Five Things Learned: Manchester City 4-0 Newcastle United (Premier League) | OneFootball

Manchester City picked up a significant 4-0 win over Newcastle United on Saturday afternoon to advance into the top-four of the Premier League table once again.

A loss for Chelsea over the weekend presented the Blues with a golden opportunity to climb the Premier League table, and the defending champions lunged at the opportunity. Omar Marmoush’s first-half hat-trick gave City a significant boost before James McAtee rounded off the evening with a fourth goal to seal three points.

Ederson had a difficult week between the posts, hounded with justified criticism. However, the City goalkeeper bounced back with a history-making game; a long pass found Omar Marmoush close to the opposition box, and the Egyptian capitalised with ease. It marked a sixth assist for Ederson – the highest from a goalkeeper in the Premier League history.

The aforementioned Egyptian dodged past Kieran Trippier and raced towards goal, finding Martin Dubravka off his line and flicking the ball over the Newcastle United goalkeeper and into the net marking his first goal for the Blues.

A slow defensive run from the visitors then opened space for Ilkay Gundogan, who glided into the opponents’ half and found Marmoush on the edge of the box. The latter paused and moved the ball to his right foot before slotting past Dubravka at the near post to score a second.

Savinho, who had made excellent runs since the first whistle, beat the defence with a sublime pass and an unmarked Marmoush buried the ball into the goal for his first hat-trick in a Manchester City shirt.

When the two sides returned for the second half, there was a sense of nervousness considering recent submission of leads. However, the Blues displayed composure and retained possession, leaving their opponents exhausted by the end of the half.

After stifling Newcastle’s offensive efforts, City dealt a final blow from a set-piece. Gundogan’s corner was flicked on by a leaping Erling Haaland and turned in for a goal by James McAtee to cap off a near-perfect afternoon against a surprisingly poor Newcastle side.

The Blues are now a point ahead of fifth-placed Chelsea and only three behind Nottingham Forest, who they play in three weeks. But before then, City will look to ride on the momentum as they prepare for a massive away game against Real Madrid in the Champions League after letting them escape the Etihad Stadium with a goal advantage last week.

Here we look at the Five Things We Learned from Manchester City’s emphatic 4-0 victory over Newcastle United in the Premier League at the weekend!

Omar Marmoush takes centre stage

Marmoush’s hat-trick perfectly captured the Blues’ dominant performance and there was only a 14-minute difference between his first and third goals for Manchester City, but it potentially teased a glimpse of the years ahead.

Omar Marmoush’s addition drew attention from the media, considering his €75 million price tag despite a splendid performance in the Bundesliga during the first-half of the season. He more than justified the amount with his goal-scoring prowess.

But more importantly, as Marmoush hit stride, it was evident that like his previous showing, the winger does an immense job drawing the defenders away from Erling Haaland and the two exchanged this role with ease against the Magpies.

Playing him behind the Norwegian adds to the latter’s threatening presence, especially coupled with Marmoush’s ability to get involved in the build-up from the centre.

Manchester City’s winter signings pay off

Although Omar Marmoush dominated headlines, two other January signings also had a remarkable showing in Manchester City’s win against Newcastle.

Nico Gonzalez, brought in as an alternative to Rodri, displayed an assured footing in defensive midfield and was a game-changer for the Blues, calmly and tactfully nailing his role in the defensive midfield.

Pep Guardiola previously relied on Ilkay Gundogan and Mateo Kovacic to fill Rodri’s shoes. Despite pure quality, both often rushed forward progression, leaving them vulnerable to being caught out of position. In contrast, Gonzalez’s extra passes helped control possession, making the team play with familiar confidence, similar to what we had seen in previous seasons.

Unlike Marmoush and Nico, Abdukodir Khusanov had a forgetful start to his City career, making two errors that directly led to a goal in his debut against Chelsea.

The Uzbek defender more than made up for it this weekend, and was one of the strongest links in defence against Newcastle. He made excellent decisions with the ball, was quick in recovery, and helped cover Rico Lewis when the full-back moved up field to help with ball progression.

‘Captain’ Erling Haaland and his potential injury

City’s frontman walked onto the pitch with the captain’s armband after Pep Guardiola endorsed his inclusion in the side’s leadership group following Kyle Walker’s January exit for AC Milan.

Erling Haaland was fantastic with the captaincy, vocal with directions to other attackers while accepting instruction from defence. This saw the Norwegian drop deep to help balance City’s midfield and put an early stop to the few counter-attacks pieced together by the visitors.

The defenders marking him also allowed Marmoush to run free with the ball. Haaland notably assisted the fourth for the Blues before walking off the field with a knee problem. Pep Guardiola confirmed there was no bad news from doctors, and he was spotted in training on Sunday, hinting at availability for the fixture against Real Madrid in the Champions League.

Although he didn’t score, it was a big afternoon for the Boyhood Blue, leading his side to a much-needed victory in the Premier League. He has committed the next decade of his life to Manchester City during a significantly troubling period for the club, on and off the pitch. Considering his response to a rather difficult start to the season, the coveted responsibility suited him in more ways than one.

Is it time for tough decisions from Pep Guardiola?

Multiple injuries forced the City boss to change plans repeatedly. The lack of options often pushed Gundogan, Kovacic, and Bernardo Silva into roles that couldn’t deliver the desired results.

But the Blues’ latest match showed that he can and must trust the new players with more responsibilities as we approach the season’s latter stages. The senior players in the squad have undoubtedly played a key role in defining the club’s success over the last few years.

That said, City’s latest outing showed why players like Marmoush, Gonzalez, Khusanov, Savinho, and Phil Foden should start regularly, especially with the upcoming matches. On the other hand, others could be used in pairings with the incoming youngsters or for rotation to make the most of their experience.

One may also throw Kevin De Bruyne’s name into the list, but the Belgian is arguably untouchable on his good day. His ability to impact a match at any given point has earned him the privilege of having an off-day, although not long.

A big win before Real Madrid

City’s 2-3 loss against Real Madrid was a massive defeat for the reigning champions of England. The team’s lack of mental fortitude, encapsulated by a recent, typical collapse, infuriated all involved. However, this 4-0 win could work wonders in changing the mood.

Although Eddie Howe’s side were uncharacteristically caught out of breath throughout the game, a second viewing of their performances would reveal that beating the visitors was no easy task.

The Blues left no room for mistake throughout, showing conspicuously disciplined adjustments to curb the Magpies. Although three of four goals came in the first half, the home side were equally brilliant with the ball in the second with controlled possession and ruthlessness in attack.

A difficult day awaits the Catalan manager as his side prepares for a season-defining clash against Real Madrid in the Champions League. It would be tough to ask the Blues to eliminate Los Blancos, but their latest win showed why it isn’t impossible.

More than anything, it is unfair to expect this team to undo the damage from the last six months. Thus, regardless of the result, if City replicate a similar performance against the La Liga outfit, they will walk out of Santiago Bernabeu with their heads held high.