Newcastle 0 Manchester City 2: Dzeko and Negredo send Pellegrini's men top as Pardew fumes over Tiote's disallowed goal

By Damian Spellman, Press Association


Edin Dzeko and Alvaro Negredo scored as Manchester City moved to the top of the Barclays Premier League with a controversial 2-0 victory at Newcastle.
The Bosnian striker set the visitors on their way to a 10th successive win over the Magpies with an early finish and Negredo struck in added time as City extended their unbeaten run in all competitions to 15 games.
However, the home side were hugely aggrieved to see a 34th-minute Cheick Tiote equaliser ruled out by referee Mike Jones for offside.
Scroll down for video of post-match press conferences with Newcastle manager Alan Pardew and Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini

Calmly done: Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko (right) slots the ball past Newcastle goalkeeper Tim Krul to open the scoring

Unstoppable: Krul (right) can do nothing to prevent Dzeko's strike flying into the top corner of his goal

Deadly: Dzeko runs off to celebrate his early goal at St James' Park as Krul clutches the ball

Mobbed: The Bosnian striker is congratulated by his team-mates after finding the back of the net

Match facts

Newcastle United (4-2-3-1): Krul 6; Yanga-Mbiwa 6 (Haidara 83), Williamson 7, S.Taylor 6, Santon 7; Anita 6 (Cisse 73, 6), Tiote 8; Sissoko 6, Cabaye 7, Gouffran 7 (Ben Arfa 83); Remy 5.
Subs not used: Gosling, Marveaux, Sammy Ameobi, Elliot. Booked: Sissoko, Cabaye, Tiote, Yanga-Mbiwa.
Booked: Yanga-Mbiwa, Tiote, Sissoko, Cabaye
Manchester City (4-2-3-1): Hart 8; Zabaleta 7, Kompany 7, Demichelis 6, Kolarov 7; Yaya Toure 6 (Garcia 60, 6), Fernandinho 6; Nasri 6 (Milner 79), Silva 7; Negredo 7, Dzeko 6 (Navas 52, 6).
Subs not used: Richards, Lescott, Clichy, Pantilimon. Booked: Fernandinho, Zabaleta.
Booked: Zabaleta, Fernandinho
Goals: Dzeko, Negredo
Referee: Mike Jones 5
Man of the match: Cheick Tiote
Attendance: 49,423
*Player ratings by COLIN YOUNG at St James' Park

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The Ivory Coast international blasted home from distance, but after speaking to assistant Stephen Child, Jones ruled out the goal - to the fury of Newcastle boss Alan Pardew, who later became involved in an angry touchline spat with opposite number Manuel Pellegrini.
Newcastle were seeking to avoid a fourth successive defeat but the early signs were not good as City, fresh from their 6-0 Capital One Cup semi-final first leg demolition of West Ham in midweek, ripped into them from the off with full-back Aleksandar Kolarov terrorising counterpart number 13 Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa.
It took them just eight minutes to go ahead when David Silva played Kolarov in behind Yanga-Mbiwa and his driven cross was thumped home by Dzeko.
It could have been worse for the Magpies with the in-form Negredo just failing to connect with another Kolarov cross in front of goal and then looping a 15th-minute header on to the roof of Tim Krul's net.
But with Yohan Cabaye, who had started in a number 10 role behind lone striker Loic Remy, dropping deeper, the home side took a foothold in the game and gradually stemmed the tide.
Defender Steven Taylor stabbed a Cabaye corner wide, and the French international forced a fine 33rd-minute save from England keeper Joe Hart with a rasping shot from a near-impossible angle.
But the resulting corner brought controversy as Newcastle thought they had dragged themselves back into the game.

Game over: Alvaro Negredo squeezes the ball past Krul as City hit Newcastle with a late counter attack

Easy does it: Negredo slides the ball into an empty net to seal a 2-0 win for title-chasers City

Red hot: Negredo celebrates his late goal with City's travelling supporters

Pardew: To chalk off Tiote's goal takes some doing

The ball was cleared to Tiote on the edge of the box and he unleashed the sweetest of left-foot strikes which left Hart rooted to the spot as it screamed into the back of the net.
The midfielder, whose last goal for the club was a spectacular long-range equaliser in a 4-4 draw with Arsenal in February 2011, set off on a joyous run, unaware that Jones was consulting his assistant.

Pellegrini: Reaction to City win and Pardew's rage

Perfect strike: Cheick Tiote arrows the ball beyond City goalkeeper Joe Hart and into the corner of the goal but his effort is ruled out for offside

Premature celebrations: Tiote celebrates his strike with his team-mates and the Newcastle bench before seeing it ruled out

Ruled out: Assistant referee Stephen Child (right) indicates that Tiote's effort is offside because of Yoan Gouffran's position

In the way: Gouffran, who is in an offside position, ducks out of the way of Tiote's shot as Hart watches the ball fly into the net

Strong words: Pardew confronts referee Mike Jones about Tiote's disallowed goal as both teams head down the St James' Park tunnel

Edin Dzeko's goal for Manchester City came after a 14-pass move from Manuel Pellegrini's side - click here for more in our brilliant match zone

PARDEW'S REF RANT

Speaking to referee Mike Jones at half-time, Newcastle manager Alan Pardew said: 'The linesman's right, you're wrong. The linesman's right, you're wrong.
'He's offside but there's no saving it, you should be experienced enough to know that.'

Replays confirmed that Yoan Gouffran was one of three players in an offside position, and the pair decided the Frenchman was interfering with play, a view not shared by the vast majority of the 49,423 spectators inside St James' Park.
Pardew was certainly of that persuasion and he and Pellegrini were involved in a heated exchange as the whistle approached.
Buoyed by a sense of injustice, the Magpies returned in determined mood and Vurnon Anita forced a 48th-minute save from Hart before Remy was presented with a glorious opportunity to level.

Intent: Newcastle's Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa (left) fouls City midfielder Samir Nasri after being beaten by the Frenchman

Injured: Nasri is stretchered off after receiving treatment for Yanga-Mbiwa's tackle from behind

Battle: Newcastle forward Yoan Gouffran (front) tussles for the ball with City midfielder Fernandinho (back)

Making a point: Pardew (left) has a disagreement with Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini (right) on the touchline after his side's disallowed goal

Not happy: Pardew doesn't hold back as argues with Pellegrini shortly before half-time

Man of the Match Cheick Tiote covered plenty of ground in the middle of the pitch against Manchester City, as his heat map below shows - click here for more in our match zone

GRAHAM POLL'S VERDICT

Against Manchester City on Sunday, Newcastle United were denied a perfectly good equaliser for an offside given, unusually, by the referee rather than his assistant.
Mike Jones was well placed and clearly thought that there was an issue as the ball flew in to Joe Hart's net from Cheick Tiote's well-struck shot.
The fact that three Newcastle players were in offside positions was neither in dispute or an offence.
Players have to interfere with play or opponents for that offside position to become an issue and that did not happen. 
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Moussa Sissoko's pass put the striker in on goal, but as he tried to turn inside Vincent Kompany rather than shooting first time, he took a touch too many and the chance had gone.
However, City were far from done and Krul had to make a fine 55th-minute block to keep out a point-blank header from Alvaro Negredo, who had earlier fired high over on the turn.
But Hart had to dive to his right to keep out Cabaye's swerving 59th-minute attempt and then punch away the same player's free-kick two minutes later with the home side dominating.
The former Lille midfielder was waging a one-man war on Hart's goal and sent another dipping shot just over with 68 minutes gone, but it was Remy who was denied by the goalkeeper after latching on to Gouffran's cross two minutes later as Kompany and Pablo Zabaleta collided.

Under pressure: City striker Alvaro Negredo (second from right) has an effort on goal as Newcastle players Mike Williamson (left), Cheick Tiote (second from left) and Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa (right) chase him down

Yellow: Zabaleta is booked by referee Mike Jones after a mistimed tackle on Newcastle's Moussa Sissoko

Heads up: Gouffran (right) jumps highest to win a header against City defender Zabaleta (left)

As Newcastle pushed forward, City exploited the space they left behind and Fernandinho rattled Krul's crossbar with an 87th-minute header.
Remy might have snatched a point with a header which sailed just high and wide from Cabaye's corner and Taylor saw an injury-time shot blocked by Dzeko.
However, Negredo made sure City would displace Chelsea - 2-0 victors at Hull yesterday - deep into the 95th-minute, despite Krul blocking his initial effort.

Safe hands: City goalkeeper Hart climbs high to punch a Newcastle cross clear of danger

No way through: City midfielder Yaya Toure (right) holds off the challenge of Newcastle striker Loic Remy (left)