Manchester City 2 Newcastle United 1 MANCHESTER CITY have endured so many negative headlines they will find comfort in that there is another club who inspire an even greater sense of tragicomedy. Newcastle United were certainly generous opponents for City at a time when they are still brooding from the failed €100 million bid for Kaka and find their best player at the centre of a rape investigation.
Robinho, currently on police bail, certainly did not look like a man with the weight of the world on his shoulders, from the moment he flashed a thumbs-up to the cameras to when he produced the best pass of the game for Shaun Wright-Phillips to score the first goal. Craig Bellamy doubled the lead with a debut goal 12 minutes from the end and Andrew Carroll’s reply flattered Newcastle.
Bellamy’s name somehow doesn’t have the same ring as Kaka. Nor does Nigel de Jong, the club’s other debutant. Yet Bellamy looked lively on his debut while it was one of De Jong’s snappy tackles that was partly responsible for removing a dejected Michael Owen from the game.
Guardian Service
MANCHESTER CITY:Hart, Richards, Onuoha, Kompany, Bridge, Zabaleta (Fernandes 82), Ireland, De Jong (Elano 78), Wright-Phillips (Caicedo 90), Robinho, Bellamy. Subs not used: Schmeichel, Vassell, Jo, Garrido. Booked: Wright-Phillips.
NEWCASTLE UTD:Harper, Edgar, Taylor, Bassong, Jose Enrique, Geremi (LuaLua 90), Barton (Lovenkrands 64), Coloccini, Duff, Owen (Gutierrez 19), Carroll. Subs not used: Forster, Xisco, Donaldson, Inman. Booked: Taylor, Gutierrez.
Referee:Mike Jones (Cheshire).
