Joao Cancelo and Riyad Mahrez each had a goal and an assist as Manchester City continued its cruise through the Premier League season with a 4-0 defeat of Newcastle United at St. James’ Park on Sunday.
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City wasn’t at its best but was still clinical, continuing to recall the best teams of Pep Guardiola’s career as Ruben Dias scored early and Raheem Sterling late and the visitors held the ball for nearly 75 percent of the game.
Newcastle’s brutal run of fixtures saw another multi-goal loss, with Manchester United still to come before any signs of relief on the schedule.
WATCH NEWCASTLE vs MANCHESTER CITY FULL MATCH REPLAY STREAM – LINK
United’s 10 points are 19th on the table and the Magpies have played two more matches than 17th-place Watford, which has three more points than the Magpies.
Man City hits 44 points with the win to ensure their spot atop the table regardless of what Liverpool does against Tottenham. Liverpool has 40 points.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of Newcastle vs Manchester City.
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Newcastle vs Man City final score, stats
Newcastle United 0-4 Manchester City
Goals scored: Dias 5′, Cancelo 27′, Mahrez 64′, Sterling 86′
Shots: Newcastle 5-18 Man City
Shots on target: Newcastle 1-8 Man City
Possession: Newcastle 28-72 Man City
Three things we learned from Newcastle vs Man City
1. Newcastle does exactly what it shouldn’t: Our preview was prophetic but was far from some sort of galaxy-brained new theory. Newcastle can’t make mistakes against Man City, and especially can’t go behind early. Whoops. Martin Dubravka conceded a cheap corner kick under the press of Gabriel Jesus, and Ciaran Clark made a gaffe within moments as Dubravka failed to stop the corner kick and City took a 1-0 lead. Newcastle was stung by officiating controversy early against Leicester City and Liverpool, but this was all Newcastle including a disorganized midfield press as the Magpies got took excited by their first chance at a counter attack and left themselves open for Ederson’s long pass. Shambles, as they say.
2. Cancelo set for Premier League Team of the Season, as City looks historically-good: Pep Guardiola’s Portuguese defender has taken his time to become a fixture in the lineup after City’s swap deal that send cash and Danilo to Juventus. He’s been sensational this season, as important to City as Trent Alexander-Arnold to Liverpool in a league with more than its fair share of star fullbacks. Even considering Reece James, TAA, and a host of center backs, Cancelo would have to fall off a proverbial cliff to not make the PL Team of the Season.
City didn’t hit its expected goals numbers last year but right now it’s another story. It’s to the point where any dropped points from Liverpool and Chelsea puts even more focus on matches between City and their nearest rivals. And Liverpool, Chelsea, Man United, and Tottenham all have to come to the Etihad Stadium. (Arsenal is City’s only remaining away meeting in the “Big Six”).
3. A little bit of good luck for City: Ederson joined Dubravka in not enjoying his day and got away with a few dicey situations, one of which should’ve been a penalty. The ball had gone away from Ederson when his mistimed slide carried into Ryan Fraser, who had no hope of avoiding the would-be challenge. Perhaps there’s a rule we don’t know involving a foul inside the box not being worthy of a penalty — not being cynical, sometimes these things are obscure letters of the law.
Man of the Match:
Counterattacks just miss
Miguel Almiron had St. James’ Park dreaming with a pair of drives at the Man City defense in the first dozen minutes.
The first was wasted and ultimately led to City’s opener, but the second was only half-cleared by Man City and Joelinton’s low drilled shot from atop the 18 just missed the far post.
When you’re looking for hope and a longshot, that could’ve gone a long way toward an unlikely equalizer.
Man City off its best? Still too good
This has little to do with Newcastle United, although another team would’ve punished Man City once or twice on Sunday.
Not three times, though, and City’s second and third goals show just how special this team’s become. Cancelo, a fullback, had wheeled into an unusual (for any other team) position to blast home a sensational goal, and Mahrez’s perfect run to score his 50th City goal beat both Newcastle and the linesman’s judgment on an exceptional cross.
It’s not too crazy to consider whether City — a team whispered to have a fatal flaw in the form of no traditional center forward — is playing as well as any team in 20 years, including Guardiola’s Barcelona and Flick’s Bayern.
