Newcastle 0-2 Man City: City see off Magpies amid controversy

IN-FORM Manchester City moved to the top of the Premier League with victory over Newcastle, who were denied an equaliser in controversial circumstances.

Edin Dzeko swept home Aleksandar Kolarov's cross for his 13th goal of the season in all competitions to give City an early lead.

But the Magpies felt they should have been on level terms when Cheikh Tiote's stunning long-range effort was disallowed by referee Mike Jones as an offside Yoann Gouffran was adjudged to be interfering with Joe Hart's line of sight.

Yohan Cabaye and Loic Remy were denied by superb saves from Hart in the second half as the hosts improved.

After losing Samir Nasri to a suspected medial ligament injury, Alvaro Negredo wrapped up the points deep into seven minutes of stoppage time after a ricochet off Tim Krul.

Manuel Pellegrini's men climb above new leaders Chelsea, who beat Hull City 2-0 on Saturday, after becoming the first team to win six consecutive league matches this term but Arsenal have the chance to overtake them on Monday against Aston Villa.

Free-scoring City, winners by the same scoreline in the Capital One Cup at St James's Park in October, have scored 28 times in their last nine matches and are unbeaten in 15 games in all competitions since losing to Sunderland in November, their best run for 37 years.

The Magpies remain eighth, four behind seventh-placed Manchester United, after suffering a fourth successive defeat in all competitions for the first time since November 2012.

Newcastle suffered a third league defeat in 11 home games this term after losing to Hull City in September and Arsenal last month.

In contrast, City have collected just 17 points from a possible 33 away from home but four wins from their last five on their travels have dispelled the early-season vulnerability which threatened to hamper their title bid.

Newcastle made four alterations in personnel from their 2-1 FA Cup third round defeat to Cardiff last time out as Krul returned in goal after sitting out against the Bluebirds with a shoulder complaint in place of Rob Elliot.

Mike Williamson replaced Massadio Haidara in defence and Cabaye was welcomed back in midfield after being allowed to jet off for a family break as he nursed his way back from an Achilles injury.

Hatem Ben Arfa dropped to the bench along with Papiss Demba Cisse, as top scorer Remy was restored, and Dan Gosling, who was recalled from a loan spell at Blackpool.

Steven Taylor continued in defence to make a first Premier League start since being criticised by boss Alan Pardew after his sending off against City on the opening day of the season in a 4-0 defeat at the Etihad Stadium.

Mathieu Debuchy served the second game of a three-match ban after a red card against West Bromwich Albion while skipper Fabricio Coloccini was out with a knee problem.

City made also made changes from the side which thumped West Ham 6-0 in the first leg of their Capital One Cup semi-final in midweek as newly-crowned African Footballer of the Year Yaya Toure, winner of the award for the third year running, overcome a knock to the ankle to retain his place.

Martin Demichelis came in for Joleon Lescott after three games out with a hamstring injury, Aleksandar Kolarov swapped places with Gael Clichy at left-back and Fernandinho replaced Javi Garcia in midfield.

Top scorer Sergio Aguero, who has not played since 14 December, again missed out with a calf problem, joining Jack Rodwell and Stevan Jovetic on the sidelines but full-back Micah Richards was back among the substitutes after eight games out injured.

An energetic Newcastle made a sprightly start and pressed high up the pitch in a bid to prevent the influential big hitters of City from dictating the tempo from the outset.

But the visitors were able to craft a simple and devastatingly effective opening goal inside eight minutes.

David Silva fed the galloping run of Kolarov down the left hand side, with Gouffran caught ball-watching, and the Serbian full-back’s low cross was smashed into the roof of the net from six yards by Dzeko for his fifth league goal of the campaign.

The early breakthrough acted as a catalyst for City to click into their groove and find their feet with scintillating pace on the counter.

Kolarov again provided the width after Silva was bumped off the ball by Mike Williamson and Negredo was inches away from a telling connection on the slide.

The Spaniard then hung in the air superbly on the penalty spot but guided his header from a pinpoint Silva cross onto the roof of the net as City began to exert their superiority.

The Magpies - who have beaten Manchester United, Tottenham and Chelsea this term - kept their fair share of possession but were often untidy and errant with Tiote particularly cutting a frustrating figure in midfield.

The hosts finally showed signs of settling into proceedings with the City defence forced into various clearing headers but were not strenuously tested.

Taylor, without a goal in two and a half years, prodded wide ahead of Negredo from a Cabaye corner.

Cabaye then whistled a volley towards goal from an acute angle which Hart reacted to by tipping over after Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa's cross was flicked into his path by Pablo Zabaleta.

And Newcastle thought they were level on 34 minutes but were left enraged by the game's major talking point as their equaliser was contentiously chalked off.

Cabaye's corner was cleared only as far as Tiote who unleashed a 25 yard thunderbolt which ripped past Hart into the back of the net for but the Ivorian’s celebrations in scoring his second Magpies goal were short-lived.

After consulting linesman Ron Ganfield, referee Jones ruled the goal out as Gouffran, one of three Newcastle players standing in an offside position, was adjudged to be interfering with play and impeding Hart's line of sight.

Magpies boss Pardew complained vehemently to fourth official Martin Atkinson as the boos rung around St James's Park combined with the usual cries of "you don’t know what you’re doing".

The hosts began to lose their discipline with Sissoko booked for kicking the ball into the stands and Cabaye picked up a yellow card for dissent towards the assistant referee.

Silva caught a sweet volley which travelled inches wide of the right-hand post from a clipped Nasri free-kick after Davide Santon brought down Negredo just outside the penalty area.

Newcastle, still reeling from their sense of injustice, were on the front foot before the interval but could not use their frustration to their advantage.

Williamson claimed he was bundled over by Demichelis inside the penalty area as Cabaye swung in a free-kick but nothing was given, adding to their fury.

Fernandinho was cautioned for a rash foul on Gouffran and Zabaleta took out a marauding Sissoko as City prevented the Magpies, who required calm heads, from capitalising to hold onto their lead.

With the half-time whistle sounding, Pardew - moments after disputing with Pellegrini in the technical area - and assistant John Carver waited for the officials to head towards the tunnel before getting his point of view across.

Pardew, the second longest-serving boss in the Premier League, is believed to have sworn at Pellegrini as the two bosses made their way towards the dressing room.

Both City and the officials were booed as they made their way onto the pitch at half-time and Newcastle, with their emotions still boiling over, began positively after the break.

Vurnon Anita fizzed a shot which forced Hart to make a save low down after collecting a poor clearance from Fernandinho.

Remy, scorer of ten goals this term but without a goal in his previous nine appearances, spurned a glorious opportunity when played through by Sissoko but checked inside rather than running clean through on goal.

The combustible figure of Tiote, still reeling after seeing his stunning leveller denied, picked up a yellow card for cynically bringing down Toure as the high-intense contest reached fever pitch.

City sent on Spanish winger Jesus Navas in place of goalscorer Dzeko, who had a problem with his left shin, in the 52nd minute in their bid to add to their slender lead.

Negredo fired over right-footed on the turn after Williamson could only scrape a low cross from Nasri to the edge of the six-yard box.

Krul made a vital reaction save to thwart Negredo minutes later with a header from point-blank range as Silva delivered from a right-channel free-kick after Williamson was fortunate to escape a booking for upending the advancing Negredo.

At the other end, Cabaye wriggled away from Nasri 25 yards out and brought a fine parried stop from an extended Hart with a vicious effort which swerved through the air.

The stricken Yaya Toure, who took a nasty blow to the ribs, made way for the defensive-minded Javi Garcia on the hour mark for City.

But Newcastle, 13 points better off than at this stage last season, were beginning to turn the screw as another dangerous Cabaye free-kick was fisted away by Hart before Anita’s follow-up was blocked by Kompany and Tiote blasted another blockbuster well wide of the target.

Cabaye was lucky to avoid a second bookable offence when challenging Zabaleta late after the ball had gone but referee Jones opted for leniency.

The 27-year-old, with three goals in his previous five appearances, instigated Newcastle’s revival with his floatation in between the lines becoming elusive for City to track as he dipped a 25 yard piledriver narrowly over the top.

And the hosts came close to finding the equaliser they craved when Gouffran’s floated diagonal towards the left channel of the penalty area was misjudged by both Zabaleta and Kompany to free Remy, whose powerful half volley was magnificently denied by Hart.

Nasri guided a Kolarov cross into the midriff of Krul but City’s attacking impetus waned with the Magpies on top as Cisse, a scorer in his previous two appearances, entered the fray for midfielder Anita with 72 minutes gone in an attack-minded substitution.

City were dealt a blow just three minutes later when Nasri was deliberately upended at the second time of asking by Yanga-Mbiwa, who received only a yellow card, and immediately called for a stretcher when landing awkwardly on his knee.

It brought a five-minute stoppage with the Frenchman, visibly in tears, eventually carried off after a lengthy treatment process and replaced by former Newcastle midfielder James Milner.

Ben Arfa, who once broke a leg against City, and Haidara were introduced by the Magpies with eight minutes to go as Gouffran and Yanga-Mbiwa were withdrawn.

Proceedings were momentarily halted as stewards wrestled a streaker who gained access to the pitch and Newcastle had to survive a double scare within seconds of play continuing.

Silva's well-flighted free-kick caused mayhem in the home defence as Kompany saw a volley blocked by Williamson and Fernandinho glanced a header against the crossbar after Navas crossed back into the mixer amid pinball inside the penalty area.

Negredo could have put the game out of sight when collecting a Silva cutback but, as Krul raced out to close down the angle, his scuffed effort was kicked away by the well-stationed Taylor.

As the action ebbed and flowed from one end to the other, Ben Arfa brought a routine stop from Hart with a low shot from distance before Remy steered a header wide from Cabaye’s corner.

The Magpies, who last beat City in September 2005, committed more men forward as seven minutes of stoppage time were signalled.

But City sealed the points with two minutes to play as Negredo, scorer of a hat-trick against the Hammers in midweek, latched onto a poked Milner pass with the Magpies exposed defensively and poked home from two yards after the ball rebounded off Krul, who saved his initial attempt.

The Citizens are now unbeaten in their last ten Premier League games, winning nine, as their title mission begins to ominously take shape.

After negotiating an FA Cup replay against Championship side Blackburn in midweek, the division's best home side face Cardiff City at the Etihad Stadium next Saturday while Newcastle will look to bounce back against boss Pardew’s old club West Ham at Upton Park.

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