Who Would Have Thought It?

Last updated : 31 October 2014 By Footy Mad - Editor

MAN CITY 0 NEWCASTLE 2

MAN CITY

13. Willy Caballero
3. Bacary Sagna
26. Martin Demichelis
20. Eliaquim Mangala
11. Aleksandar Kolarov
7. James Milner
25. Fernandinho
42. Yaya Toure 60'
21. David Silva 9'
35. Stevan Jovetic
10. Edin Dzeko
Subs
1. Joe Hart
5. Pablo Zabaleta
6. Fernando
8. Samir Nasri 70'
15. Jesus Navas 60'
16. Sergio Aguero 70'
38. Dedryck Boyata


NEWCASTLE

21. Rob Elliot
22. Daryl Janmaat 64'
2. Fabricio Coloccini
36. Paul Dummett
19. Massadio Haidara
14. Jack Colback
4. Ryan Taylor
30. Mehdi Abeid
25. Gabriel Obertan
32. Adam Armstrong 65'
16. Rolando Aarons 46'
Subs
1. Tim Krul
7. Moussa Sissoko 64'
11. Yoan Gouffran
17. Ayoze Perez
20. Remy Cabella
28. Sammy Ameobi 46'
29. Emmanuel Riviere 65'

But¨this time he got it right.

Ryan Taylor´s first game in two years; Mehdi Abeid against Yaya Toure; Tim Krul dropped; and Paul Dummett in the centre of defence?

This was going to be a thrashing ... or so we thought!

Rather than Newcastle´s woes, City manager Manuel Pellegrini's decision to field a strong side just four days before a Manchester derby backfired.

David Silva limped off injured early on and Rolando Aarons stunned City when he capitalised on poor defending early on and we were to witness the shock of the season.

Newcastle were denied what seemed a clear-cut penalty in the second half but Sissoko finished the job 15 minutes from time, loosening City's grip on the trophy with a fine finish.

Pellegrini's men have now gone three games without a win and need to regroup with two big games in the next week against United in the Premier League and CSKA Moscow in the Champions League.

Silva was injured when fouled by Ryan Taylor, making a welcome first Newcastle appearance in two years after overcoming cruciate ligament trouble, on the edge of the area.

The Spaniard looked in considerable discomfort and left the field for treatment as Yaya Toure blazed the free-kick over the bar.

Silva did return in an attempt to run off the knock but soon admitted defeat and made way for Samir Nasri to return to action after seven games out with a groin injury.

But Pellegrini could not make the change before Newcastle claimed a shock lead.

Taylor was again involved, robbing Fernandinho and releasing the pacy Aarons, who showed no ill effects from his recent hamstring problems as he burst through to slide a shot past Willy Caballero.

Aarons caught City's defence out again with another lively break and he was only stopped when Bacary Sagna clumsily hauled him back on the edge of the area for a free-kick that came to nothing.

Stevan Jovetic went close to an equaliser after being picked out by a Nasri cross but Rob Elliot blocked with his feet on the line.

Jovetic drove another shot wide and City went even closer when Fabricio Coloccini diverted an Aleksandar Kolarov cross onto his own post with a miscued looping clearance.

Jovetic spurned another opportunity and City were almost made to pay for their profligacy as Paul Dummett was left unmarked at a corner and forced Caballero to make a scrambling save.

Toure may have been the cause of more anxiety before the break as he went down under a Dummett challenge and took time to get up.

But he was soon back in action and drove a shot at Elliot as City finished the first half strongly.

Yet despite dominating possession, City struggled to summon up their usual intensity.

They did show some creativity from a free-kick early in the second half but nobody was able to get a touch on a Kolarov cross.

Newcastle put the ball in the net again when Gabriel Obertan slammed a shot past Caballero but the flag was raised for offside.

City got another lucky break soon after when Kolarov slid in and appeared to clip the heels of Obertan as he raced into the box. Referee Stuart Attwell gave nothing and Pellegrini tried to make the most of the reprieve by sending on Aguero for the presumably tired Nasri.

But City's crack striker had no time to make an impact before a Newcastle substitute stole the show.

Sissoko, who entered the fray just after the hour, took possession outside the area and weaved his way past Fernandinho and Sagna before clipping shot past Caballero.

City made a late effort to get back into the game but Taylor completed a satisfactory return by blocking from Edin Dzeko.

It was a fabulous victory to lift the heat off Pardew.