Newcastle United left the Etihad Stadium with nothing more than a fresh reminder that the gap between them and the world's elite won't be closed down quickly. The Magpies stayed in the game until the end last week against Liverpool but this one was all over bar the shouting as the half-time teas were being poured around Eastlands.
Given the season United have endured, with the task of staying up all but secured a couple of weeks ago, there is no shame in losing to champions elect Man City, after all this was the 27th time out of 35 Premier League games they have inflicted defeat on opponents this term. But the future will not just be about the amount of money spent for Eddie Howe It will also be about perfecting the finer moments in games.
Such as Chris Wood taking that early chance that tamely fell into the hands of Ederson or weathering storms better on days like this and keeping the game a more open affair. Yet there is no escaping that class told from the early stages as City pinned Newcastle against a wall and kept them there for the majority of the afternoon.
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City's first chance of the match came when Bruno Guimaraes was adjudged to have fouled Jack Grealish just outside the box. Kevin De Bruyne stepped up but sent the effort wide of the target after just five minutes. Newcastle responded when Allan Saint-Maximin crossed from the right and found Chris Wood but he tamely headed at Brazil international Ederson on eight minutes. Inevitably, City replied almost straight away and after a left-wing corner Aymeric Laporte was presented with a good chance but swept it over the bar.
On 15 minutes another ball to the back post for City saw Joao Cancelo handed the chance to open the scoring but he blazed high and wide. Yet it was Cancelo who had a big hand in the opener on 19 minutes. Grealish worked the ball to Ilkay Gundogan before he floated the ball to Cancelo. The former Juventus man then headed across the face of goal, beating Saint-Maximin to the ball, before Sterling got to the left of Dan Burn and headed home.
United had a goal disallowed for a Bruno offside on 24 minutes after Jamaal Lascelles had headed into the path of Wood, who tapped home, but the Brazil star was offside. Moments later, Sterling and Cancelo combined but the Portugal international's effort was beaten away by Martin Dubravka. Grealish rolled the ball to Gundogan after half an hour but his shot whistled just wide.
With frustration starting to get the better of United, Bruno was booked for a challenge on Grealish on 31 minutes. The home side doubled the lead when a De Bruyne's corner caught United napping before Gundogan cracked the ball at Dubravka with seven minutes of the first half remaining. The Slovakian international could not hold on and after Ruben Dias had followed up it dropped to Laporte who applied the finish.
After a half in which Dubravka had faced 10 goal attempts the Magpies went in at the break with the deficit at only two goals. And as if City needed to flex their muscle any more, they introduced Fernandinho as a half-time sub for Dias.
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City toiled in the final third early in the second half without breaking through for more goals. Bruno sent one over the top 56 minutes as the Magpies searched for an unlikely route back into the game. Two minutes later a Saint-Maximin effort went wide without troubling Ederson. If this encounter wasn't already over by the hour mark, City put their stamp on the afternoon when Lascelles was forced to head over his own crossbar. De Bruyne's corner was whipped in and Rodri got ahead of both Emil Krafth and Joelinton to bury a header beyond Dubravka.
With 62 minutes gone City showed their strength in depth when introducing England star Phil Foden for the final third of the game. Howe turned to England duo Kieran Trippier and Callum Wilson with 25 minutes to go as they replaced Wood and Krafth.
Zinchenko's swirling effort was tipped over on 69 minutes as City looked for more. Yet there were glimpses for Newcastle in the final stages. Trippier crossed for Wilson on 74 minutes but Fernandinho cleared and from the resultant corner Lascelles headed at Ederson to at least chalk up another effort on target.
Just when Newcastle did think they'd found a crack in the home defence, as Murphy released Wilson, Ederson rushed out to calmly make a block. Saint-Maximin then sent another shot into orbit with seven minutes left as City looked like they were conserving energy after a long week.
City's excellent performance was completed in the 90th minute. Grealish got past Trippier down the home side's left before he laid it off for Zinchenko who in turn helped it into the path of Foden. The ruthless England man had what looked like an easy task to make it 4-0 from close range. Grealish and Foden then combined well again down the left before Sterling muscled into the box and flicked home to make it 5-0.
By the time the final whistle sounded we'd learned nothing knew. This is the level Man City are at, and this is where Newcastle have to get to if they want to be classed as an elite side. If the Magpies are to hit those heights it promises to be a remarkable journey but we're very much at the start - and this was concrete evidence.
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