Newcastle United defended well, but Manchester City proved to be too strong as they claimed the victory on Saturday.
Newcastle United traveled to Manchester on Saturday to face the reigning Premier League champions, but the Magpies were defeated by a score of 2-1. The match was dominated by Manchester City on all fronts, but Newcastle’s defense did well in frustrating the Citizens.
Newcastle were largely inactive with only three total shot attempts, but their extra emphasis on defending the goal almost earned the Magpies an impressive point on the road. Here are five things we learned from yesterday’s match.
Dubravka Is Worth More
Despite conceding two goals yesterday, Martin Dubravka had a solid match and made some amazing saves for Newcastle. Purchased for only £4 million, Dubravka is proving to be a great keeper at a bargain price. The Slovakian international was impressive with his post-to-post reactions, aerial athleticism and vocal leadership in the back.
Correct Tactics
While I still disagree with Rafa Benitez’s decision to park the bus against Chelsea at home, the bunker formation was the right choice yesterday at the Etihad Stadium. Newcastle had a clear game plan in mind and they were not going to ruin their chances by playing to toe-to-toe with the defending champions.
Newcastle’s stat line was difficult to look at because of the excessive defending, but that defensive caution is what enabled Newcastle to inch closer to a draw. This tactic makes sense on the road against superior opponents, but it should not be used at home.
No Shelvey, No Party
With a team total of 218 passes yesterday, and 418 passes over the last two matches, it is quite evident how important Jonjo Shelvey’s presence is in midfield. Without Shelvey, Mohamed Diame and Ki Sung-yueng have struggled to develop an offensive chemistry and failed to move the ball forward.
In terms of covering the field and recovering the ball, Diame and Sung-yueng have looked good as a duo, but Benitez knows that Shelvey’s passing skills are a necessity for positive results. With the Arsenal match two weeks away, there is a good chance that we will Shelvey in action.
Rondon Looked Great
Still no Premier League goal for Salomon Rondon, but for a striker who was isolated all evening he played great. Rondon bullied Manchester City’s defenders around and did an amazing job of holding the ball until support finally arrived.
Once the schedule eases up in the middle of October, it will be difficult for Rondon to create the opportunities he created against Tottenham until Newcastle change their tactics. With Arsenal, Crystal Palace and Leicester City next on the fixture list, we could see Rondon score one or multiple goals as Newcastle will attack more.
Set Pieces
Newcastle’s primary mistake against Manchester City was giving away several set pieces. It is understandable that the Citizens’ attack is almost impossible to stop, but conceding fouls from close range and gifting corner kicks was not the right way to slow Manchester City down. Newcastle were lucky that the reigning champions could not execute on their set pieces and the Magpies must be more aware of the types of tackles they make in certain areas going forward.