2023-08-19 21:32:00
The shock of the second day of the Premier League made pschitt. While we were expecting a breathless fight between Manchester City, three-time defending champion, and Newcastle, who finished fourth last season, we saw yet another outing for Pep Guardiola’s men. Without really shaking, and despite a third match played in eight days, the Citizens had a very quiet evening once morest a not very enterprising opponent (1-0).
A single goal was enough for the club which has just won the European Super Cup, signed Julian Alvarez in the first period. In the standings, Manchester City is up to Brighton, with two wins in as many days.
The boss is still City. Three days following filling their trophy cabinet once once more, Manchester certainly expected to suffer a little more when they received Newcastle for the first match of the season played at the Etihad Stadium. But the Magpies put on a very disappointing and wait-and-see face, leaving the Citizens in an armchair for much of what looked, on paper, like a real poster.
Julian Alvarez and Phil Foden (Manchester City)
Credit: Getty Images
The players of Pep Guardiola, who made no changes, never really had to force their talent. Phil Foden, elusive, was at the initiative of many movements and, without an awkward Erling Haaland (12th, 41st, 63rd), the score would have been much heavier for Newcastle.
Super quiet evening for City
To win, Manchester City therefore relied on Julian Alvarez. Yet little in sight in this confrontation, like so many of his partners, the Argentinian still took care to splash the public with his talent, with a superb strike sent into the skylight (1-0, 31st). The Citizens didn’t need to do much more and, following the break, they might afford to slow down, facing the Magpies who ended up being caught in their own trap.
Upon returning from the locker room, Newcastle decided to be a little more aggressive, chaining faults to destabilize the Citizens and receiving a shower of yellow cards. This tactic slowed the pace, which prevented the team from packing the game and really giving City doubts. A statistic is also glaring: Newcastle’s first shot on target took place in the 70th minute, which is to say if Ederson was still a little on vacation.
If the Magpies can maintain grounds for hope for this season when they will compete in the Champions League, this face-to-face will still serve as a reminder. There is still a world between them and Manchester City and, more generally, between Manchester City and the rest of the Premier League. We feel that the room for maneuver is still immense for the men of Pep Guardiola, who are aiming for nothing less than the pass of four in the English championship. Unless there is a huge surprise, Newcastle will still have a hard time getting involved in the fight for the title.
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