Manuel Pellegrini insists Manchester City do not rely on Yaya Toure, but the Ivorian’s return to the team also saw the defending champions rediscover their best form as they put Newcastle to the sword at the Etihad Stadium.
Toure was a big miss for the Blues during his nation’s victorious Africa Cup of Nations campaign, with last week’s victory at Stoke their first win in five games without the talismanic midfielder.
And the return of his dynamism and drive in the centre was a key factor in a thoroughly dominant display against the Magpies, with a 5-0 win seeing City close the gap on Premier League title rivals Chelsea to five points.
It was a bad day at the office for John Carver’s Toon, whose shocking defensive display saw them concede three goals after just 20 minutes; Sergio Aguero, Samir Nasri and Edin Dzeko all on the scoresheet.
After a lightning quick start, it seemed City began to save their energy for their upcoming Champions League clash with Barcelona, but they only increased the score after the break, with two goals in two second-half minutes from David Silva capping off a dazzling victory.
It was a perfect start for City, who were gifted the opening goal within 90 seconds of kick-off through an Aguero penalty after Vurnon Anita wiped out Dzeko in the box.
Newcastle initially reacted well to going behind and began to find some rhythm at the Etihad with some neat passing play. And, if against a more clinical side, they might have been punished, with Ayoze Perez firing wildly over the bar and Daryl Janmaat pinging a shot which whistled just past Joe Hart’s far post.
The defending champions, though, displayed that clinical touch in fine style by doubling their lead on 12 minutes through a fine Nasri finish, the Frenchman showing neat footwork in the box and selling Fabricio Coloccini a crafty dummy before sidefooting into the top corner from ten yards.
The goal was made by Dzeko’s darting run down the left, and the Bosnian went from provider to scorer for City’s third in the 20th minute, bringing down Silva’s beautiful lobbed pass into the area on his chest before slotting past Krul with a lovely finish.
Newcastle were hopeless at the back but still showed spirit in attack, with Moussa Sissoko firing over after a brilliant mazy run into the box, and while they appeared up for a battle immediately after the restart it didn’t take long for their fight to be sucked out of them.
A City victory was put beyond any doubt with a quickfire Silva double on 51 and 53 minutes, the Spaniard first finishing off a flowing counter-attack with a neat angled strike and then chesting down Toure’s chipped pass and beating Krul from long-range on the half-volley.
Pellegrini’s men continued to carve open the Magpies’ back-four, which completely crumbled in the late stages, with Krul denying Dzeko and January signing Wilfried Bony – who replaced Aguero on the hour-mark – after they broke through far too easily.
It was good work from the Dutch keeper to deny the former Swansea striker a debut goal from, but the damage was already done as City cantered to a routine win.
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