Defending champion Manchester City beat Newcastle 4–0 (match score) to confirm their position at the top of the Premier League table. The defenders were clearly dismissed after 80 minutes by Joao Cancello. The disciplined free kick combination transfers the ball to one side of the box, then back to the other. Newcastle’s Ciaran Clarke seemed to be floating in the air as he elegantly proceeded to make the score 1 – 0 after a well-executed corner kick by Ruben Dias.
The hosts renewed, and Joelinton came close to equalizing with a stinging shot from long range, which flew just behind the post to the right of Ederson. But City silenced the emotional crowd at St James’s Park before half an hour when Cancelo hit the net in the 27th minute to double the lead.
City maintained firm control of the football match in the second half, with Riyad Mahrez and Raheem Sterling doubling their advantage. City’s manager, Pep Guardiola, was surprisingly strict with his team, saying their first half was one of the worst performances of the season, before a better presentation after the break.
“Records show we have consistency as a team – it’s not about winning titles or finals, it’s about winning and winning,” he added. “Records are meant to be broken and we are happy to have them.”
Man City has now won eight consecutive league games and is four points ahead of second-placed Liverpool. But Newcastle, threatened with relegation, are three points clear after playing two more games than Watford, who are just outside the drop zone.
The new wealthy owners of the Saudi Arabia-backed Magpies have indicated they will make a significant investment in the team, but they will have matches against Manchester United and Everton before the transfer window opens in January.
