribute to him by showing the world just how rapid he is.

Yes, we know Willock (23) is nine years younger than Walker (32), but the display of speed up against a player who is world renowned for his pace was still seriously impressive.

Check out footage of the race between the pair...

Video: Willock vs Walker

Willock really turned on the afterburners with the ball at his feet - and Walker simply couldn't get near him.

The City man, like all defenders, is occasionally left bamboozled by a piece of skill from an opposing player, but we're struggling to remember another instance of him being comprehensively beaten in a race.

Maybe age is finally catching up to him somewhat...

However, even if his sprinter-esque speed starts to slowly fade away, Walker has many years left at the top of the professional game.

He's still a world-class defender, one who has earned Pep Guardiola's trust through years of consistent brilliance out on the pitch.