MAN CITY 3 – 1 Newcastle – PLAYER RATINGS

Hart - Made a couple of impressive stops from Ba and Guthrie, showing good levels of concentration. Kicking better than usual. Will have been disappointed to concede goal near end - 7

Richards - A forceful figure down the right, taking his goal very well and striking it early to catch Krul off guard. Won the penalty for the third as well and managed to keep the dangerous Gutierrez quiet - 8

Kompany - Couple of lapses of concentration let in Newcastle and has the tendency to try to step in and win the ball when there’s no need - 6

Lescott - Imposing in the air but saw a lot of the ball without ever looking comfortable in possession. When the opposition play only one up front, he needs to bring it out more. Largely untested - 7

Clichy - Very solid at the back in stopping the crosses coming in. Electric pace but not the greatest impact going forward yesterday. Does his primary job of defending well - 7 

De Jong - Another solid performance, showing signs of the Dutchman getting back to his best. Broke up play exceptionally well in the first half and used the ball neatly throughout - 7.5

Y. Touré - With Silva on the bench, it freed up more space for Yaya and it was noticeable how his surges were frequent. Scared the Newcastle defence with his pace and power coming forward and his passing was more incisive than usual - 8

Milner - An action-packed display, full of willing, running and controlled passing. Milner adds drive and desire to the side and is quickly establishing himself as a key player - 8

Nasri - Handed the opportunity to be the main creator with Silva absent, but although there was plenty of neat football and comfortable passing, that killer touch wasn’t there. Busy enough but ought to impose himself more - 7

Balotelli - Another mature and responsible showing from Balo. Took his penalty with customary calmness and followed it up with a very Mario-esque celebration. Tracked back impressively whenever he lost the ball - 8

Aguero - Looked bright early on in creating space, but he tired in the second half with his flight back from Costa Rica taking effect. Will be interesting to see if he starts against Napoli - 7

Subs

Silva - Made an immediate impression as soon as he came on, releasing Richards with a sumptuous pass. From that, we earned the penalty and the game was as good as over, allowing Silva to coast through without exerting himself - 7

A. Johnson - Offered width in the closing stages, but didn’t have much of an impact - 6

Barry - Shored things up for the final five minutes - No time to mark

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