Given start for Newcastle

Shay Given was handed his first Barclays Premier League start under Sam Allardyce as Newcastle looked to maintain their encouraging opening to the new campaign by beating Manchester City at Eastlands.

Given has been a frustrated spectator on the Magpies bench up to this point but Allardyce has finally given the Republic of Ireland international his chance, dropping Steve Harper to the bench.

There was also a change in goalkeeping personnel for City, as £800,000 England Under-21 star Joe Hart replaced Kasper Schmeichel, while striker Georgios Samaras was only among the substitutes despite his last-gasp Carling Cup winner against Norwich on Tuesday.

Man City: Hart, Corluka, Dunne, Richards, Garrido, Ireland, Johnson, Hamann, Petrov, Mpenza, Elano. Subs: Schmeichel, Ball, Onuoha, Geovanni, Samaras.

Newcastle: Given, Beye, Rozehnal, Taylor, N’Zogbia, Smith, Geremi, Butt, Martins, Viduka, Milner. Subs: Harper, Jose Enrique, Emre, Faye, Pattison. Referee: Chris Foy (Merseyside)