After dropping two points against Wolves, Manchester City picked up the pace this past weekend by securing a 2:1 win over Newcastle United. The defending champions looked to be back on their groove as they dominated the game for the whole of ninety minutes.
Unlike against Wolves, the Sky Blues did start the game on a strong note, which gave them an advantage for the remainder of the game. They were also rewarded for their impressive start as Raheem Sterling drew first blood with a stunning striker in the eighth minute.
But, Newcastle United remained persistent in getting the equalizer and their efforts were paid off when DeAndre Yedlin capitalised on a slight mishap from the City defence to find the back of the net just around the half-hour mark. Fortunately for the hosts, however, Kyle Walker was on hand to save his side’s blushes in the 52nd minute.
Here are three reasons why Pep Guardiola’s side emerged victorious against a brave Newcastle side.
#3 Individual quality
Despite showing great tenacity and commendable work-ethic, there was one thing Newcastle were always lacking this evening and that was the quality of their players. Even though the Magpies did a remarkable job of containing the Man City attackers even in their own half, they were eventually outclassed by the sheer quality of the opposing players.
And the stark qualitative difference was evident in both of Man City’s goals. Raheem Sterling showed incredible use of space and remarkable finish to score the opener before Kyle Walker pulled out a stunner to score the winner in the second half.
Aside from the goalscorers, the likes of David Silva, Benjamin Mendy and Bernardo Silva were also seen evading the Newcastle press at such ease, largely thanks to their sheer individual quality. As a result, the brave visitors always had the disadvantage of not having quality players at their disposal, which proved to be the main difference between the two sides at the end.
#2 Solid defence
Manchester City’s inability to lead with DeAndre Yedlin’s clever run in the 30th minute was a minor blip in an otherwise solid defence that stood its ground till the very end.
Indeed, the duo of John Stones and Aymeric Laporte were quite impressive, to say the least, though their inability to deal with the physically astute Salomon Rondon was evident at times. That being said, both the defenders showed incredible positional sense and were also an integral part of Man City’s build-up play from the back.
Stones, in particular, mustered 121 passes with an accuracy of 95% whilst Laporte also chipped in with 119 passes with an accuracy of 97%. Both totalled more than 20% of game’s possession, which, in turn, minimized Newcastle’s time on the ball, ultimately reducing their threat.
#1 The ‘Aguero’ effect
It’s probably fair to acknowledge the fact that Sergio Aguero has been one of the best strikers in the Premier League this season, if not the best. He has been consistent with his performance in all of his games and this evening was no exception as he showed tremendous work-rate to get involved in all of Manchester City’s attacking moments.
In fact, the Argentine international featured almost like a number ten, often dropping back to help out City’s chance creation in the final third and most often than not, feeding off Gabriel Jesus in the second half.
Although his decision making in the final third was questionable at times this evening, he definitely deserves credit for putting in a valiant effort, despite actually failing to find the back of the net. Head coach Pep Guardiola will certainly be hoping that Aguero can continue on his impressive run of form throughout the entirety of the season.
Stat courtesy: Whoscored
