Manchester City romped to a 5-0 victory over Newcastle at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday night, bouncing back in the Premier League after falling to a shock defeat to Southampton last time out.
The hosts got the ball rolling just ten minutes in, as David Silva's cutback was neatly tucked away by the instep of Gabriel Jesus. That figure was doubled shortly after when Riyad Mahrez stroked the ball home from Kevin De Bruyne's low pass, with City simply breezing through proceedings.
Kevin De Bruyne has now been directly involved in 29 goals in 29 Premier League starts this season (11 goals, 18 assists).
— 90min (@90min_Football) July 8, 2020
What a player. ? pic.twitter.com/r4rQPSeeOg
Nothing changed in the second half with City dominating possession, although it was an unfortunate own goal from Federico Fernandez that granted them their deserved third goal. Silva then capped off a superb display with a wonderful fourth, curling a fine free kick beyond a grounded Martin Dubravka.
As they'd done for the entire match, City coasted through the remaining minutes, grabbing a fifth late on when Raheem Sterling stroked the ball beyond Dubravaka after some more atrocious Magpies defending.
MANCHESTER CITY
Key Talking Point
How do you respond to a surprising defeat? You win the next game as comfortably as you can.
It was so easy for City against the Magpies they could've played the game blindfolded. Hungrier to each ball and far more determined, the disparity between the sides was frightening. City put everything into each tackle, whereas Steve Bruce's side aggression levels were more akin to that of someone tucking their grandmother into bed.
He knows how to get his players to respond does Pep Guardiola but, truth be told, Newcastle at home was the ideal game to do so. They controlled the midfield through the impressive Silva, while the Magpies couldn't handle the overlaps in wide areas and pace in behind.
What else to say, really? City were their usual silky best, but aided by a woeful Magpies display. Pretty much what everyone expected before kick off.
Otamendi’s looked like Newcastle’s biggest attacking threat so far #MCINEW
— Rhys Rosser (@rjrosser1) July 8, 2020
Manchester City Player Ratings
Starting XI: Ederson (8); Cancelo (5) Stones (6), Otamendi (6), Zinchenko (7); De Bruyne (8), Rodri (7), D.Silva (9*); Mahrez (8), Jesus (8), Foden (8).
Substitutes: Gundogan (8), Walker (8), Sterling (7), B.Silva (7), Doyle (7).
David Silva
Age is just a number for David Silva. One of the joys of being a football supporter is seeing a player make everything look so simple you just sit back and marvel.
Having done that for ten years in the Premier League, you do get the feeling that the Spanish wizard could do it for longer. It's been an absolute pleasure to watch Silva over the past decade.
1+1 - David Silva (34) is the first player aged 34 or older to both score and assist in a Premier League game since Zlatan Ibrahimovic (35) for Manchester United against Sunderland in April 2017. Twilight. pic.twitter.com/s99NiSiDr6
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) July 8, 2020
NEWCASTLE UNITED
Key Talking Point
Passive. One word that sums up Newcastle's limp display on Wednesday night (and that's being kind). It's never nice to accuse players of something you aren't sure of, but it did appear as if the Magpies were a side with nothing to play for this season.
Whenever they received possession they were lethargic - not that it happened often - and the amount of sloppy play out of from the back indicated a lack of desire and a resignation that they were never going to get anything out of the game anyway; so why bother?
Their lack of paucity in attack is glaring, and while the gulf in class between the sides is blatant, Steve Bruce's side simply didn't look up for the fight.
The body language of some of these players are criminal.
— Newcastle United Times (@Newcastle_Times) July 8, 2020
Newcastle United Player Ratings
Starting XI: Dubravka (5); Yedlin (3), Krafth (3), Schar (2), Fernandez (2), Rose (2); Lazaro (3), Shelvey (5), Bentaleb (2), Ritchie (3); Joelinton (2).
Substitutes: Manquillo (2), Gayle (3), Longstaff (4), Muto (N/A), Atsu (N/A).
Jack Young
? Joined #NUFC at the age of seven
— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) July 8, 2020
? From Morpeth
? Box-to-Box midfielder
Introducing Jack Young who is involved in a first-team matchday squad for the first time this evening as he takes his place on the bench.
Who, you ask? Well, he's a 19-year-old midfielder who came through the Newcastle academy and made his first involvement in a senior squad on Wednesday. He didn't actually play...but neither did anyone else so...
...He gets the award.
Looking Ahead
It's a trip to the south coast for City next as they take on Brighton at the AMEX Stadium, while Newcastle are back on the road as they travel to Watford.
Source : 90min