Manchester City had no trouble cruising against a rather lethargic Newcastle side as goals from Ilkay Gundogan and Ferran Torres gave them a 2-0 win at the Etihad Stadium on Boxing day.
City, as usual, dominated the larger percentage of the ball in the first half and were put in front by Ilkay Gundogan as early as in the 14th minute, converting from close range after Raheem Sterling had squared in the box.
And the hosts added to the tally in the second half to double their lead through Spaniard Ferran Torres after both Miguel Almiron and Federico Fernandez’s failed clearances.
Bernardo Silva was unlucky not to have made it three for City as the midfielder struck the post while Sergio Aguero who came on as a sub saw a big late chance superbly saved by Karl Darlow.
The win was duly earned by City moving them from 9th to 5th on the Premier League table and it also meant a 13th clean sheet in all competitions this season for them, more than any other team in the top five European leagues.
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Watch the highlights of the match below
Stats and facts from the match (Backed by Opta)
- City have won their last 12 Premier League home games against Newcastle, scoring 41 goals and conceding just seven.
- Newcastle have lost more Boxing Day games than any other side in Premier League history (15), and have now lost each of their last six league games in a row on this date.
- Raheem Sterling’s assist for Man City’s opener was his 150th goal involvement in all competitions since Pep Guardiola joined in 2016 (96 goals, 54 assists), more than any other player at the club in that time.
Other Boxing day results
- Leicester City 2-2 Manchester United
- Aston Villa 3-0 Crystal Palace
- Fulham 0-0 Southampton
- Arsenal 3-1 Chelsea
- Manchester City 2-0 Newcastle
- Sheffield United 0-1 Everton
Tough match but good result for City