Ferran Torres hatrick helped City past Newcastle in a seven goal thriller
 |
| Hatrick hero, Ferran Torres walked with the match ball after putting three past Newcastle on Friday night. (Photo credit: Premierleague.com) |
Analysts over the years believe the best football is played when there’s absolutely nothing at stake, dead rubber and just pride, it came to fore again last night as Manchester City and Newcastle played out a seven-goal thriller under the lights at St. James’s Park on Friday night.
In a traditional respect to the champions of the land by the hosts, Newcastle players handed the Citizens a deserved guard of honor ahead of kickoff, an act of class from the Geordies but the game itself gave us more to remember than the claps.
Pep Guardiola as expected named a much changed side but the biggest news of the night was that of veteran goalkeeper, Scott Carson who was handed his first ever league start in ten odd years; while his acquisition by the champions was strange in the first place, giving him a role last night looked stranger.
Ferran Torres and Gabriel Jesus got a start as expected with Raheem Sterling and Rodri joining as predicted by yours truly; Callum Wilson wasn’t available so Joelington started upfront for the hosts and there were Alan Saint Maximin and Miguel Almiron to run wild on his flanks.
It didn’t take long for the game to burst into life, City dominated squarely at the start but Steve Bruce’s side wasn’t going to lie and be beaten easily, in fact the Toons drew the first blood when a Jonjo Shelvey corner was bundled past the ageing goalkeeper by Emile Krafth for his first goal of the season.
The response from the champions was almost immediate; Joao Cancelo fired one that went of Jacob Murphy and straight into the bottom corner of Martin Dubravka’s net, that goal opened the floodgates for a sensational rain.
Three minutes later, Ilkay Gundogan’s free-kick was deftly touched home and very well past Dubravka again by Ferran Torres, it was a ridiculous goal and would have hurt badly had VAR ruled it out for offside, it was close but City got their lead.
In a dramatic end to the first half, VAR was once again called to action and special mention must go to the linesman on the right for not raising the flag at what looked like an offside in the build-up.
Alan Saint-Maximin raced through the middle alongside Joe Willock and the Arsenal loanee was brought down by Nathan Ake;
The flag went up before referee Kevin Friend could make up his mind, replays showed there was no offside in the build-up and a penalty was awarded. Joelinton stepped up and fired past Carson as the half ended 2-2.
The second half barely started before the duo of Cancelo and Shelvey went into the book for poor tackles and then a flurry of goals followed; the hosts went in front when yet again, Nathan Ake brought down Willock in the area, the latter stepped up to take the spot-kick but was saved by Carson, Willock was the quickest to the rebound and he made no mistake this time.
3-2 became 3-3 in just two minutes as Ferran Torres bagged his brace off a fast cross from Gabriel Jesus, and before replays stopped showing on the big screen, 3-3 became 3-4; Joao Cancelo’s shot cannoned off the woodwork but Torres was right there to beat the offside and volleyed home.
The result meant nothing on the log but the game itself will live for long in the memories of premier league lovers.
The flag went up before referee Kevin Friend could make up his mind, replays showed there was no offside in the build-up and a penalty was awarded. Joelinton stepped up and fired past Carson as the half ended 2-2.
The second half barely started before the duo of Cancelo and Shelvey went into the book for poor tackles and then a flurry of goals followed; the hosts went in front when yet again, Nathan Ake brought down Willock in the area, the latter stepped up to take the spot-kick but was saved by Carson, Willock was the quickest to the rebound and he made no mistake this time.
3-2 became 3-3 in just two minutes as Ferran Torres bagged his brace off a fast cross from Gabriel Jesus, and before replays stopped showing on the big screen, 3-3 became 3-4; Joao Cancelo’s shot cannoned off the woodwork but Torres was right there to beat the offside and volleyed home.
The result meant nothing on the log but the game itself will live for long in the memories of premier league lovers.
City recorded their 12th straight away wins in the premier league, a record in the four top tiers of English football.
