Manchester City maintained the pressure on Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table after Pep Guardiola’s side beat top-four hopefuls Newcastle 2-0 today at the Etihad.
Phil Foden announced his return to form with a brilliant performance away at Bournemouth last week and on 15 minutes the 22-year-old opened the scoring with a brilliant solo goal. The England international evaded several Newcastle challenges and glided into the area before his right-footed shot deflected off Sven Botman and past Nick Pope.
After barely being able to lay a glove on City during the opening period Eddie Howe’s men improved after the break, and both Callum Wilson and Joelinton were guilty of missing big chances to equalise.
It started to feel like Man City might regret not making more of their first-half domination, but on 67 minutes substitute Bernardo Silva scored to kill the game. The Portuguese playmaker latched on to an Erling Haaland flick just inside the area and brilliantly toe-poked the ball into the bottom right-hand corner.
City’s win sees them move to within two points of Arsenal – who play Bournemouth at home this afternoon – and speaking afterwards Pep Guardiola was delighted to get three points against a ‘quality’ Newcastle side.
“It was a really, really difficult game,” Guardiola told BBC Sport. ”We knew it, with the quality they have it is a threat and they will be a threat for the next five years because they have many good things. They control the ball well in transition, set-pieces.
“But yes a really good game, we defended really well. The solidarity between the two sides was amazing. We had our moments, they had their moments, but in the end the big actions for the two goals made the difference.
“Of course we had to defend, in these types of games you have to suffer. We didn’t lose our composure. That is the most important thing. we kept our momentum.”
