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Season 2012-13
Manchester City (h) Premier League



In association 
with NUFC.com
 

Date: Saturday 15th December 2012, 12.45pm Live on Sky

Venue:
 St. James' Park

Conditions:
deflating

 

Newcastle United

Manchester City

1 - 3
 

 

Teams

Goals

10 mins Yaya Toure found Nasri with a slotted pass and he had the easiest task to knock it to Aguero who tapped the ball into an empty net at the Gallowgate end. 0-1

39 mins 
Garcia's goalward header from a corner went in off Davide Santon who kicked at fresh air before the ball went in off his standing foot - a painful reminder of Kieron Dyer's similar disaster on the line against Barcelona almost ten years ago to the day. 0-2

Half time: United 0 City 2

51
mins Goal number eleven of the season for Demba Ba was a firm header after Coloccini's return ball in from the United left dropped between Hart and his defence.  1-2

78 mins An elongated passing move by the visitors ended with a low pass cut back from the byline that Yaya Toure managed to poke home through a crowd of players. Soft on one level, but the product of a patient and flowing buildup. 1-3

Full time: United 1 City 3

We Said


Alan Pardew said:

"Their best players played well today and were the difference, up front they were a real handful on another day it could have been our game. Papiss [Cisse] had a good chance and if we take that it's a different game.

"I was really proud of my players - second half we came out with great intent. When you play against a team as good as Manchester City you need the big moments to come off for you and they didn't, which is the way our season is going.

"You're always going to have problems against Manchester City, they played some great stuff today.

"We look like we've got goals. Unfortunately we look like we're going to concede goals at the minute. It's that resilience we've got to get back but I was happy with a lot of things that went on.

"We opened them up on a number of occasions but they're a good side; they're certainly going to have their moments and they did. Their best players played well. Yaya Toure and (Carlos) Tevez up front were a real handful.

"From our point of view it was a soft second goal, I think we should have done better there. I think Davide (Santon) just got put off by the player who ran across him.

"Papiss (Cisse) had a great chance at 2-1 which normally you'd like to think he'd bury, right in the middle of the goal, and then suddenly it's a different game.

"But I was proud of my players second half. I thought we really came out with intent, didn't let the second goal knock us into negativity so there's a lot to lean on going into QPR.

"We've had some problems but it's about the next game in this business and the next game is QPR at home. We're going to be under pressure to win it but we're in good shape to do so I think because we gave a good account of ourselves.

"But fair play to the champions, they played well. When you have a mental hurdle like being 2-0 down to the champions, it is not easy to play under those conditions so a lot of credit to the players. I really find it difficult to say to them 'look you’ve only got three points for the last four games’ but that’s the truth.

"We have to keep believing in what we are doing. I know there is not much difference in terms of performance from last season but I do think we have gone through a period of conceding soft goals against us and that has been costly.

"You can change the mood very quickly at this ground, that’s the beauty we have with the fans we’ve got and we did come out. The crowd got behind us we got a goal and suddenly the whole atmosphere changed.

"You didn’t need to be a genius to work out that the fans would be patient with us today playing the champions but we need that same patience against QPR. The players are going to be edgy because of the position we are in.

"Having said that I still think we have very good players in this group still to come back. I sense that between now and the end of January is the period for us to make sure we keep out of that bottom area, keep roughly where we are or a little bit higher and we will be ok.

"The QPR game? I don’t know how you could put it on a scale. But if we play like we did today we will win."


They Said


Roberto Mancini commented:


"I think if we put our minds on the job we can do very well, like we did at Newcastle today. But if we think we can play with only one foot, it is difficult.

"We felt it would be really difficult here because when you play against Newcastle after a defeat against United it’s clear that it will be tough. It was very important only to play like we did in the second half against United — and we did this. Sergio and Carlos play very well together and this is very important but we have also Edin (Dzeko) and Mario (Balotelli).

"When he came on, Edin did very well and to win at Newcastle you need to play very well with your whole team. It’s important they always play at 100 per cent with a good attitude.

"The performance against Manchester United was fantastic. We were disappointed for the result and finish. Today it was difficult because clearly after the defeat against United you need to restart quickly. We had a difficult game against Newcastle but I think the guys were really, really good.

"All the players played very well, if not it would have been difficult to beat Newcastle 3-1, and I think it could have been six or seven because we missed a lot of chances to score. At 2-1, when you are missing three or four chances like we did in the first half, if they had scored they would have opened the game. But after we were strong because we scored another goal and we had our chance." 

Stats


After 17 games, Newcastle have 17 points and sit in 15th place - two points and one place worse than in the 2008/09 relegation season.

Magpies v City @ SJP - Premier League Years

2012/13 Lost 1-3 Ba
2011/12 Lost 0-2
2010/11 Lost 1-3 Carroll
2008/09 Drew 2-2 Ameobi, og(Dunne)
2007/08 Lost 0-2
2006/07 Lost 0-1
2005/06 Won 1-0 Owen
2004/05 Won 4-3 Robert, Shearer, Elliott, Bellamy.
2003/04 Won 3-0 Shearer 2, Ameobi
2002/03 Won 2-0 Shearer, Bellamy
2001/02 Won 1-0 Solano (FAC)
2000/01 Lost 0-1
1995/96 Won 3-1 Ferdinand 2, Beardsley
1994/95 Drew 0-0
1994/95 Won 3-1 Gillespie 2, Beresford (FAC)
1994/95 Lost 0-2 (LC)
1993/94 Won 2-0 Cole 2


Total record against Manchester City:
 
  P W D L F A
SJP 77 48 15 14 149 79
MR/CoM 76 16 20 40 79 136
League 153 64 35 54 228 215
SJP(FA) 6 3 2 1 8 5
MR/W 4 3 0 1 10 7
SJP(LC) 1 0 0 1 0 2
MR/W 2 0 1 1 2 3
Cup 13 6 3 4 20 17
Tot 166 70 38 58 248 232

 

Waffle


Yaya Toure once again provided the killer blow for Manchester City as the reigning Champions left St. James' Park with all three points for the second time in 2012, despite a spirited performance from Alan Pardew's side.

Six defeats in seven Premier League games leaves United in deep trouble at the wrong end of the table - and now down to 15th place - but there were at least some positives for Pardew to take from this latest defeat.

The Magpies boss looked on as Roberto Mancini's City were severely tested in the second half, after a bright opening to the game by the home side was rendered meaningless by defensive lapses allowing both Sergio Aguero and Javi Garcia to beat Tim Krul from close in.

But Demba Ba nodded United back into the game six minutes after the break before strike partner Papiss Cisse fired a great chance narrowly over the bar shortly afterwards. With the crowd backing them after suffering in silence during much of the first half, Newcastle pushed forward in search of an equaliser - only to be then caught out at the other end of the pitch. 

Having scored the goals that settled the last meeting of these sides on Tyneside, Yaya Toure then ensured that City would take maximum points again when an elongated passing move ended with him steering home a Pablo Zabaleta cross from the left at the Leazes End to make it 3-1.

Given that Newcastle were unable to hold back the Sky Blue tide at the end of last season when we had form, points, players and momentum in abundance avoiding defeat today was always going to be a big ask - given our reduced circumstances. However, a chink of light had appeared when Roberto Mancini's side were beaten at home in the Manchester Derby last week, which underlined that their own progress this season has been less stratospheric that in the previous campaign.

The lunchtime kickoff had the usual adverse effect on the atmosphere, but Papiss Cisse almost got people out of their seats in just the second minute of play, when he managed to latch on to a cross from the right but failed to beat Joe Hart.

Mike Williamson then nodded down a free-kick that just eluded Ba in front of goal but before we could make the early pressure count, City took a tenth minute lead as they exposed our defensive weakness on their right- Jonas Gutierrez left with two opponents as Santon was pulled infield.

Garcia then extended the advantage and although the black and whites left the field to a ripple of applause rather than the boos that some watchers routinely supply when we're behind, such was the momentum City built up that being two behind was almost a relief. 

Some of their movement and passing was a revelation compared to the lumpen-headed and leaden -footed tosh we've served up at time this season and at one point it seemed as if they were intent on walking the ball in to prove their point.

Clearly a reaction was both desired and required and for once, arrived quickly. Ba's header gave the home crowd renewed hope of a famous comeback and Cisse, Tiote and Anita all then tried their luck before Ba's shot shaved the post from close range - Cisse's effort a glaring miss on the replay.

Reality intervened however when Yaya Toure restored City's two goal advantage and the prospect of another home defeat had people shuffling towards the exits as the away following taunted them with shouts of "you should have gone Christmas shopping."
  
Some late crosses from Gutierrez and substitute Shane Ferguson failed to bother the City backline, to which Joleon Lescott had been added - a change that was ready to be made with the score 2-1 and indicated the extent to which Mancini's men were on the back foot.

As was the case last season, there was no disgrace in losing to the Arab billionaires but although our lads, particularly Anita, put in a decent shift this time round we don't currently have the luxury of taking solace in a good performance.

Another pointless return leaves us in serious trouble and desperately needing victory at Gallowgate next weekend against a QPR side who belatedly broke their duck for the season by winning at home to Fulham on Saturday afternoon - extending their unbeaten run to four matches in the process.

Mike Williamson now joins Tiote and Jonas Gutierrez on four yellow cards, with an automatic one game ban following unless they can avoid getting their name taken before the end of this month. However they are available next week - meaning that more reserves don't have to be drafted in - and played their part today in avoiding what could have been a demoralising drubbing.

Having failed to overcome a side composed of superior talent, United's next task is to whether they can demonstrate more of a collective will to win against 'Arry's apparently revitalised side. Failing to do so will really ramp up the pressure - and doubtless see our 9/1 odds on going down slashed.
 
Biffa


Page last updated 06 July, 2013