Newcastle // Reigning champions Manchester City began their latest English Premier League title defence with a 2-0 victory at St James’ Park, although Gael Clichy said Newcastle were unlucky not to run them closer.
Goals in either half from David Silva and substitute Sergio Aguero ensured that City left Tyneside with all three points.
Silva fired the visitors into a 38th-minute lead, making the most of Edin Dzeko’s intelligent back-heel pass, although the result remained in doubt until Aguero struck.
City’s movement and passing were characteristically impressive – their finishing, less so – although Newcastle were unable to work City goalkeeper Joe Hart to any real extent, despite enjoying their fair share of possession in front of a crowd of 50,816 at St James’ Park.
Aguero’s strike came when the home side looked likely to force an equaliser through new signings Emmanuel Riviere, Remy Cabella and Ayoze Perez, and City full-back Clichy was a relieved figure following the full-time whistle.
“I think we scored at the right moments, five minutes from the end of the first half, and then Sergio scored the second one when Newcastle were pushing a bit,” he told Sky Sports.
“I think we deserved the win, but with more luck, the game would have been different.
“We came here to get the three points and we deserved to.”
City manager Manuel Pellegrini praised his players for maintaining their concentration levels as their legs began to tire.
The English champions failed to keep a clean sheet during their pre-season friendly campaign and lost 3-0 to Arsenal in the Community Shield, so Pellegrini was impressed to see such resolution at the back.
“I think the players were both hungry and humble,” he said. “We need both those things if we are going to continue winning titles and if we want to improve on what we did last year.
“It was so important to me that the players had that attitude from the beginning to the end of the game.
“We were very solid at the back and Joe Hart didn’t have any problems and in the second half. It was normal that we were starting to get tired.
“The players are not able to play 90 minutes at the moment, but we continued with our attitude and we finally scored the second goal.”
Despite watching Newcastle suffer a defeat that sent them to the bottom of the fledgling table on goal difference, manager Alan Pardew was impressed by his new-look team.
Five players were making their debuts and the manager singled out former Montpellier standout Cabella for praise.
“It was frustrating for us, because in the second half, we really pushed on up and put some younger players on, who were a bit naive at times but who threatened with their pace,” he said. “We just couldn’t get that equaliser.
“I feel that if we could have got that, then we could have gone on to win it, because we looked like we had more legs in the team.
“We were brave, we went for it and there were some outstanding performances. All the players were solid and Remy gave us some moments around the box that we haven’t had for a long time.”
* Press Association
