Manchester City bounced back from their surprise home defeat by Everton with a 3-1 win at Newcastle.
Early Barry and Tevez strikes set Blues on course for thrilling win
Manchester City bounced back from their surprise home defeat by Everton with a 3-1 win at Newcastle.
City spurned the chance to be top of the Premier League at Christmas as they slumped to a 2-1 loss on Monday but they hit back in stunning fashion as both Gareth Barry and Carlos Tevez struck inside five minutes at St James' Park.
Alan Pardew was hoping to continue his winning start as Newcastle manager after the Magpies beat Liverpool 3-1 and they battled back with Andy Carroll giving them hope with a 72nd-minute header.
But an 81st-minute strike by Tevez deflected in off returning Newcastle defender Fabricio Coloccini to seal the three points and make it 12 goals for the City skipper this season.
Away record
That also improved City's away record to six wins in 10 games on the road in the Premier League this season and put them second ahead of Arsenal before their home game against Chelsea on Monday.
Tevez's two goals were his first since withdrawing his recent transfer request and with his differences with the club seemingly now resolved, there was no questioning his commitment to the City cause as he led the line on his own. Mario Balotelli had been dropped to the bench to allow Nigel de Jong to return to the City midfield following suspension.
Tevez sparked a blistering opening to the game by cutting out goalkeeper Tim Krul's poor pass towards Joey Barton and then laying off for Barry to sidefoot through Krul's legs with just 72 seconds gone.
The Argentinian striker then struck himself in the fifth minute as the hosts again left themselves open to a counter-attack. Tevez played it wide right for James Milner before charging into the box and finding space between Coloccini and Steven Taylor to glance Milner's low cross inside the far post with his left foot.
Carroll should have pulled a goal back a minute later when he headed a Wayne Routledge cross straight at City keeper Joe Hart.
Carroll proved a handful for Joleon Lescott, who was back in at centre-half for the suspended Kolo Toure, and twice went close again as Newcastle enjoyed most of the possession in the first half, although City continued to look dangerous on the break, with left-back Aleksandar Kolarov blasting two long-range efforts narrowly over.
Carroll threat
City pressed forward in a bid to finish the game off at the start of the second half, but the Magpies fought all the way, with Carroll sending an overhead kick wide before Pardew changed his formation by bringing on young striker Nile Ranger for winger Routledge.
Yaya Toure embarked upon an enterprising run which was only ended by Coloccini's desperate challenge inside his own penalty area but Newcastle got their break when Carroll was left unchallenged to power home a header from Barton's corner for his 11th this term.
A crowd of 51,635 sensed a Newcastle comeback and captain Kevin Nolan poked the ball narrowly wide from close range as Ranger headed down Jose Enrique's cross.
But City sealed victory a minute later after Milner laid off for Tevez on the City left. The burly striker turned Barton before exchanges passes with substitute Adam Johnson on the edge of the Newcastle box and although Enrique and Coloccini looked to have got back to close down Tevez, his shot looped off Coloccini to wrong-foot Krul and creep inside the post.
Hart then pulled off a fine low save to turn Barton's free-kick round the post and avoid a nervy finish for Roberto Mancini's men.
