Newcastle United 0-1 Manchester City: 5 Talking Points

#2 Benitez has serious January business to do

Business time

Amidst all the takeover talks and hospital drips, Rafa Benitez's men are going through a very tough period. The match was done and dusted the very second Jonjoe Shelvy went for goal straight from kickoff with as speculative a strike as you're ever going to see.

The lack of quality is there for all to see and Benitez would be happy that they conceded only one. The Spaniard made 5 changes to his squad and quite clearly, it is the 3 points on offer against Brighton in the weekend that excites Rafa more at this point than the opportunity to cause a genuine upset.

But you can't blame him either. Unless Newcastle pull off some good business in the winter transfer window, it will be quite difficult to turn things around. For this very reason, the Magpies may easily end up fighting for survival with the relegation battlers breathing down their necks now.