Manchester City vs Newcastle United. Premier League.
Etihad StadiumAttendance45,602.
Sunday 22 February 2015 11:48, UK
Manchester City blew away Newcastle inside the first half-hour as they cruised to a 5-0 win at the Etihad to cut the gap at the top.
Sergio Aguero scored from the spot, before Samir Nasri and Edin Dzeko put the hosts out of sight in the first half, and David Silva then scored two in two minutes after the break to seal a swaggering victory for Manuel Pellegrini’s men.
Wilfried Bony came on for his debut as City withdrew key players with Tuesday’s clash with Barcelona in mind, and the hosts completed an emphatic win to move back within five points of Chelsea, after the Blues were held at home by Burnley earlier in the day.
Newcastle - ensconced in mid-table - had gone three games unbeaten but have now suffered 11 Premier League defeats to City in a row.
The game started in the worst possible way for Carver’s men, as Vurnon Anita’s loose touch allowed Dzeko to come in and steal the ball before he was then brought down by the Newcastle midfielder, and the referee pointed to the spot inside 30 seconds.
Aguero stepped up and coolly sent the ball low to Krul’s left with the goalkeeper rooted to the spot, and City never looked back.
The visitors had plenty of possession but couldn’t make an impact at the other end, and they were soon 2-0 down as Dzeko was again involved, racing down the left before his deflected cross found Nasri, and the Frenchman calmly worked himself some space before firing into the roof of the net to double City’s lead after just 12 minutes.
Things went from bad to worse for Carver’s men – for whom the 2-0 Capital One Cup win here in October must have seemed a distant memory – as nine minutes later it was 3-0. Silva floated a stunning ball over the top and Dzeko brought it down superbly before firing past Krul.
City started the second half as well as they did the first, and it was 4-0 six minutes after the break, Silva receiving it off Nasri and curling it into the far corner.
The Spaniard then grabbed his second of the afternoon just two minutes later, as Aguero chested down Toure’s lofted pass and Silva latched on to it, firing a low first-time shot into the corner from the edge of the box.
With their Champions League last-16 tie on Tuesday, Pellegrini brought off some of his key figures, and Bony was one of the men introduced, making his City debut in a 30-minute cameo.
The Ivory Coast international had a glorious chance to net on his first appearance for the club as Krul miscued a clearance and Toure played it straight back into the striker’s path, only for Bony to see the Newcastle goalkeeper turn his low shot over the bar.
It had no bearing on the result, of course, with City sealing a confidence-boosting victory to move back within five points of Chelsea at the top of the Premier League.
Player ratings
Man City: Hart (6), Zabaleta (7), Kompany (6), Mangala (7), Kolarov (7), Nasri (8), Fernandinho (7), Toure (9), Silva (9), Dzeko (8), Aguero (7).
Used subs: Lampard (7), Navas (7), Bony (6).
Newcastle: Krul (5), Janmaat (6), Coloccini (5), Williamson (5), Haidara (5), Sissoko (7), Anita (3), Colback (5), Perez (5), Cisse (5), Gouffran (5).
Used subs: R Taylor (5), Abeid (6), Obertan (6).
Man of the match: David Silva
