Sterling’s secret weapon eases tension for City
If Manchester City were suffering psychological trauma inflicted by Real Madrid, they disguised it very well. A thumping win — their biggest in the league since putting seven past Leeds on December 14 — leaves them three points clear of Liverpool, with a now-superior goal difference and just three games remaining.
Only the unpredictable nature of this most competitive league prevents us crowning them champions elect. We always think there are twists and turns to come. Maybe there aren’t. Maybe City just put the whole shebang to bed as professionally as they did this match yesterday.
It was far from the tense ordeal some imagined. The scoreline doesn’t even do their superiority justice, so here’s a couple of statistics that might. Close to 10 minutes into the second half, City led Newcastle for successful passes by 108-0. And, this season, City have now scored from 20 setpieces and conceded from one.
Since such minutiae was recorded, no team has ever enjoyed this much superiority from setplays. They are so much more than just a passing team. Set-pieces are what Sam Allardyce and Tony Pulis’ sides used to do best.
The third goal here was a case in point. Kevin De Bruyne took the corner and curled it towards the near post where Rodri had made his run. Using the pace and spin of the ball he glanced a header past goalkeeper Martin Dubravka. It went in like a guided missile which, in its own way, it was.
Not everything about City tacks towards complexity. Sometimes, a great ball is simply delivered into a great area.
The fear was the trip to Madrid would have taken too much out of City, not just the defeat but its morale-sapping manner. Pep Guardiola countered that it would only take a day or two for his players to get it out of their system, and he was right. This was City focused and clear in their mission.
It helped, too, that Newcastle’s reputation as the most improved team in the Premier League does not dally long on their form against the biggest clubs. Eddie Howe has done a fine job since taking over from Steve Bruce but Newcastle have made hay against those in mid-table and lower, not the elite.
Under Howe, they have now lost to City twice, Liverpool twice, Chelsea and Tottenham. This was emphatic, with two goals in stoppage time giving the result the punch it deserved.
Those final goals are what will hurt Liverpool most. They started the day with a superior goal difference, but now trail City by four. The fourth of the game came from substitute Phil foden after a great run by Jack Grealish, playing arguably his best game for his new club. He outstripped Kieran Trippier, slipped the ball inside to Oleksandr Zinchenko who found foden, shooting first time.
The fifth was Raheem Sterling’s second of the game, and also the work of Grealish, slipping in a nicely-weighted pass for his England team-mate to sweep the ball into the net.
So Sterling’s goals bookended the victory, and if the fifth goal was almost superfluous, the first was the most important of the afternoon. It eased the tension that can easily become suffocating for title-chasers if the goals won’t come. And, for Sterling, it placed him in quite impressive and unlikely company.
When one thinks of the great headers of the ball in English football, his name is not the first that springs to mind. He’s not particularly tall, often plays in wide roles and is known more as a dribbler with the ball than an aerial presence. Yet across the last four seasons, only five players have scored at least two goals in each campaign with headers.
Harry Kane’s inclusion in the list doesn’t surprise, neither does
Sadio Mane, or even Chris Wood — he’s not prolific but the head is what he’s got. Richarlison’s name might raise the odd eyebrow — but Sterling? That’s quite the shock.
Yet think about it. He’s a brave player, gets into good positions, risks getting hurt. He’s not scared to throw himself at the problem, as he did here. Sterling is one of the most prolific scorers with his head in the Premier League — and he took some of the tension out of
the game with his secret ability yesterday.
There were 19 minutes gone and City had been frustrated in their efforts when Sterling changed the mood from one of trepidation.
It was a beautifully worked move, very City, with the only surprise being the absence of involvement from De Bruyne. He was everywhere, this goal apart, taking the corners — and there were quite a few — the free-kicks, and pulling all the strings in forward midfield. Joao Cancelo was also a huge threat — and he did have a huge role in Sterling’s goal.
It was Ilkay Gundogan’s deep centre from the left that stretched Newcastle, who were unable to adequately track Cancelo’s lovely run towards the far post. He could have gone for goal but unselfishly headed it across to where Sterling had stolen in unmarked.
It was the simplest conversion, lifting the mood just at the point it seemed City might be about to have one of those days.
Until then, a lot of pressure had come to nought. Bruno Guimaraes bundled over the excellent Grealish just outside the area, but De Bruyne put his free-kick wide. De Bruyne took a corner that fell to Aymeric Laporte utterly unmarked but he blasted his shot wastefully over. Then a De Bruyne cross picked out Cancelo who, in similar space, shot wide. Yet Sterling’s goal was a calming influence. City got closer and closer to a second. A lovely bit of footwork from Sterling ended with him putting Cancelo in, but Dubravka made an excellent save at his near post. Zinchenko saw a cross flash through the six-yard box with Gabriel Jesus unable to get the vital last touch. And then, seven minutes before half-time, City got the cushion their domination merited. De Bruyne hit an outswinging corner to Gundogan on the edge of the area, whose shot was spilled, softly, by Dubravka. Ruben Dias was first to it, but his shot was smothered. The rebound fell to Laporte, however, who could make no mistake from close range.
Might it have been different? Certainly, had Wood taken a gilt-edged opportunity for Newcastle after six minutes. Allan Saint-Maximin struck a cross that picked out Wood poorlymarked but he headed straight at Ederson from close range.
It was exactly the sort of miss SaintMaximin spoke of when he bemoaned the conversion rate from his crosses. Wood is in that list of five with Sterling — but he is nowhere near the threat. In the second half Callum Wilson, free of injury at last, got through one-on-one but shot straight at Ederson.
The game was over by then, mind, and maybe the title race too if City remain in this form.