Kevin De Bruyne led the charge back to the summit of the Premier League as Manchester City banished the Bernabeu blues. And with five goals in the bag, they not only opened a three-point gap on Liverpool at the top, they also overturned the goal difference advantage that the Merseysiders held.
Belgium international De Bruyne, who had been strangely out of sorts in Madrid, was an unstoppable force of nature as resurgent Newcastle sought to cause an upset that would have been celebrated by the Mersey as fervently as it would on the banks of the Tyne. He drove City forward from the off, thrusting deep into Toon territory and delivering passes, long and short, of impeccable weight and timing.
The fear was that the Etihad might be flat after the traumas of Wednesday night, another crushing blow at the sharp end of a Champions League campaign. But Liverpool’s stumble against Spurs the night before, and a gloriously sunny Manchester afternoon served to put the world to rights and restore a sense of perspective.
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The incentive is still for the Blues to add their name to an elite band of clubs that have won four out of five English league titles, and both the fans and the players knew that four wins from the remaining four games would ensure that was the case.
There was talk before the game that City would be seeking a leader, a Vincent Kompany figure, to lift them and stir them from their disappointment, if they needed it. They got a leader alright, but it was the unassuming figure of De Bruyne that picked up the club standard, which had been trodden into the Bernabeu turf in the space of 10 bewildering minutes, and carried it back into the fight.
The Belgian was strangely subdued in Madrid, perhaps the only non-performer on a night when the Blues were very good for 90 minutes and then fell apart for ten. But he was quite brilliant against Newcastle, repeatedly running at the defence, holding off challenges and delivering precise passes on the gallop, under extreme pressure.
But the game was not without its jeopardy, and City might have been two behind early on but for simple mistakes from Toon players. Chris Wood was presented with a simple header by Allan Saint-Maximin but dollied it tamely into Ederson’s hands, and then Bruno Guimaraes thrust his thigh in the way of Jamaal Lascelles’ header from a corner, making Wood’s subsequent finish academic.
It was not a great start from a defence that had collapsed under the weight of Madrid’s history on Wednesday, and was twice wide open in the opening exchanges. But with De Bruyne storming forwards at every opportunity, ably supported by Ilkay Gundogan, and with Joao Cancelo and Oleks Zinchenko repeatedly getting in behind the visiting defence, they began to turn the title screw.
The goal, when it came, was of the lovely simplicity in which the Blues specialise. Gundogan, who had been marvellous in his cameo performance at the Bernabeu, lifted a pass beyond the far post from a central position to pick out Cancelo’s run.
The Portugal international had already blazed two chances wide, but this time he headed it perfectly across goal for the unmarked Sterling to nod into an unguarded net for his 15th goal of the season.
With one in the bag, City set about giving themselves a cushion by half time, and of course De Bruyne played a major role. Taking a corner, he delivered the ball long and deep to Gundogan outside the box, another well-rehearsed setpiece.
The Germany midfielder’s volley was crisp and accurate, and too hot for Dubravka to handle. Ruben Dias tried to force home the rebound but the keeper blocked and Laporte knocked it over the line.
But with memories of Madrid still sharp in the memory, with Saint-Maximin a buzzing menace, and with Fernandinho forced to play centre back after half time as Dias was forced off, it needed a third goal.
It came from another clever corner, in a week when Carlos Vicens - the setpiece coach who has made the Blues the best in the Premier League at setpieces - announced he is leaving this summer. He is clearly going out on a high!
This time De Bruyne simply whipped his flag-kick to the near post and Rodri exploited an acre of space to direct his header home. That third goal lifted any lingering tension and the City fans right round the ground were in celebratory mood again, the Bernabeu already a fading memory.
City kept pushing for more goals, with Fernandinho reminding everyone that he is a pretty decent centre back as well as one of the best defensive midfielders of the Premier League era with a fine 45 minutes that included a stunning headed clearance and some marvellous passing between the lines.
With goal difference possibly still important, the fact they added two more goals was a big plus on the day - from being one worse off than Liverpool at the start of the weekend, they are now four better off.
Grealish can take much of the credit for that. He was effective throughout, but in the closing stages he was devastating. Storming down the left, he teed up Zinchenko perfectly, and when the Ukraine international miscued, it fell neatly for sub Phil Foden to sweep home his 14th goal of the season.
Still they were not done, and more marauding work by Grealish opened up Toon again - with the goal seemingly at his mercy, he unselfishly squared for Sterling to fire high into the net.
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