Manchester City 5–0 Newcastle
by Dom Smith
at the City of Manchester Stadium
 

AND just like that Manchester City were back in their comfort zone. Back in domestic competition, where they’ve hoovered up trophies like they’re fun run medals over the last few seasons. Back from their nightmarish trip to Madrid, the one that held so much promise when they boarded the first plane and which left them shellshocked by the time they boarded the second. Back to winning ways. Back to their best.

Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp criticised Antonio Conte’s Tottenham for their supposedly negative style of football after Spurs held the Reds to a 1–1 draw at Anfield. But whether he admired it or not, Spurs had halted Liverpool’s magnificent form and given their title chances a bit of a battering. Manchester City gratefully made the most of that helping hand, comfortably dispatching Newcastle United at the City of Manchester Stadium. Advantage City.

With Real Madrid and their unlikely hero Rodrygo now safely out of the picture 1,200 miles away, Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City shifted their focus back to the club’s only remaining hope of silverware this season: the Premier League. Eddie Howe’s Newcastle arrived with four wins from five, having only dropped points to Liverpool in that time. That was last time out, Howe saying his side had “lacked bite and intensity.”