Manchester City 2-0 Newcastle: Cityzens' Player Ratings from a comfortable win over the Magpies | Premier League 2022-23

Manchester City put in a display of champions as they made light work of Newcastle United in a 2-0 win on Saturday, March 4.

The Cityzens entered this game on the back of three wins and two draws in their last five games across competitions. They were five points behind Arsenal prior to kickoff and knew a win was necessary to keep pace with them.

Pep Guardiola fielded a strong lineup for this game.

Manchester City made a strong start to the game as they looked to keep the ball for extended periods to settle nerves and get into a rhythm. They were handed the ideal start by Phil Foden, who was assisted by Rodri for the first goal of the game after just 15 minutes. It was the only shot on target between the two teams in a relatively dull first half.

Newcastle kept the ball for 44% of the time and attempted two shots but failed to hit the target. They struggled to break down a well-oiled City defense as they trailed 1-0 at the break.

Manchester City tried to tighten their grip on the game in the second half as they looked to exercise greater control. They bettered their possession stats from the first half, keeping the ball for 58% of the time in the second period. This allowed them to build up effectively and create chances to score. With five shots in the second half, City hit the target twice.

Newcastle, on the other hand, fired three shots goalwards, hitting the target twice. However, they found themselves two goals behind midway through the half as Bernardo Silva set up Erling Haaland to make it 2-0. Both managers made multiple changes as they looked to alter the course of the game. However, City were too good for the Magpies as they secured the win.

On that note, let's take a look at Manchester City's player ratings.

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Manchester City Player Ratings

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Ederson - 7/10

Ederson put in a decent shift between the sticks as he made two saves, punched the ball clear twice, and passed the ball with 77% accuracy.

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Kyle Walker - 6.5/10

Walker played well on defense, winning two of his five duels, making three clearances and one interception in the process. He also played three accurate long balls.

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Manuel Akanji - 6.5/10

Akanji was average in defense today as he seemed to be a yard off the pace. He won just one of his four duels and was dribbled past thrice. He passed the ball with 87% accuracy.

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Ruben Dias - 7/10

Dias played well and helped Manchester City keep a clean sheet. He won three of his four duels, making five clearances, two interceptions, and two tackles. He also played two accurate long balls.

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Nathan Ake - 7/10

Ake put in a decent performance at left-back, making six clearances. He passed the ball with 89% accuracy but was booked for a foul in the second half.

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Ilkay Gundogan - 7/10

Gundogan played well in midfield, passing the ball with 91% accuracy. He won three of his five duels, making one tackle and clearance apiece. He attempted two shots but failed to hit the target with both.

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Rodri - 7.5/10

Rodri had an eventful game in midfield as he won eight of his 11 duels, making three clearances and two tackles. He passed the ball with 90% accuracy, including one key pass and three long balls. Rodri provided an assist for Manchester City's opener in the first half.

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Phil Foden - 7.5/10

Foden put in a strong performance, giving City the lead after 15 minutes with a nice finish. He won seven of his 11 duels, completing five dribbles in the process. He passed the ball with 96% accuracy, including one key pass and one long ball.

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Kevin De Bruyne - 7/10

De Bruyne had a decent game in midfield, winning four of his eight duels and playing three key passes. He also completed one dribble and attempted two shots but failed to hit the target.

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Jack Grealish - 8/10

Grealish put in a strong performance. He won 13 of his 18 duels, making three tackles in the process. He completed three dribbles and played three key passes as well. Grealish attempted one shot but was unable to hit the target.

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Erling Haaland - 6.5/10

Haaland put in a decent performance as he set up Bernardo for Manchester City's second goal of the game. He passed the ball with 84% accuracy and attempted two shots but failed to hit the target. He was booked for arguing with the referee.

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Substitutes

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Bernardo Silva - 7/10

Bernardo replaced De Bruyne in the second half and scored a goal to seal the win for City after coming onto the pitch.