Analysis: Manchester City

Head coach Pep Guardiola made two changes to the side that drew at Wolves, as he converted his defence from a back three to a back four. Captain Vincent Kompany and Bernardo Silva were withdrawn and replaced by two wide attacking midfielders in Raheem Sterling and Riyad Mahrez.

When in possession, Manchester City looked to place three attackers in the central lane behind the Newcastle midfield. David Silva joined forwards Gabriel Jesus and Sergio Aguero in the central spaces, meaning each of their opponents’ three central defenders had a player to mark throughout. Sterling and Mahrez provided maximum attacking width, aiming to horizontally stretch the back line as much as possible.

In contrast to their previous game, full-backs Kyle Walker and Benjamin Mendy returned to the inside channels, rather than occupying spaces in the wide areas. This allowed for diagonal passes during their short build-up into their partnered winger, who could receive facing forwards before attacking their respective marker more effectively. With Walker and Mendy’s positioning occupying both of Newcastle’s wide players, lone striker Salomon Rondon was without support when pressing City’s central defenders and pivot Fernandinho.

City broke the deadlock only eight minutes in, when Sterling pounced on a poor pass out from defender Jamaal Lascelles. The England international cut inside from the left before unleashing a low drive into the bottom corner. His wide starting position ensured he remained on the blind side of right-back DeAndre Yedlin, who was smartly occupied by the positioning of Aguero. Left-back Mendy’s inside positioning once again proved an effective choice, as it was his interception that set up the goal.

Subtle movements from David Silva between the lines provided passing lanes forward, and Fernandinho started to find the Spaniard after recovering from a sloppy start. But Walker’s positioning grew in importance, as Silva quickly became blocked off by the cover shadow of Newcastle’s central midfield. The latter adjusted his movement into the inside channel, creating an angle to receive from the right-back before looking to move the ball into the attacking third.

Despite dominating, City conceded through an effective counter-attack from Newcastle. With Mahrez and Sterling asked to provide extreme width when in possession, they lacked additional supporting pressers when the ball was lost. Neither supporting full-back could commit forward, as they were required to track the forward runs of Kenedy and Ayoze Perez. City’s front line were also unattached to Mahrez in particular on the defensive transition, with their role in possession to remain high and occupy the central defence. Losses of possession on their right side proved more costly than in any other area of the pitch.

In addition, playing the left-footed Mahrez on the right side also prohibited first-time crosses. Despite early runners able to attack the Newcastle central defence, Mahrez’s inability to cross first time on his right foot delayed the ball into the penalty area – and this reduced the overall effectiveness of City’s attacks from their right side. Guardiola will surely have noted this.

Their dominance of possession continued well into the second half, though, and their lead was restored early in the second period. Aguero regularly dropped deepest of the central attacking trio, with the aim of linking more closely with Mendy and Sterling from the left. Simultaneous movements across and behind from David Silva and Gabriel Jesus drew additional defenders around the ball, creating significant spaces within the right inside channel. Aguero eventually found Walker, who struck an arrowing low shot into the far corner from well outside the penalty area.

City’s build into midfield was simple and effective, as Rondon was helpless against the triangle of Stones, Laporte and Fernandinho. Stones and Laporte frequently drove forward in possession in the last half hour, while Bernardo Silva’s introduction for Jesus just before the hour maintained their central presence behind their opponents’ midfield. The visitors’ narrow midfield opened spaces in the wide areas for Sterling and Mahrez, and also allowed for surging runs from both David and Bernardo Silva.

Newcastle adapted by trying to overload the ballside, but this again opened the wide areas and inside channels on the opposite side of the pitch. When City quickly switched the play, they were able to get in behind the defence and penetrate the penalty area. Despite dominating the ball until the full-time whistle, however, they couldn’t add to their two goals – but they still came away with three points that keep the pressure on 100 per cent starters Liverpool, Chelsea and Watford.