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Manchester City cruise past Newcastle United for opening win Manchester City cruise past Newcastle United for opening win
(about 4 hours later)
Perhaps the most worrying part for the small clutch of teams hoping to catch and overhaul Manchester City is that the champions have continued from where they left off last season while leaving the clear impression there is better to come. Manuel Pellegrini’s team are still trying to restore some order from the summer, with players returning from the World Cup at different times, Sergio Agüero short of fitness and Gael Clichy temporarily standing in at right-back. And yet they still managed to win without their opponents managing a single shot on target for Joe Hart to save. Perhaps the most worrying part for the teams hoping to outdo Manchester City is that the champions have continued from where they left off last season, while also leaving the clear impression there is better to come. Manuel Pellegrini’s team are still trying to restore some order from the summer, with players returning at different times, Sergio Agüero short of fitness and Gaël Clichy temporarily standing in as a makeshift right-back. And yet they still managed to win without a single shot to trouble Joe Hart in goal.
It was their 11th straight win against Newcastle and a demonstration of collective strength even on a day when there were only fleeting glimpses of the attacking qualities that made them such prolific scorers last season. Not everything has clicked straight away but there was still plenty to admire about their structure and know-how, withstanding the home side’s pressure then picking them off with their extra quality. It was their 11th straight victory against Newcastle and a reminder of their collective strength even on a day when there were only fleeting glimpses of the attacking qualities that made them such prolific scorers last season. Not everything has clicked straight away but there was still plenty to admire about their structure and knowhow, withstanding some concerted pressure from the home side and then picking them off with their extra quality.
Agüero had been on the pitch only eight minutes when he sealed the win in stoppage time and there was a touch of brilliance about what happened, six minutes before the interval, when Yaya Touré floated a long ball forward to Edin Dzeko and, for Newcastle, there was a brutal reminder about the gulf between themselves and the top teams. Dzeko’s first touch took him slightly away from goal, with two defenders in close proximity, but it was the second that will linger in the memory. His back-heel, from a blind position, was exquisite, taking out both opponents and leaving David Silva with his chance to gather the ball and open the scoring with a low diagonal shot past Tim Krul in Newcastle’s goal. Dzeko, the creator, appeared to have morphed into Silva, who in turn had become the clinical finisher. It was a stunning role reversal and the problem for Newcastle thereafter was that they just did not have the ingenuity to get past City’s experimental defence. Agüero had been on the pitch only eight minutes when he sealed the win in stoppage-time and there was a touch of brilliance about the moment they took the lead, via David Silva, six minutes before the interval. This might not have been the slickest City display – “solid” was the word Pellegrini kept using – but what a stunning reminder that goal was about the gulf that exists between the sides competing for the top prizes and the ones huffing and puffing below.
The home side can at least take encouragement from the way they subdued their opponents for long parts of the game. When the two sides met in Manchester on the opening day of last season it was a 4-0 thrashing for Alan Pardew’s team that turned out to be a sign of things to come. Yohan Cabaye had just gone on strike and Pardew’s popularity was waning to the point he finished the season with the St James’ Park crowd in open mutiny. The latest defeat was nothing like as galling. Newcastle did, however, look short of ideas in attack and their new striker, Emmanuel Rivière, had a difficult start. Edin Dzeko has had a distinguished career but it is debatable whether he has ever produced a moment as exquisite as the back-heel with which he took out two defenders and left Silva with his chance to gather the ball inside the penalty area and score with a low diagonal shot past Tim Krul in Newcastle’s goal.
Rivière, signed from Monaco, looked anxious at times, and too eager to please in other moments. When he had his first sight of goal in the first half he took on his shot from fully 40 yards and there were not too many other occasions when he troubled Vincent Kompany and Martin Demichelis in the heart of the opposition defence. He was substituted with six minutes to go and his replacement, Ayoze Pérez, almost made an instant impact, running into the penalty area but unable to get his shot on target. Dzeko, the creator, and Silva, the clinical finisher, appeared to have swapped their usual roles. It was a stunning piece of team play and penetrative attacking whereas the problem all afternoon for Newcastle was that they just did not have the ingenuity to get behind City’s defence and create clear chances. The home side can at least take encouragement from the way they subdued their opponents for long parts of the game and, for now, the crowd appear willing to show a measure of restraint when it comes to their relationship with Pardew and his observation in his programme notes that this is a “new Newcastle”.
Newcastle will reflect on other moments in the second half when they worked up a head of steam and created at least three reasonable scoring chances, not least the opportunity that Moussa Sissoko put over the crossbar just before Agüero scampered away to score City’s second goal. Agüero might be lacking fitness but he still eluded Fabricio Coloccini. His first effort was left-footed and came back to him off Krul; the second was with his right boot and expertly picked out the opposite corner. When the two sides met in Manchester on the opening day of last season it was a 4-0 thrashing for the north-east club. Yohan Cabaye had just gone on strike and Pardew’s popularity waned to the point that Newcastle finished the season with the crowd in open mutiny.
This latest defeat was nothing like as galling and he was entitled afterwards to praise their efforts. Rémy Cabella was the brightest player on the pitch in the first half and another of their summer signings, Jack Colback, quickly won over his new set of supporters, with his crisp challenges and competence on the ball.
Newcastle did, however, look short of ideas in attack in the moments when Cabella drifted out of the game and their new striker, Emmanuel Rivière, had a difficult introduction. Signed from Monaco, he looked anxious at times and maybe too eager to please. When he had his first sight of goal in the opening half he tried an implausible shot from 40 yards and there were not too many other occasions when he troubled Vincent Kompany and Martin Demichelis in the heart of the opposition defence.
He was substituted with six minutes to go for another debutant, Ayoze Pérez, and the 21-year-old Spaniard almost made an immediate impact, running into the penalty area before taking aim. Fernando, the new minder in City’s midfield, had dashed back to make a telling interception, diverting the ball behind Hart’s goal.
Newcastle will reflect on other moments during the second half when they worked up a head of steam and created at least three reasonable chances to equalise. Paul Dummett headed one over the crossbar from a corner and Yoan Gouffran did not show enough conviction when the ball fell his way during one of several goalmouth scrambles. “We didn’t get a break”, Pardew lamented. “That’s what you need against the top teams. But we didn’t get a break, we didn’t get a ricochet.”
Equally they did not have the same refinement as their opponents when it really mattered. Dzeko showed why City have been keen to add him to the list of players who have recently signed new contracts, with Pellegrini confirming that the announcement should be soon. Stevan Jovetic also looks as if he could have a profitable season if he can steer clear of the injuries that have held back his City career so far. Yaya Touré did not have one of his better games, ambling through parts of the game, but Fernando showed why he has been brought in as an upgrade on Javi García – covering space, closing down opponents and acting as a useful barrier in front of defence.
Newcastle put together 12 shots in total but their finishing was poor, epitomised by the chance Moussa Sissoko put over the crossbar just before Agüero scampered away to score the second goal.
He might be lacking fitness but he still managed to elude Fabricio Coloccini from the substitute Fernandinho’s pass. His first effort was left-footed from a difficult angle and came back to him off Krul. Agüero was on his feet in a flash and the Argentinian’s follow-up shot was with the other foot, expertly picking out the far corner.
Man of the match Vincent Kompany (Manchester City)