Man City vs Newcastle LIVE: Premier League result and reaction as Julian Alvarez scores winner
Manchester City 1-0 Newcastle: Julian Alvarez’s first-half goal proves enough for City to grab a second win to start the season
Julian Alvarez’s fine first-half strike handed Manchester City a hard-fought 1-0 win over Newcastle United in their first home match since winning the treble.
The World Cup winner curled a shot into the top corner after 31 minutes of a tight Premier League encounter at the Etihad Stadium and it proved enough for the champions to claim all three points.
Newcastle, buoyed by thrashing Aston Villa 5-1 in their season opener last week, had travelled in hope of claiming their first league win at City for almost 23 years. Yet the hosts, despite making just two changes following their draining European Super Cup venture in Athens in midweek, were too strong and successfully nullified Eddie Howe’s side.
Pep Guardiola’s men were far from their fluid best, but they produced a professional performance to follow up their opening win at Burnley and in Alvarez and Phil Foden they had the brightest players on the pitch.
Relive the action from the Premier League match below.
CLOSE! Man City 1-0 Newcastle
41 mins: Oooh, that wasn’t far away from Erling Haaland!
A stunning ball from Ederson out to Alvarez on the left, who drags defenders with him. That creates space in the centre, Haaland gets half a yard in the box and flashes a shot across the face of goal. It’s beyond a diving Pope’s outstretched arm but just inches wide of the right upright. All from a brilliant pass by the goalkeeper.
Man City 1-0 Newcastle
40 mins: Coming towards the end of the first half. City have settled into it well now.
Here’s that Alvarez goal, by the way. Classy finish from the World Cup winner.
Man City 1-0 Newcastle
37 mins: Newcastle won’t panic. That was City’s first shot on target, so they’d done what they set out to in the early going.
They have a free-kick just inside the City half and put the ball into the box. It comes off Almiron and hits Kovacic’s hand but they’re right by his body and it was from point-blank range. VAR has a quick check but says play on - correct call.
Man City 1-0 Newcastle
33 mins: It really was a lovely touch and cutback from Foden for the goal.
The England international is flowing now and strides forward with the ball. Sandro Tonali gets a yellow card as he brings Foden down trying to catch up.
GOAL! Man City 1-0 Newcastle (Julian Alvarez, 31 mins)
And out of nowhere it’s 1-0 to City!
Kovacic fizzes a ball into the feet of Foden, who takes a lovely touch and cuts it back to Julian Alvarez just inside the box. One touch to get it out of his feet and whips it into the far left corner!
Nick Pope got fingertips to it but wasn’t stopping that!
Man City 0-0 Newcastle
30 mins: The home crowd starting to pick up now. Grealish puts a couple of balls in from the left but dealt with well by the Newcastle defenders so far. Possession in more dangerous areas for City though.
Man City 0-0 Newcastle
28 mins: Good defending by Botman! Foden finds space in the channel on the left and puts a very dangerous ball across the box but Botman gets in to clear ahead of Haaland. City just starting to turn the screw ever so slightly...
Man City 0-0 Newcastle
27 mins: A long ball up towards Haaland but Botman and Schar squeeze him out well. Then some intricate play around the edge of the area but Rodri’s pass cut out.
A cross-field ball to Walker but he has to stretch to stop it going out for a goal-kick and can only steer it into Nick Pope’s arms. Walker caught Gordon napping there though and got behind him.
Man City 0-0 Newcastle
24 mins: Ruben Dias goes down screaming in pain and banging the floor. In fairness, it’s not a great challenge by Anthony Gordon, he raked his studs down the back of Dias’s calf.
A yellow card for the former Everton man - no complaints there.
Man City 0-0 Newcastle
22 mins: Newcastle won’t be unhappy with how this match has gone at all as we reach the midway point of the first half. They’ve largely negated City despite the hists’ inevitable dominance of possession. Good defensive discipline from Eddie Howe’s men
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