Match ends, Manchester City 5, Newcastle United 0.
Manchester City returned to winning ways in style by thrashing hapless Newcastle at Etihad Stadium.
Pep Guardiola's side were surprisingly beaten at Southampton in their previous Premier League game but two goals in the opening 20 minutes against the Magpies effectively settled this contest.
Gabriel Jesus ended his nine-game goal drought by converting from David Silva's cutback, while Riyad Mahrez swept home the second from Kevin de Bruyne's pass.
It got worse for Newcastle in the second period when Federico Fernandez inadvertently deflected Matt Ritchie's attempted clearance into his own net and David Silva added the fourth by curling in a sublime free-kick.
Raheem Sterling came off the bench to add the fifth for City in injury-time, rolling in from Silva's pass.
With four games remaining, City have strengthened their claim to second place, moving nine points clear of Chelsea, while Newcastle drop to 13th.
City slickers
Manchester City's unsatisfactory title defence has seen them drop 33 points this season, three more than in their previous two campaigns combined, but they were a class apart against Newcastle.
The swift movement and quick passing in the final third tore apart the Magpies backline with ease time and time again and though their aggregate score from their last five home games now reads 19-0, it could have been much more.
Phil Foden's growing influence in the starting line-up is clear to see, buzzing around in the final third, but the young Englishman will be disappointed by missing a hat-trick of chances, all dragged wide from promising positions.
The man Foden is tipped to replace next season, David Silva, showed why he will depart as one of the finest players the Premier League has seen, completing 106 of his 112 passes, contributing two assists as well as scoring a glorious free-kick.
The first two goals were similar, both coming from the left of the box, with Belgium international De Bruyne taking his assist tally to 18 for the campaign, just two short of Arsenal legend Thierry Henry's record.
Meagre Magpies
Newcastle's form since the restart has been excellent with two victories and two draws, but this heavy defeat ended a run of six unbeaten games in the league.
The appointment of Steve Bruce to replace Rafael Benitez last summer was not universally well received by the club's fans, but the 59-year-old has kept them away from the relegation zone and they are only two points short of matching last season's tally.
But Bruce extended his wretched record as manager against City. He has never beaten them, losing nine out of 12 matches.
They had several first-choice players missing, including Allan Saint-Maximin, Miguel Almiron and Jamaal Lascelles, and conceding two early goals did not help their cause.
Defender Fernandez, who saw Ritchie's attempted clearance ricochet off him into his own net, recorded the away side's only shot on target, a weak header which was easily gathered by Ederson.
Man of the match - David Silva (Man City)
What next?
Manchester City travel to Brighton on Saturday (kick-off 20:00 BST), while Newcastle go to Watford earlier on the same day (12:30).
Jesus the lucky charm - the stats
- Manchester City have won 11 consecutive top-flight home games against a single opponent for the very first time in the club's history.
- Newcastle boss Steve Bruce has failed to win any of his 23 Premier League away games in Manchester (D4 L19), with this his ninth such defeat against City (10 v United).
- Thanks to Riyad Mahrez's strike, Manchester City are the first English top-flight side to have five different players score at least 10 league goals in a single season since Everton in 1984-85 (Sterling, De Bruyne, Aguero, Jesus, Mahrez).
- Having also suffered a 5-0 defeat at Leicester earlier in the season, Newcastle have lost by at least five goals on more than one occasion in the same Premier League season for the very first time.
- Manchester City completed 787 of their 840 passes this evening against Newcastle, recording a pass completion rate of 93.7% - the highest passing accuracy we have on record in the Premier League since 2003-04.
- Manchester City have scored 4+ goals in three straight home Premier League games for only the second time, also doing so between September and October 2017 under Pep Guardiola.
- Kevin De Bruyne has assisted 18 Premier League goals this season for Manchester City, the most by any player in a season in the division since the Belgian himself also set up 18 in 2016-17.
- David Silva has now reached 10+ assists in all competitions in all 10 of his seasons with Manchester City, with his second in this game his 121st in total for the club.
- Manchester City have now won 30 of the 31 Premier League matches when Gabriel Jesus has scored, drawing the other.
Line-ups
Man City
Formation 4-3-3
- 31Ederson
- 27CanceloSubstituted forWalkerat 45'minutes
- 5Stones
- 30Otamendi
- 11Zinchenko
- 17De Bruyne
- 16RodriSubstituted forGündoganat 45'minutes
- 21Silva
- 26MahrezSubstituted forDoyleat 75'minutes
- 9Gabriel JesusSubstituted forSterlingat 61'minutes
- 47FodenSubstituted forBernardo Silvaat 61'minutes
Substitutes
- 1Bravo
- 2Walker
- 7Sterling
- 8Gündogan
- 14Laporte
- 20Bernardo Silva
- 25Fernandinho
- 50García
- 69Doyle
Newcastle
Formation 4-4-1-1
- 1Dubravka
- 22Yedlin
- 17KrafthSubstituted forMutoat 84'minutes
- 18Fernández
- 28Rose
- 23LazaroSubstituted forManquilloat 66'minutes
- 5Schär
- 42Bentaleb
- 11RitchieSubstituted forAtsuat 84'minutes
- 8ShelveySubstituted forM Longstaffat 66'minutes
- 9JoelintonSubstituted forGayleat 66'minutes
Substitutes
- 12Gayle
- 13Muto
- 19Manquillo
- 24Almirón
- 26Darlow
- 30Atsu
- 43M Longstaff
- 50Allan
- 60Young
- Referee:
- Andy Madley
Match Stats
- Possession
- Home74%
- Away26%
- Shots
- Home23
- Away6
- Shots on Target
- Home9
- Away1
- Corners
- Home8
- Away1
- Fouls
- Home13
- Away7
Live Text
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Full Time
Second Half ends, Manchester City 5, Newcastle United 0.
Goal!
Goal! Manchester City 5, Newcastle United 0. Raheem Sterling (Manchester City) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by David Silva.
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Attempt blocked. Matthew Longstaff (Newcastle United) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Javier Manquillo.
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Attempt missed. David Silva (Manchester City) left footed shot from the right side of the box is close, but misses the top left corner. Assisted by Kevin De Bruyne.
Substitution
Substitution, Newcastle United. Yoshinori Muto replaces Emil Krafth.
Substitution
Substitution, Newcastle United. Christian Atsu replaces Matt Ritchie.
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Attempt saved. Tommy Doyle (Manchester City) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Kevin De Bruyne.
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Foul by Ilkay Gündogan (Manchester City).
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Dwight Gayle (Newcastle United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Offside, Manchester City. Kyle Walker tries a through ball, but Kevin De Bruyne is caught offside.
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Tommy Doyle (Manchester City) wins a free kick on the right wing.
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Foul by Matt Ritchie (Newcastle United).
Substitution
Substitution, Manchester City. Tommy Doyle replaces Riyad Mahrez.
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Corner, Manchester City. Conceded by Martin Dubravka.
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Attempt saved. David Silva (Manchester City) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Kevin De Bruyne.
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Attempt blocked. Ilkay Gündogan (Manchester City) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Bernardo Silva.
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Ilkay Gündogan (Manchester City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Foul by Fabian Schär (Newcastle United).
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Foul by David Silva (Manchester City).
Comments
Join the conversation
Last 2 seasons it were VVD and Salah when City were champions.
KDB miles above every one else, no comparison.
#hypocrites
#pathetic
Will be missed, we are lucky to witnessed such a talent.
Greatest player of the decade by some margin.
Don't give me no Harry Kane rubbish...
Just one more season?
Please??
#merlinpleasestay
"No way does KDB deserve player of the season ... it would be pure bias if a liverpool player doesn't get"
2017/18 MCFC win Prem and first team to get 100 points. Player of the Year: Salah (Liverpool)
2018/19 MCFC pip Liverpool to title and become first team to win the domestic treble. Player of the Year: VVD (Liverpool)
What was it you were saying about bias?
Sounds like they done the same with Newcastle's goal tonight and got everything from the game. Don't you just love football