Foden magic helps City ease past spluttering Magpies
MOMENT OF CLASS: Newcastle United goalkeeper Nick Pope saves a shot from Manchester City's Phil Foden during the Premier League match at the Etihad Stadium, Manchester. Pic: Martin Rickett/PA Wire.
GOALS from Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva ensured that Pep Guardiola remains in the hunt for a third-successive Premier League title, cutting Arsenal’s lead at the top of the table, for a few hours at least.
Newcastle’s season is in danger of petering out after a run of one win their last eight league matches has left a top-four finish looking increasingly doubtful.
But while City may not quite be at the high standards of recent seasons, they still had enough to see off the Geordies at the Etihad.
The first goal was a product of Foden’s genius, as he collected a cross-field pass from Ilkay Gundogan well outside the area on 15 minutes.
As Kevin De Bruyne offered a decoy, running ahead of him, Foden slalomed towards goal, past Dan Burn, Anthony Gordon and Bruno Guimaraes.
Sven Botman finally looked capable of stopping Foden but, as he slid in, could only deflect the City man’s shot past Nick Pope and into the Newcastle goal.
Gordon had already wasted one glorious opening, mis-kicking in front of goal under pressure from Kyle Walker, but Newcastle’s response to going behind was decent.
Still, a team that had scored three goals in their previous seven league games, again struggled in finishing.
Nathan Ake did well to put in a timely block on Sean Longstaff, soon after the opening goal, while Callum Wilson missed the best chance of the first half, failing to connect cleanly with a Kieran Trippier cross when an equaliser looked imminent.
City, apart from Foden’s effort, were not much more efficient in front of goal, with Gundogan heading over from a good early chance created by a Jack Grealish cross.
And Erling Haaland’s recent frustrations looked like continuing with few chances being created for him despite Newcastle being forced to start Jamaal Lascelles, for just the second time this season, in the heart of their defence.
The Norwegian’s best, or only, chance of the game could have been converted but Haaland headed wide from De Bruyne’s left-wing cross.
Newcastle continued to threaten after the restart, especially when Eddie Howe made a triple substitution, but Joelinton mis-kicked to add to Newcastle’s growing misses and Ederson and Ake had to combine to stop Alexander Isak.
The wastefulness would come back to haunt the Geordies, on 67 minutes, when City’s own substitute, Silva, made it 2-0 only two minutes after coming on after good work from Grealish and Haaland.
Haaland and Burn were booked after a foul by the latter on Grealish angered City players and sparked a mass confrontation that quickly fizzled out.
But Newcastle’s unproductive afternoon was further compounded by a booking for Joelinton which earned the midfielder a two-match ban.
Ederson 6; Walker 6, Akanji 7, Dias 6, Ake 7; Rodri 7; Foden 8, De Bruyne 6 (Silva 65, 6), Gundogan 7, Grealish 7; Haaland 6.
Phillips, Stones, Laporte, Ortega, Alvarez, Mahrez, Palmer, Lewis.
Pope 6; Trippier 7, Lascelles 6, Botman 6, Burn 5 (Targett 86); Longstaff 6 (Willock 63, 6), Guimaraes 8, Joelinton 5; Almiron 6 (Murphy 77, 5), Wilson 5 (Isak 63, 5), Gordon 7 (Saint-Maximin 62, 5).
Dubravka, Ritchie, Manquillo, Murphy, Anderson.
S Hooper 5
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