Preview of the match:
Man City vs Newcastle With a superb first-half goal against Newcastle United, Julian Alvarez fired Manchester City to a hard-fought 1-0 win over Newcastle United at Etihad Stadium. After a half-hour of patient but ineffective control from the champions because of Kevin De Bruyne’s long-term hamstring ailment, Alvarez capitalised on a chance in the attacking positions behind Erling Haaland.
Mateo Kovacic’s slide-rule pass allowed Phil Foden to set up Alvarez for a powerful finish across Nick Pope with a beautiful touch.
In an advanced central midfield position, Foden shined the entire time and linked superbly with Haaland, but the Golden Boot winner from the previous season struggled mightily in front of goal.
Newcastle was left to eat scraps because City’s consistent control more than made up for any occasional lack of cutting edge.
After Miguel Almiron knocked Rodri out of possession and there were no more chances for Ederson to score, Josko Gvardiol earned back some of his £77.5 million transfer fee with a crucial challenge on substitute Callum Wilson. City finished a week of celebrations by defeating Sevilla on penalties to win the UEFA Super Cup.
Player ratings and Lineups:
Man City: (4-4-2, right to left): 31. Ederson (GK) — 2. Kyle Walker, 25. Manuel Akanji, 3. Ruben Dias, 24. Josko Gvardiol — 47. Phil Foden, 16. Rodri, 8. Mateo Kovacic, 10 Jack Grealish — 9, Erling Haaland, 19. Julian Alvarez
Newcastle:(4-3-3, right to left): 22. Nick Pope (GK) — 2. Kieran Trippier, 4. Sven Botman, 5. Fabian Schar, 33. Dan Burn — 8. Sandro Tonali (32. Elliot Anderson), 39. Bruno Guimaraes, 7. Joelinton (36. Sean Longstaff) — 24. Miguel Almiron (21. Tino Livramento), 14. Alexander Isak (9. Callum Wilson), 10. Anthony Gordon (15. Harvey Barnes)
Man City vs Newcastle live updates, highlights, and commentary
Full-time: All things considered, that was a pretty impressive performance from City, despite the slim margin of victory. Guardiola leads his team in a lap of honour around the Etihad Stadium, showing that he definitely liked it as well. Fans are also celebrating their triple heroes with this, but it also shows that Guardiola’s renowned intensity isn’t set to diminish in the slightest. It’s acceptable that Phil Foden is currently making fun of his manager. We appreciate your attendance this evening.
90th minute plus three: With five more minutes left, City move the ball about, and Kovacic is awarded a free kick. Guardiola’s team hasn’t had it easy, but they’re almost there. No one is at all surprised when Foden is announced as man of he match inside the stadium. He’s been a delight.
In the 88th minute, Alvarez connects with Foden as Newcastle and Room for City try to advance. He cuts inside in an attempt to get the reward for his efforts, but the shot is stopped. Walker was sprinting forward on the overlap like he was in the Budapest 100m heats tonight.
In the 87th minute, Tino Livramento enters the game for Newcastle. Can he assist with forcing a draw?
82nd minute: City is in the midst of one of those protracted, tense moments of possession when Kovacic makes a mistake and concedes a free kick in the centre circle.
Guardiola has not yet made any adjustments, and as Grealish returns to challenge Almiron, you have to wonder if the champs aren’t starting to seem a little bit leggy. When Almiron fires, Grealish reappears. When Foden breaks, beats Burn, and attempts to play Haaland in, Schar steps in to stop him.
71st minute: Guimaraes flattens Foden is booked .
70th minute: Rodri makes a poor decision and Almiron yanks the ball away from him. Wilson has a two on one advantage, and Gvardiol executes a nice defensive play. Barnes follows up with a shot, curling one into Ederson’s chest.
67th second; Newcastle responds with an attack down City’s left in the 67th second. When Guimaraes receives the ball, he fouls his shot terribly.
65th minute: Right now, Newcastle and the two brightest students in the playground are playing each other. Foden is once more dribbling and enjoying his starring role. Haaland receives the pass and uses his right foot to shoot. This time it hits the mark, and Pope remains unwavering.
63rd minute: The Foden-Haaland partnership sparks once more, but the striker once more falls short with a clumsy touch and a finish that bobbles wide. However, Foden is genuinely enjoying playing the De Bruyne position.
59th minute: Foden moves beautifully and creatively, sneaking in another pass to Haaland. Once more, he struggles to control it, and Botman presents a strong challenge.
55th minute: Joelinton seemed to have hurt himself in the tackle on Foden in the 55th minute. Harvey Barnes enters the fight as Gordon prepares to exit before the England Under-21 international takes any further foolish chances. Joelinton will be replaced by Sean Longstaff.
53rd minute: Gordon re-attacks the City defence in the 53rd minute. He’s got a great start to this half. Dias provides a fun sliding challenge. Oh wait, wait. Gordon discovers Dias attempting to get the ball. Remember, he’s already been scheduled. Then Joelinton lunges comically late at Foden and is arrested. That might have been helpful to his teammate.
In the 52nd minute, Alvarez actually took the ball and kicked it directly to Pope without any opposition from City defenders. The following one is probably not his.
51st minute: Grealish is quite displeased that a challenge by Trippier that did not result in a free kick in the 51st minute. Ederson sprints out to make a headed clearing 35 yards from his own goal line as Newcastle try to break. He’s having a wonderful time. Burn intentionally fouls Alvarez, who then hobbles towards the penalty area.
49th minute: Ederson gives a long pump to relieve that momentary pressure. Haaland fires a shot, which Pope blocks.
48th minute: It’s evident that Newcastle doesn’t want to camp out in their own zone for the duration of this half. As his teammate joins the assault, Gordon makes a cut inside but hits Joelinton with his shot.
47th minute: Newcastle made an ambitious start to the second half, and Rodri pushed Isak in the back, suppressing calls for a penalty. They might have had a case if Trippier hadn’t gone offside during the buildup there.
46th minute: We’re back in action. No adjustments on either side. If Guardiola uses his bench, it will be intriguing to watch what he does with it. Many young players from the academy are filling in for the unavailable Kevin De Bruyne, John Stones, and Bernardo Silva.
Halftime: A commanding performance from City, who haven’t produced much but lead thanks to a standout performance from Alvarez. However, Gordon’s last-second chance demonstrated that Newcastle is still very much in this. Perhaps the hosts’ efforts in Greece during the previous week will finally catch up to them.
45th minute: Trippier runs down the City left and sends in a beautiful cross in the 45th minute plus two. Gordon receives it at the far post and decides to take a touch, which allows Dias to wallop clear.
45th minute plus one: Three more minutes will be added.
44th minute: Playing against City players who constantly find themselves in ludicrous positions may be frustrating. Look at Kyle Walker charging through the middle of the pitch like a young Yaya Toure. The team of Guardiola wins a corner but is unable to convert it.
41st minute: Ederson sends City into a dangerous area in Newcastle’s half with a ridiculously excellent pass. Haaland is let in by Foden, who then shoots across goal past Pope but beyond the far upright.
38th minute: Grealish’s shots are battering Trippier’s legs. He just delivered another one while cutting in from the left to his English buddy.
37th minute : Almiron’s cross is blocked in the 37th minute, but we’re still investigating a potential handball in the City box. Kovacic and Akanji are exonerated by the VAR of any wrongdoing.
33rd minute: Tonali receives the most severe yellow card for bringing down a scampering, rampaging Foden.
31st second: “GOOOAAAAAAALLLLLL!” Alvarez, Julian.
It was beginning to seem like it would take something exceptional to overcome Newcastle’s tenacious defensive effort, and City has delivered. Alvarez gets selected by Foden after he controls the ball down the right side of the pitch. The first touch is superb, and the second is a vicious 15-yard finish beyond Pope.
29th minute: Grealish tries to make space in the 29th minute. Kovacic ultimately receives the ball, and Joelinton successfully blocks it. Newcastle needs all of your pumping might.
In the 28th minute, Foden sprints into the left inside channel and shoots a low cross in the direction of Haaland. Botman performs a crucial clearing.
27th minute: The pass from Grealish is a little too heavy for Alvarez, who leaps but is unable to get it to Haaland in the 27th minute. City in charge but without the required accuracy. As an illustration, Walker manoeuvres around the back but is only able to hoist a ball into the side netting.
24th minute: Ruben Dias is in anguish as Anthony Gordon slightly petulantly drags his studs down the Portugal defender’s calf in the 24th minute. It deserves to be booked.
21st minute: A couple of encouraging moments for Newcastle. Isak dribbles and holds up play well. He lays it back to Almiron, who dummies for Joelinton to shoot. Gvardiol makes the block.
18th minute: Newcastle have been penned in but here’s Gordon, who fashions some space outside Walker to cross. It’s a dangerous low delivery towards Isak that Akanji clears behind. City deal with the corner.
14th minute: Walker pushes high down the right, Foden lays the ball back to Akanji. He shoots over from 25 yards. Not a bad effort but Newcastle will be happy enough with attacks ending like that.
12th minute: Foden slips a pass through for Haaland, who steps over it and runs wide. The striker can’t sort his feet out for a return pass and it runs out of play, much to the amusement of the Newcastle fans behind the goal.
9th minute: Grealish cuts in to shoot but is met with a meaty block by his England teammate Trippier.
7th minute: Foden and Haaland try to thread the needle but are crowded out.
6th minute: Gvardiol wins out in a battle of the new signings with Tonali but his pass out is poor. Now Trippier down the City left but the offside flag goes up.
3rd minute: The Swiss international is going to soldier on, as you’d expect from a big hulking centre-back.
1st minute: Blue Moon booms around the arena and we’re off. And a worry for Newcastle straight away as Schar goes down heavily after an aerial challenge with Haaland.