Manchester City passed a major test of their Premier League title credentials as they beat Newcastle 2-0 on Saturday as some big calls paid off by Pep Guardiola in the match between English football’s richest teams.
Phil Foden was given a start on the right wing over Riyad Mahrez and gave City the lead in the 15th minute when his driving run into the area ended with a shot that went past Newcastle goalkeeper Nick Pope.
City never looked comfortable against a potent Newcastle team that was dangerous on the counterattack but got the crucial second goal three minutes later after Guardiola pulled off Kevin De Bruyne, who endured a rare ineffective display.
De Bruyne’s replacement, Bernardo Silva, scored with one of his first touches, collecting the flick from Erling Haaland while poking the ball in from 15 meters out in the 67th.
By becoming the second team – after Liverpool – to beat Newcastle in the league this season, second-placed City kept the pressure on leaders Arsenal, who play at home to Bournemouth later on Saturday. The teams went into the weekend separated by five points.
“Before the game, it was ‘goodbye’ – now it is ‘hello’,” Guardiola said of the back-and-forth title race. “A lot of things are going to happen.”
It was another blow for Newcastle, who lost the English League Cup final to Manchester United last weekend and whose league form has dropped in recent weeks.
In their bid to qualify for the Champions League, the northeastern side has dropped out of the top four and are four points behind fourth-placed Tottenham, who have played a game more.
There was a political element to the match, with teams owned by Abu Dhabi (City) and Saudi Arabia (Newcastle), making headlines off the ground for all the wrong reasons in recent days.
City is currently fighting more than 100 charges by the Premier League over alleged breaches of financial rules, an explosive development that came to light last month and leaves the champions at risk of stiff punishment.
Meanwhile, Newcastle came under scrutiny this week after fresh questions were raised about Saudi Arabian investment in the club. The Premier League has been urged in 2021 to review a legally binding promise made by the club’s majority owners – the Saudi sovereign wealth fund – that it is separate from the country’s government.
Given their assets, the two clubs are expected to be one of the dominant forces in English football for years to come, but City is currently a level above.
The win extended their unbeaten run over Newcastle to nine games and was City’s fourth win in their last five league games as Guardiola’s side look to keep up with Arsenal.
With the score at 1-0, Newcastle would get three big chances. Sean Longstaff hesitated when a shot through and through on goal was blocked by Nathan Ake, Callum Wilson mis-hit a shot from close range and Joelinton saw the ball go through his legs as he shot to the right. Had attempted to convert a cross from the side.
Guardiola said of Newcastle, “Their intimidation is no surprise – there’s a reason they were in the (League) Cup final, and for many minutes they were better than United.”
“This team and this club will be a title threat in the next few years.”
Newcastle has yet to win a league game at the Etihad Stadium.