Man City thump Newcastle 5-0, move three points clear at top of table

AGENCY REPORT

Manchester City shrugged off the crushing disappointment of their Champions League semi-final exit at the hands of Real Madrid to open a three-point advantage at the top of the Premier League with an emphatic victory over Newcastle United.

The reigning champions took advantage of Liverpool’s draw with Tottenham Hotspur with an impressive response that not only strengthened their position at the Premier League summit but also vastly improved their goal difference.

Chris Wood wasted a glorious early chance for Newcastle to add to City’s nerves and his side paid the price when Raheem Sterling headed Pep Guardiola’s team in front after 19 minutes.

Aymeric Laporte added a second before half-time after Newcastle keeper Martin Dubravka fumbled Ilkay Gundogan’s volley and Rodri effectively wrapped up the contest with a near-post header from Kevin de Bruyne’s corner just after the hour mark.

City, with Newcastle deflated and outclassed, improved their goal difference even further when substitute Phil Foden struck in the closing moments, turning him Oleksandr Zinchenko’s touch, before Sterling completed the rout with a close-range finish in added time.

Man City show steel and style
City faced plenty questions about their character and the potential response to losing a place in the Champions League final that they held in their hands until Real Madrid’s astonishing late comeback at the Bernabeu.

The manner of this win, and its wider significance, provided the perfect answer.

There were a few nerves around Etihad Stadium at the start and Newcastle striker Wood might have made them jangle even more had he not delivered a weak finish from Allan Saint-Maximin’s cross in the opening exchanges.

He not only directed a tame header straight at Ederson but arguably robbed Joelinton of an even better opportunity as the Brazilian lurked behind him.

City, in contrast, showed all their class in attack and once Sterling put them ahead there was only ever going to be one outcome.

It was a performance and result designed to lift their spirits and puts City in pole position to retain their title given they lead by three points with three games to play – and the margin of victory also giving them a better goal difference than Liverpool.

The closing stages were played out as a formality, with City in total control, the only cloud on their day the half-time substitution of key defender Ruben Dias.

However the addition of those two late goals gives City a nice cushion should they falter in any of their final games.

And Guardiola, an agonised figure in Madrid, was more buoyant as the action unfolded, even demanding a standing ovation for Gabriel Jesus from City’s fans when he was substituted, a request that was duly answered.

City have their destiny in their own hands, with away games at Wolves and West Ham United to come before a final-day home game against Aston Villa.