Manchester City thump Newcastle with David Silva in starring role
Manchester City cantered to a win that ended Newcastle’s unbeaten four-game run since the restart of the Premier League. As is so often the case Pep Guardiola’s side had far more class and were far more accomplished than opponents who barely threatened to score.
The rout took City to 86 goals. “It is good to score five again,” Guardiola said. “And one point [more] to qualify for the Champions League.”
His response to City’s defeat at Southampton – their ninth of the season – was to make five changes, who included John Stones making a first league start in seven months. Steve Bruce’s side showed six different players from the draw with West Ham last time out that had made Newcastle safe.
Kevin De Bruyne swung in the first corner, which had Stones interested, but Martin Dubravka collected the ball. The next time City attacked they scored. João Cancelo came infield before the ball was moved on to
Rodri, Phil Foden and David Silva, who stroked a cross over from the left wing. Gabriel Jesus finished neatly.
City were in control. Next Foden glided past two opponents and saw a shot go wide. Silva then overhit a pass that Cancelo could not keep in play, a moment of sloppiness that visibly displeased Guardiola.
Better was about to occur. City squeezed Newcastle on the left, Silva fed Foden and his ball released De
Bruyne. A pull-back found Riyad Mahrez and he doubled the margin.
The drinks break allowed Bruce to tell his players to wake up – fast – if they hoped to stop a rout. But it was City – via Mahrez – who threatened next, though the forward allowed a through ball to slip under his feet.
Matt Ritchie was able to float a free-kick to an unchallenged Federico Fernández in a rare attack for Newcastle but City soon reasserted their grip. They ended the half with Rodri, Silva, De Bruyne, Foden and Mahrez moving the ball around their opponents. Foden held his head in his hands after missing from close range.
As the second half commenced it was Newcastle who required inspiration. Guardiola had swapped Ilkay Gündogan for Rodri and Kyle Walker for Cancelo but City were again in keepball mode. It was Walker who fashioned a sand-wedge chip into De Bruyne, who played a pass from which Foden should have scored from close range but he again missed badly.
City cruised in no more than third gear, toying with Newcastle. Blue shirts continually recycled the ball, and when the visitors managed to move into City’s half, it was a collector’s item.
What occurred next was akin to Keystone Kops defending. Jesus swapped passes with Foden but now Ritchie intervened, stabbed at the ball, this hit Fernández’s hand and it spiralled past Dubravka, clipped the right post, and it was 3-0.
In what was hardly better news for Newcastle, Guardiola replaced Jesus and Foden with Bernardo Silva and
Raheem Sterling. The latter drew a foul from Joelinton and David Silva took the dead ball, arrowing it into the top corner for his 59th league goal of a glittering City career.
Bruce brought on Dwight Gayle, Javier Manquillo and Matty Longstaff for Joelinton, Valentino Lazaro and Jonjo Shelvey but, as with so many against Guardiola’s side, his team were in a damage-limitation exercise.
Guardiola gave Tommy Doyle the final 15 minutes, the 18-year-old midfielder’s league bow. City ended with a Sterling strike in added time confirming a fine night for them, a miserable one for Newcastle. “Painful,” Bruce said.
Guardiola was asked about reports in Spain claiming Eric García is wanted by his former club, Barcelona and that the centre-back wants a return. “He has one year left and we’re going to try and convince him to stay for many years,” the manager said. “He knows, his agent knows, and his family knows we want him.”