Premier League: City score five goals against Newcastle to take control

Manchester City’s five-goal display meant Pep Guardiola’s side took complete control of the Premier League title race — and provided Newcastle United and Eddie Howe with much more food for thought.

Raheem Sterling scored the game’s first and last goals, while Aymeric Laporte, Rodri, and Phil Foden each scored once to secure all three points and put Madrid and City’s Champions League exit behind them.

While the Magpies were not always hammered, a late defensive collapse following sustained home pressure demonstrated just how many levels the Abu Dhabi-funded team remains above the opulent but stagnant Saudi-backed Magpies.

Howe made three changes to the Newcastle squad that went down to Liverpool last week.

Jamaal Lascelles, Sean Longstaff, and Chris Wood were all reinstated to the starting lineup, although Fabian Schar was moved to the bench due to a knock, while Jonjo Shelvey and Joe Willock were left out entirely.

United did not appear intimidated in the early stages, matching the home team’s zeal. The Magpies looked dangerous when they moved the ball well, finding Allan Saint-Maximin in tight spaces and working the flanks.

When facing a team of City’s calibre, though, the game may be turned on its head in a matter of seconds.

On 19 minutes, Saint-Maximin, who had been brought on for his attacking abilities, failed to monitor a deep run from Joao Cancelo, and his header back was expertly directed on to Sterling’s head.

As Newcastle attempted to regain parity, Wood, who had been out for two games, had a moment to forget.

A jinking move on the right saw Saint-Maximin dig out a searching cross, and Wood, free in the area, levelled things up with the simplest of finishes with his head.

His feeble header, as has been the case since his January switch from Burnley, lacked conviction and floated into Ederson’s palms.

In meetings like this, chances are few and far between for visiting sides — and when they do appear, you must seize them.

Lascelles nodded a Matt Targett corner back across goal, and the goal-bound shot appeared destined for the bottom corner only to deflect off Bruno Guimaraes and into the path of Wood, who did not miss this time — but United were denied by the offside flag.

From a well-worked corner routine from right to left targeted at Ilkay Gundogan, Laporte made the visitors rue it; the German’s volley was fumbled by Martin Dubravka, only for Laporte to turn in from close range.

After holding their own in the first 45 minutes, the second half was all one-way traffic.

Kevin De Bruyne and Jack Grealish both found plenty of space down the left flank, with the Belgian in superb, free-flowing form.

With a low corner into the box, he created City’s third, and Rodri leapt highest to send the home crowd berserk.

The return of Callum Wilson and Kieran Trippier gave Newcastle a boost off the bench, but the latter showed his rustiness when he was handed a clean pair of heels by Grealish, allowing Foden to clip past Dubravka as the game slipped away from them.

Sterling slipped into space on the left of the Newcastle backline for the final act of the afternoon in additional time, making it five.

Newcastle’s season has never been judged on their results against the division’s best teams, but it won’t be long until it is.

What this demonstrated, as it did against Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool last week, is that the distance between Newcastle and the top of the English game is immense — and, as Howe has stated, it cannot be overcome overnight.