MANCHESTER CITY 4-0 NEWCASTLE UNITED
Manchester City showed what they are capable of doing as they thrashed
Newcastle United 4-0 putting in a champions performance on at the Etihad
stadium. City was looking to take some form into the Manchester Derby a week on
Monday at old Trafford. And the recent form has been mixed if anything in the
last few league games with defeats against Chelsea and a not very convincing
win at Aston Villa, But have lost to Everton 2-0, drew 2-2 with Liverpool and
also had that nightmare at St.Marys going down 3-1 where it was labelled the
worst performance by Mancini men since he came to the club 3 seasons ago. A
view shared by the Italian manager at City.
City before kickoff found themselves 18 points behind league leader
Manchester United after their victory up in Wearside against Sunderland. So
City was concentrating on keeping hold of second place in the table as their
title challenge hopes for this season anyway ended a while ago, But have to
make sure they finish in the top 3 places to avoid having to play a qualifying
round for the champions league next season. Newcastle was the visitors to the
Etihad and their form has been hit and misses since the January transfer but
has done well in the Europa league but has struggled in the league over recent
weeks.
City made 5 changes from the last game when they lost to Everton 2-0
before the International break, With Mancini picking the Championship winning
back 4 with Joelon Lescott, Gael Clichy and the return after 2 months of Club
Captain Vincent Kompany back from injury all returning to the side alongside
City player of the season so far Pablo Zabeleta. Sami Nasri and Yaya
Toure also returned to the fold and the starting eleven for City put a
Championship winning display against Newcastle.
City dominated play early on as Newcastle were playing quite defensively
game but for all the possession they had the home side just couldn`t make room
for a shot or was trying to walk the ball in at times. The City midfield took
complete control as Silva and Nasri was making inroads on the Visitors making
gaps and finding good passes, Gareth Barry and Yaya Toure were equally as
effective providing the cover just in front of the defence. City hadn`t
troubled the away side in the shooting ranks in the first part of the first
half, Closest chance they had was when Nasri came under pressure by 2 Newcastle
defenders and no support he managed to wriggle out of it and play a good cross
into the penalty area which Dzeko had a shot saved by Elliott and as the ball
fell to Barry he somehow managed to strike the ball miles over the bar.
City had a free kick by Carlos Tevez which when over the bar and the
referee was having a long chat to the Newcastle keeper Rob Elliott who was
taking a lot of time to take dead balls. Edin Dzeko had a header that when wide
of the goals from a Sami Nasri corner. Zabeleta then had a volley goes to the
right as he couldn`t quite connect on it as well as he wanted to. The home side
thought they had took the lead in the 38th minute when a ball was played into
the penalty area and Zabaleta run to the ball as well as David Silva, Silva
poked it home just ahead of the Argentinean defender but was flagged offside as
Silva started in a offside position.
However for the Blues it didn`t take very long for the first goal of the
game, as a Gael Clichy run down the wing and great cross into the danger area
was put in by a sliding Carlos Tevez from six yards as he went sliding with a
Newcastle defender in the 40th minute. This looked a different City side than
the one seen all season, was a more focused and determined side than they have
been all season and so wasn`t a shock when they extended their advantage, as a
Sami Nasri pass to Silva was in between his feet got control of the ball and coolly
slotted home passed Elliott for a 2-0 lead and brought an end to the first
half.
Second half Newcastle came out strong in the early stages as they looked
to try and catch them early, City were asleep for the opening 5 minutes as
Newcastle enjoyed a purple patch of possession and good play. Danny Simpson put
a cross into the box and Zabeleta cleared away and Newcastle were had a great
chance to cut the lead in half when Yohan Cabaye had an effort and went just
passed the post and the alarm bells were ringing out in the City team to wake
up from the slow start they had made so far. Cabaye had another effort but that
over the bar.
But the killer goal when in for home side as their first attack in the
half produced a corner and from that resulting corner the ball was partially
cleared away, Only as far Gareth Barry and his hit goal wards found Captain
Vincent Kompany who with a little flick of the heel scored to make it 3-0 and
City were in cruise control now and the goal seemed to break the Geordies
spirit as they looked downtrodden after that goal. City looked fantastic from
then on and played with fluidity and pace much like last season when they were
crushing teams at home.
Cisse was causing a few problems within the City side as he was turning
them inside and out at side as they could tackle him, but then a cheer went up
as when the ball was played towards him he stood on the ball and fell to the
ground bring a loud cheer and laughter at the incident. Kompany nearly got his
second goal as another corner came in from Silva and the Belgian international
could only just head over the bar. The Blues kept the great play going and
Dzeko was like a new player second half as he was holding players off wriggling
away from tackles and making good passes he was one of many players that were
having a great game for the home team. In the 68th minute the score was 4-0 as
a Yanga-Mbiwa clearance from Nasri cross came to the big Ivorian and he ran at
the defenders beating 3 of them into the penalty area and shot at goal getting
a little nick off James Perch studs which just caught out Elliott as he all he
could do was palm it in the goals as the little touch took it away from him.
Kompany went off to a standing ovation from the home fans as he had good
steady game at the heart of the blues defence alongside Lescott, There was gasp
of horror from city fans when Silva seemed to go down on his own clutching his
knee when trying to block a ball, Newcastle played on and a shot coming in by
Dan Gosling went into the hands of Joe Hart as he comfortably save it as it
rolled to him. City made their second substitution when Silva was brought off
hoping his injury wasn`t bad and with an eye on the Manchester Derby next week.
Scott Sinclair came on for the Spaniard and one of his first touches nearly
produced a good finish, the winger picked up the ball outside the area quickly
turned and had a curling shot looking to go in far corner but Elliott made a
fantastic save to get a hand to it and turn it away.
The game was being played a friendly pace then as both teams when
through the motions as was winding down to the final whistle, final whistle
went and City reduce the massive gap on their neighbours and now have a chance
to try and gain 3 points more on their cross city rivals a week on Monday in
the Derby.
Mancini will hope his troop will have the same effort and desire for
that clash as they did in this game , as if they play on this form then it
won`t be the one sided affair that everyone expects at Old Trafford.
No comments:
Post a Comment