City close in on league title with mauling of Newcastle

Manchester City bounced back from their European heartbreak to move a step closer to retaining the Premier League title by thrashing Newcastle 5-0.

Raheem Sterling struck twice while Joao Cancelo, Rodri and Phil Foden were also on target at the Etihad Stadium as City powered three points clear of Liverpool at the top of the table.

The performance and result were an emphatic response after City’s Champions League hopes were shattered by Real Madrid’s dramatic semifinal fightback at the Bernabeu in midweek.

Pep Guardiola hailed a “perfect afternoon” as his side thrashed Newcastle to move three points clear at the top of the Premier League.

The City boss also insisted he never doubted his players’ response following their agonising midweek defeat to Real Madrid.

He told Sky Sports: “It was a perfect afternoon for me.

“What this team have done, did you have any doubt? I didn’t doubt them.

“We have had five years doing this every three days, sometimes you can go out from a competition and some people doubt you because they still don’t know what you will do.

“This is one of the best groups I ever trained and I mean in my life.”

City midfielder Rodri told Sky Sports: “I think we showed the personality we have after the defeat we had, it was incredible for us.”

● Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp insists it would be “insane” to give up hope in the title race. The 1-1 draw against Tottenham left them needing Manchester City to drop three points before the end of the season.

Luis Diaz’s deflected shot cancelled out Son Heungmin’s 20th league goal of the season.

“If we would have won it wouldn’t have increased the probability to win against Aston Villa, not at all, so then maybe there it would’ve happened. That’s how it is,” said the Liverpool manager.

“Imagine City would lose at one point – I can’t see it or imagine that – and because we don’t believe any more, we then cannot use it. That would be really insane.”

● Bruno Fernandes says Manchester United must end a miserable campaign on a high after being embarrassed at Brighton.

Fernandes, who captained the side at the Amex Stadium, accepted the criticism of supporters ahead of a two-week break before the season finale at Crystal Palace.

He said: “They have been through bad things seeing their club this season and they have been supporting us all through the season.

“They support us until the end with different chants. Whatever they want to think, fair enough from them.

“We have one game left. We have to win that game and that’s everything we can do.”

Moises Caicedo opened the scoring before quickfire second-half strikes from Marc Cucurella, Pascal Gross and Leandro Trossard secured rampant Brighton a deserved first home win since Boxing Day.

● Elsewhere in yesterday’s action, Arsenal’s quest for a return to Champions League football continued as they laboured to a 2-1 victory over 10-man Leeds with Eddie Nketiah’s brace sending the visitors into the Premier League relegation zone.

Nketiah, on loan at Leeds during the 2019-20 campaign, appeared to all but seal the points in the opening 10 minutes before Luke Ayling was dismissed to add to the woes of Leeds head coach Jesse Marsch, whose side at least registered a goal through Diego Llorente.

Everton’s victory at Leicester saw Leeds drop into the bottom three at just the wrong time of the season, with Chelsea next up on Wednesday night.

Mason Holgate fired resurgent Everton out of the Premier League relegation zone with the winning goal in a 2-1 victory at Leicester.

The defender’s header secured back-to-back league wins for just the second time this season as the Toffees moved above Leeds, who were beaten at Arsenal yesterday, and Burnley.

Vitalii Mykolenko’s opener was cancelled out by Patson Daka – following comical Everton defending – but the Toffees recovered to give themselves a huge lifeline.

West Ham brushed off their European exit and reignited the race for the Premier League top six with a 4-0 win at Norwich.

Keeper Tim Krul was badly at fault for goals from Said Benrahma and Michail Antonio to leave his side 2-0 down after half an hour.

West Ham were three up by half-time thanks to Benrahma’s second, and Manuel Lanzini added the fourth from the spot.