Newcastle 0 – 2 MAN CITY – PLAYER RATINGS

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Hart - Would have probably expected a busier afternoon than he had. Only forced into making three saves, with the stop from Ben Arfa’s volley at the end of the first half the pick. Struggled with his kicking all afternoon, possibly as a result of his ankle injury sustained on Monday against Manchester United - 7

Zabaleta - Was a willing runner throughout, offering an option down the right but was troubled defensively and caught out of position on a number of occasions. Found the double threat of Gutierrez and Santon tricky at times though battled manfully - 6.5

Kompany - A dominant presence at the back, largely nullifying Cissé and providing the solid foundation upon which we built. Commanding in the air, sharp to anything on the ground and was, once again, a leader. - 8

Lescott - Every bit as impressive as his central defensive partner. Positional play was spot on, parking himself at the front post to clear away numerous crosses and will be delighted to have helped keep a clean sheet - 8

Clichy - Continued his terrific recent form with another energetic and solid display. Faced with the tricky Ben Arfa, Clichy was largely in control and was able to bomb forward at every opportunity. The fact that it was the Frenchman who assisted Yaya’s goal from within Newcastle’s box in the final few minutes says everything about his fitness levels - 8

Barry – A reassuring presence in the centre of midfield, Barry did not only accomplish his usual mopping up job with ease but also managed to advance more than normal. Saw one effort cleared off the line and was a key figure throughout - 8

Y. Touré - Solid without being spectacular in the first half, his influence increased dramatically following the introduction of De Jong which enabled Yaya to move further forward. From there, his surges terrified Newcastle’s backline and his sublime curling shot was the catalyst for victory. Ought to have scored when he rounded the ‘keeper but instead slipped, though made no mistake from three yards out to seal the win - 8.5

Nasri - After impressing against United, this was a return to the slightly disappointing Nasri. Tried his hardest but just didn’t have that necessary spark in the final third and was replaced early - 6

Silva - Continues to look sharper with every game and he was our main creative influence for the first hour. Effortless in linking up with those around him, his control enabled us to dominate possession and his throughball to Aguero, which the Argentinean somehow put wide, was simply stunning - 7.5

Tévez - Dropped deeper and deeper as the first half wore on, constantly looking to be involved in the build-up play but his link up play with Aguero just didn’t seem to click. As expected, worked tirelessly but end product wasn’t there - 6

Aguero - Seemingly off the pace before the break as his touches around the box were a little heavy, but didn’t let his head drop and was a vibrant figure in the latter stages of the game. His energy and pace started the move for Yaya’s second goal and his movement constantly stretched Newcastle’s backline - 7

Subs

De Jong - Added a protective shield in front of the defence and made a number of vital interceptions. Showed great desire at the end when he was one of four City players to burst forward for the second goal - 7

Džeko - Worked hard and held up the ball well on occasions - 6.5

Richards - Made one crucially important block from an Ameobi shot that was heading towards goal - No time to mark

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