Guardiola trusts the English forward and makes no mistake: man of the match and assists for Alvarez’s goal. The blue of the Magpies does not shine
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dchinellato
– Manchester
Mission accomplished. City beat Newcastle 1-0 at the Etihad, where they play for the first time this season, and show that life until the end of February without Kevin De Bruyne can still be fun. Thanks to Phil Foden, the man of the match with Guardiola who gives him that freedom that he usually grants to the Belgian, even if he asks him to split into the role of winger in the defensive and creative phase when City attacks. The 23-year-old Englishman pulled a splendid game out of the hat, with the icing on the cake of the assist that Julian Alvarez converted into the match goal in the 31st minute. Newcastle sinks, rejected by the team they counted on approaching but from which they discover themselves very far away. Also because Sandro Tonali doesn’t shine this time, sinking like his teammates in the 66th minute in which he remains on the pitch.
the keys
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Foden and Guardiola’s inventiveness are the keys to City’s success, not in the best conditions and with too many absences (in addition to De Bruyne, Stones and Bernardo Silva are also out). Pep varies the formation between the two phases of the game as always, but instead of the 3-2-4-1 with which he won the three treble trophies proudly displayed before the match, City keep Dias and Gvardiol ahead of Ederson when attacking , gets Akanji up in the middle with Rodri and Kovacic and lets Walker push on the right, allowing Foden to concentrate next to Alvarez behind Haaland. It is in this more central position, compared to the starting position on the right, that the number 47 gives his best, inventing the assist for the Argentine’s goal and trying to suggest Haaland as well, who remained without a shot despite various attempts. Newcastle have never understood how to react: the devastating game seen in the 5-1 draw against Aston Villa on their debut turned into a predictable maneuver, to which Tonali in the middle of the field was unable to add anything. Isak also went down, highly anticipated after the brace on his debut and bogged down in the shape-shifting defense of the champions. If Newcastle want to reach the highest possible level, the one represented at the moment by the champions of everything, they must convince themselves they can win games like this. The Etihad didn’t even try.
the match
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City unlocked the lead in the 31st minute with Alvarez, who converted the first real chance of the match into a goal (and the only shot on goal of the first half) by inventing an unstoppable right foot from just inside the box following an equally splendid assist from Foden. The number 47 in the 41st minute also invents for Haaland, who however sends the Etihad’s already begun scream to the side by a whisker. City start the second half ahead 1-0 and continue to control. Foden pulls illuminating passes out of the hat, but Haaland fails to exploit them. Newcastle don’t even try and the result doesn’t change anymore.
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