Man City move 15 points clear at top
Manchester City moved 15 points clear at the top of the English Premier League and extended their winning run to 18 games at Newcastle United yesterday.
Raheem Sterling’s 31stminute strike was all the leaders had to show for a dominant display in front of a crowd of 52,311 at St James Park.
The Magpies’ ultraconservative approach frustrated them despite their wealth of possession. But ultimately the 1-0 win was enough on a night when Newcastle slipped to a fifth consecutive home defeat for the first time since 1953.
It might have been worse had referee Andre Marriner taken a dimmer view of Jacob Murphy’s first-half challenge on Ilkay Gundogan.
Newcastle’s game plan was Liverpool have announced the signing of Virgil van Dijk from Southampton after agreeing a world record £75million (NZ$142.14M) fee for a defender.
The Dutch international centre-back was close to joining Liverpool before the English Premier League season started in August.
Van Dijk, 26, has also been a target for Manchester City and Chelsea, but the Merseyside club have finally won the race for his
predictably cautious as all 11 men not only got behind the ball, but within 35 yards of their own goal for much of the first half. They challenged City to break them down, which they almost did when Sergio Aguero stabbed signature after confirming the move yesterday.
Southampton manager Mauricio Pellegrino hasn’t played Van Dijk in recent fixtures ahead of an impending move.
The transfer breaks the previous world record fee for a defender after Manchester City spent £54million (NZ$102.33M) to sign England international rightback Kyle Walker from Tottenham Hotspur earlier this year.
Fernandinho’s seventh-minute cross against the post.
An early injury to City skipper Vincent Kompany simply prompted Pep Guardiola to replace his central defender with striker Gabriel Jesus.
For all City’s glut of possession, they were hardly able to stretch the hosts decisively, although goalkeeper Rob Elliot had to claw away Aguero’s 17thminute header and then come from his line to block Jesus’ effort at point-blank range.
The deadlock was broken when Sterling ran on to Kevin de Bruyne’s return pass and scuffed the ball past the keeper with the studs of his left boot.
Newcastle might have been back in it had defender Nicolas Otamendi not cleared Rolando Aaron’s chipped effort off the line 10 minutes before the break.
There was no change in the pattern of the game after halftime. City came close but the massed ranks of black and white continued to scrap.
De Bruyne struck a post and defender Jamaal Lascelles headed just wide of his own goal with Elliot stranded as City went for the kill.