Premier League: Newcastle v Manchester City full-time report

Yaya Toure

Newcastle 0 Manchester City 2

For a time it looked as though Manchester City were going to drop points, but thanks to two goals from Yaya Touré they moved three points closer to the title with a victory at Newcastle United.

The blue half of Manchester have now opened up a three point lead over rivals and the red half Manchester United, and with one game to go in the Premier League, they are on the verge of sealing their first triumph.

With United set to face Swansea this afternoon at Old Trafford, City have done their bit, and know it is in their hands as they came through the toughest of their tests against an in-form Newcastle, a side who have won seven of their last eight games.

City will be taking on Queens Park Rangers at home next week in the final game of the season, and they can almost smell Premier League success, and a first league championship since 1968.

Touré definitely knows how to pick his moments, scoring the winners in both the semi-final and final of last year’s FA Cup, and now, the Ivorian’s double has put City on the brink of title glory.

Up against Newcastle, who themselves were chasing a Champions League spot, were on a high after beating Chelsea in midweek at Stamford Bridge. City were also confident having beaten United 1-0 at the Etihad Stadium on Monday night in a massive clash.

City were the better side in the opening periods of the game, and Newcastle’s Tim Krul was the busier of the two goalkeepers, as he had to make good saves from Sergio Agüero and David Silva.

Other than that it there wasn’t much for either team to shout about in the first half, with City ‘keeper Joe Hart having hardly anything to do, only having to see Demba Ba’s header fly across him and Papiss Cissé’s shot go slightly over the bar.

The home supporters were fully behind their team as City bossed possession, but they almost saw their team fall behind before the break, as Gareth Barry’s shot was blocked by the Newcastle defence at first, and then directly after Barry had his rebound saved by Davide Santon on the line. That was the moment of the half up until that point.

City boss Roberto Mancini certainly needed more from his players knowing what was at stake, and City came out for the second period looking more urgent and desperate for the all-important opening goal, but, as they proved in the first 45 minutes, Newcastle were hard to break down and were solid as a unit, a credit to manager Alan Pardew.

When Newcastle were holding City at bay, they were ready to spring on the counter attack, and they moved forward in numbers at every opportunity. Hatem Ben Arfa was the latest player to have an effort at goal, turning Pablo Zabaleta but firing his right footed shot, his weaker foot, wide of Hart’s target.

Mancini needed to make changes, and he introduced Nigel de Jong to the game in order to push Yaya Touré further forward, and the Italian’s tactical change proved to be a masterstroke, as it was Touré who put City in front with the best move of the match, playing a one-two with Agüero and beating Krul with a delicately curling shot into the bottom corner of the net.

Carlos Tévez should have doubled City’s lead moments later, racing through on goal but placing his shot narrowly wide of the mark. Touré meanwhile could have had his second as well with a header had he been able to get a proper contact on the ball.

Krul was Newcastle’s hero as City were carved open towards the end, brilliantly denying Agüero after the Argentinian was teed up by Touré, who had the initial chance after being one on one with Krul but slipping at the wrong time.

City were probably thinking that they may have wasted their chance, but instead they put those thoughts behind them and hit Newcastle with a second goal courtesy of a simple finish from Touré.

The game was over, and those two Touré goals seem to have given City one hand on the Premier League trophy.

İsmail Vedat

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