Manchester City are the among the clubs “in the race” to sign Paris Saint-Germain and Netherlands international superstar Xavi Simons, according to a report.

Whilst hoping to claim the Carabao Cup for a fifth time under Pep Guardiola, despite intending to chop and change starting line-ups throughout, Manchester City will next face the challenge of Tottenham at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the fourth round.

Manchester City appeared to have secured a legal victory over the Premier League in their challenge of the division’s associated party transaction rules.

Starting XI: Ederson; Walker ©, Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol; Lewis, Kovacic, Gundogan; Bernardo, Haaland, Grealish.

Substitutes: Ortega Moreno, Carson, Stones, Nunes, McAtee, Foden, Savinho, Doku.

Gundogan is way off it

dive

Player Ratings

Ederson – 6.5

Poor judgement in bringing Anthony Gordon down for Newcastle’s penalty. Otherwise, made sure not to flap when coming for crosses and had a routine save from Joelinton.

Kyle Walker – 7

Didn’t put a defensive foot wrong in the first half, but got his line wrong to play Anthony Gordon onside for the penalty. First 45 was better than the second from the captain.

Ruben Dias – 7.5

Not the physical battle he usually relishes as he was up against Anthony Gordon, but didn’t make any slip-ups and was fine in possession. Took a very good yellow to stop a break near the end.

Josko Gvardiol – 8 (MOTM)

Actually struggled to deal with the movement in behind him for much of the opening 45 minutes, but had the class when it mattered to break the deadlock and improved hugely thereafter.

Manuel Akanji – 7.5

Had the versatility to support the attack by pushing into supplementary midfield zones, whilst also covering any balls in behind with superb athleticism and anticipation.

Mateo Kovacic – 7

Some nice work dropping deep to control things, but was caught in transition at times and will need to do better in that regard in Rodri’s absense.

Rico Lewis – 7.5

Nothing too flashy but knew exactly when to hold and when to release under pressure; natural midfield performance.

Ilkay Gundogan – 5

Hasn’t hit his stride yet since his return and looked off the pace today to put it kindly. Correct decision to bring him off from Pep Guardiola.

Bernardo Silva – 7

Caused problems coming in off the right flank and ran as willingly as ever. Couldn’t quite produce a decisive final pass.

Erling Haaland – 6.5

Occupied the defenders quite well, although his holdup play and passing wasn’t as sharp as it has been of late. No proper chances to speak of.

Jack Grealish – 8

Aggravated the home crowd as he usually does, but a large part of the Toon ire was because Manchester City’s no.10 was playing well and mostly had the beating of Kieran Trippier. Fought extremely hard and set up the goal, but was maybe getting a little het up towards the end so was brought off.

Substitutes

Phil Foden – 7

Good to see him inject more spark than he has in prior cameos this season. Looked lively.

Savinho – 6.5

Superb tracking back to stop a Newcastle break was his highlight.

Jeremy Doku – 5.5

Got nothing from Tino Livramento.

Player Ratings

Ederson: Made a few excellent saves and was unlucky to give away a second-half penalty. 7

Walker: Caught out trying to play Gordon offside for the penalty and was unable to make up for it. 5

Dias: Marshalled everything well from the back and kept City pushing up as they chased a winner. 6

Akanji: Stepped up into midfield whenever he could and hoovered up anything at the back that came his way. 7

Gvardiol: Struggled in the first half against Murphy and Trippier but a striker's instincts to score. 6

Kovacic: A little frantic as he tried to keep his foot on the ball and the game. No lack of effort but the killer ball wasn't there. 6

Lewis: Helped Kovacic and Gundogan out but was unable to enjoy any real time on the ball to unpick the Newcastle defence. 6

Gundogan: Pushed wide as De Bruyne has been playing before coming inside but struggled to control the game. 5

Silva: Not much of what he tried came off but he kept the ball moving and gave City an out on the right. 6

Grealish: Made the first goal with quick thinking and quick feet and he was a pain for Newcastle players - particularly Tonali - all game. 7

Haaland: Impressive defensively to help out and worked hard to create opportunities without much service. 6

Substitutes

Foden (for Gundogan, 66) Couldn't get into the game properly. 6

Savinho (for Lewis, 82) Little time.

Doku (for Grealish, 82) Little time.

Player Ratings

GK: Ederson - 6/10 - A smart save to deny Joelinton late in the first half. Couldn't do a whole lot with the penalty he conceded.

RB: Kyle Walker - 7/10 - Needed all his athleticism to keep up with Barnes and Gordon. Key to City's defensive efforts.

CB: Ruben Dias - 6/10 - Not always convincing but largely did a solid job of forcing Newcastle out wide.

CB: Manuel Akanji - 6/10 - Stepped forwards into midfield but regularly lost out. Even managed a handful of shots on goal.

LB: Josko Gvardiol - 7/10 - Exposed defensively by City's early tactics, Gvardiol usually won his battles at the back and then took matters into his own hands with a composed finish up the other end.

DM: Mateo Kovacic - 6/10 - A classy performance with the ball at his feet, completing nearly every pass he attempted, but didn't exert the level of control City needed when the pressure was on.

DM: Rico Lewis - 6/10 - Got himself into some nice positions and kept things simple, but looked a little nervous when Newcastle's energetic press came at him.

RM: Bernardo Silva - 5/10 - Pretty quiet. Didn't get much change out of Hall whatsoever and failed to impact the game.

AM: Ilkay Gundogan - 4/10 - Visibly off the pace. Made a series of poor decisions, including his tame attempt to lob Pope.

LM: Jack Grealish - 7/10 - City's biggest attacking threat from the first whistle. Smart footwork and a nice pass for Gvardiol's goal.

ST: Erling Haaland - 5/10 - Picked up a knock on his ankle early on and never looked comfortable. Was more involved defending corners than he was in attack.

Substitutes

SUB: Phil Foden (66' for Gundogan) - 7/10

SUB: Savinho (81' for Lewis) - N/A

SUB: Jeremy Doku (81' for Grealish) - N/A

Manager

Pep Guardiola - 5/10 - Rodri's absence was sorely felt here as City rarely looked like the world-beaters we know they are. The midfield battle was comfortably won by Newcastle, meaning City never got going.

Player Ratings

Ederson (7/10):

Pulled off an audacious backheel early on but when it mattered, he was beaten to the punch by Gordon and conceded a penalty. His distribution was impressive and made a great stop to deny Joelinton, though.

Kyle Walker (6/10):

As usual, his defensive covering work was top notch, but he played Gordon onside and the winger then won and then converted his penalty. On another day, could have conceded a spot-kick for a foul on Joelinton.

Ruben Dias (8/10):

The Portugal international looked composed at the heart of City's defence when others looked more shaky.

Manuel Akanji (8/10):

Started as a centre-back but played further up the pitch in a Rodri-like role, at times, when City were on the ball. Was never going to be as effective as the injured Spaniard, but looked solid enough in his various positions.

Josko Gvardiol (9/10):

Showed the predatory instincts of a first-rate striker with a sumptuous turn and finish to give City the lead. That was his sixth goal contribution for City in 2024; not bad for a defender, who alsoRico Lewis (7/10):

Was maybe the brightest of City's midfielders, but the teenager looked a bit lightweight on occasion.

Mateo Kovacic (6/10):

While he has proven he can play in a deeper-lying midfield role, the Croatian didn't have his best day and at times his midfield partners were overrun.

Ilkay Gundogan (5/10):

Seemed a bit off the pace at times and struggled to make much of an impact. A difficult afternoon for the veteran. did his usual duties very well.

Bernardo Silva (7/10):

Had a relatively quiet game by his lofty standards when out on the right, but looked more comfortable later on in a more central role.

Erling Haaland (7/10):

Won the physical battle with the giant Burn but didn't have many chances to inflict damage on Newcastle's defence.

Jack Grealish (8/10):

Showed some terrific wing play, something that is too rare from him these days, to beautifully set up Gvardiol for the opener. Largely got the better of Trippier throughout.

Subs & Manager
Phil Foden (7/10):

Nearly scored with one of his first touches but was denied by 'keeper Pope. Looked sharp when he came on.

Jeremy Doku (6/10):

Was direct and attacking, but was somewhat ineffective in his cameo.

Savinho (7/10):

Tracked back very well to get his team out of a bind late on. A great option off the bench.

Pep Guardiola (7/10):

His midfield of Lewis, Kovacic, and Gundogan lacked bite at times as he tries to find solutions to a Rodri-less City. The Spaniard's substitutes were brought on at the right time to wrestle back momentum, though.

Player Ratings

Ederson-7/10: Made on stunning save from Joelinton on the stroke of halftime. He was unlucky to concede a penalty, in my opinion, for his challenge on Anthony Gordon. But did his work well over the 90 minutes.

Kyle Walker-7/10: He played Gordon onside for Newcastle’s equaliser. Besides that error, it was his best performance of the season.

Manuel Akanji-6.5/10: Akanji slotted into midfield when City had possession and didn’t do a lot wrong. But it wasn’t his best performance of the season.

Ruben Dias-6.5/10: Dias was booked late in the game for a challenge on Anthony Gordon. Did what he had to do but like Akanji, it wasn’t his best game.

Josko Gvardiol-7.5/10: Scored City’s goal with a sublime finish. Newcastle targeted Gvardiol and he did his job well both defensively and going forward.

Rico Lewis 6/10: Started in midfield but not at his best. Got into some decent positions at times but wasn’t his best performance.

Mateo Kovacic-6/10: His performance wasn’t at the high standards he had shown to start the season.

Ilkay Gundogan-4/10: A poor display by Gundogan. He got into good positions but couldn’t affect the game as he would’ve liked. Looks to be too eager to impress rather than letting the game come to him.

Bernardo Silva-5.5/10: He was anonymous on the right wing but could’ve won the game when he was swapped into midfield. Perhaps that move should have been made earlier.

Jack Grealish-7/10: Set up Gvardiol’s opener with a superb piece of wing play. Faded out of the game in the second half as he got sucked into a running battle with Sandro Tonali.

Erling Haaland-6/10: Haaland was well marshalled by the Newcastle defence. He still had his chances but couldn’t hit that score sheet. He did defend well when he had to which is a credit to City’s number 9.

Substitutes

Phil Foden-6.5/10: City looked a lot more dangerous when Foden was introduced. You have to wonder if the game could’ve been changed if he was introduced ehad beenier.

Savinho-6/10: Looked lively but like Foden, he came on too late.

Jeremy Doku-6/10: Same as Savinho and Foden. Looked lively but was introduced too late in proceedings.

palmer wanna come back?i dont1 think so...

Bernardo Silva more comfortable at middle...Savinho and doku came on too late

Ortega Moreno; Lewis, Stones, Akanji, Gvardiol; Gundogan ©, Nunes, Foden; Savinho, Haaland, Doku

Player Ratings

Stefan Ortega – 7

Surely the easiest game of his Manchester City career? No shots on target to face, and accomplished his sweeping duties with minimal fuss.

Manuel Akanji – 7.5

As will go for the whole backline, there’s only so much you can say for the defenders on a night when they had very little defending to do. Manuel Akanji brought the ball out from the back with his usual confidence.

John Stones – 7.5

Similarly at ease in his ball-playing, not needing to move into his midfield role to influence proceedings. Had one or two scoring chances from corners too.

Josko Gvardiol – 7

Not quite as accurate with his passing as his fellow defenders, but posed a threat with his overlapping on the left.

Rico Lewis – 8.5 (MOTM)

Had such joy playing in whatever pockets he could find that had space for him, most notably when he played in Erling Haaland for his goal. Classy operator.

Ilkay Gundogan – 7.5

Still struggling a little to be in the right place for second balls, which was always his bread and butter in his first spell at the club, but he was much improved on the ball from Newcastle on Saturday and notched his first goal since his return.

Matheus Nunes – 6.5

Clearly keen to impress and as such had a few moments where he snatched at his opportunities. Should have had an assist for Erling Haaland in one of his better moments.

Phil Foden – 8

Continued from his vibrant cameo at the weekend with an all-action showing. Caused a lot of damage between the lines and scored beautifully.

Jeremy Doku – 8.5

Exactly his kind of game, with so much space to run at players and turn them inside out. Created all sorts of chances.

Erling Haaland – 7

He’s used to being kept uninvolved for long stretches and having to stay alert for anything that comes his way, and after a couple of sighters, he did the job on his third opening.

Savinho – 7

Didn’t have much license to impress such was Manchester City’s focus on Jeremy Doku down the right, but made the right decisions when he was and tracked back manfully.

Substitutes

Ruben Dias – 6.5

Continued the backline’s professional discipline in moving the ball around.

James McAtee – 7

Grabbed his first goal for the club with a strong finish, and could have had another as he looked dangerous.

Kyle Walker – N/A

Jack Grealish – N/A

Player Ratings

Ortega: Had very little to do but never dropped his concentration to avoid City ending up in any more dangerous situations - exactly why he started. 7

Lewis: Took responsibility in the second half to step up and create Haaland's goal after some uncharacteristically sloppy play. 8

Stones: Cruised through the game on just his third start of the season and enjoyed helping the attack later on. 7

Akanji: A few careless passes that almost put City in trouble but otherwise had a quiet night as part of the back three. 7

Gvardiol: Strong in the air to help his team out defensively, and moved forward with ease. 7

Gundogan: Got the first goal but took a while to get up to speed with the game, to the frustration of his manager. 6

Nunes: Still flatters to deceive, showing some nice touches at times but also getting caught out when he shouldn't be by now. 6

Foden: Still not close to his best but never hid, scored the second and produced a great assist for McAtee. 8

Doku: Beat his full-back with ease regularly, but failed to turn that into goalscoring chances for himself or his teammates apart from one effort off the bar. 6

Savinho: Didn't see much of the ball with most of the play going down the right. Moved up front in the later stages. 6

Haaland: Had very little to go off in the first half but was clever in the second to spot the space and grab his goal. 7

Substitutes
McAtee (for Haaland, 60) A lovely first goal for City. 7

Dias (for Akanji, 60) Solid at the back to allow others to push up. 7

Grealish (for Foden, 78) Got involved.

Walker (for Gvardiol, 78) Little to do.

Player Ratings

GK: Stefan Ortega - 6/10 - Largely a bystander in an unsurprisingly comfortable performance.

RB: Rico Lewis - 7/10 - Had so many opportunities to get involved further forwards and gleefully took every chance. Some smart passes in midfield.

CB: Manuel Akanji - 6/10 - A handful of nervy moments early on. Didn't exactly get much wrong but lacked the composure needed at times.

CB: John Stones - 7/10 - An excellent creator from deep, Stones was heavily involved in most of City's build-up.

LB: Josko Gvardiol - 7/10 - Got involved in attack time and time again. Flashed signs of a real understanding with Savinho.

DM: Ilkay Gundogan - 8/10 - Netted the opening goal and could have bagged another from range in a calm, clinical performance.

DM: Matheus Nunes - 5/10 - On a night in which City looked a class or two above their opponents, Nunes undoubtedly failed to stand out. His play was often slow and uninspired.

RM: Jeremy Doku - 8/10 - A massive threat all night long. Grabbed a deserved assist and should have had at least a goal or two of his own.

AM: Phil Foden - 8/10 - Showed real class with his goal. Buzzed around with real excitement throughout and looked to be enjoying himself.

LM: Savinho - 7/10 - Some nice moments which caused chaos for the Slovan Bratislava defence, but undoubtedly played a reserved role compared to Doku and Foden.

ST: Erling Haaland - 7/10 - Slovan Bratislava defended so deep that Haaland was simply never going to get the space needed to get involved here. Was on the fringes for the majority of the game before one moment of quality saw him get his goal.

Substitutes

SUB: James McAtee (61' for Haaland) - 7/10

SUB: Ruben Dias (61' for Akanji) - 6/10

SUB: Jack Grealish (78' for Foden) - 6/10

SUB: Kyle Walker (78' for Gvardiol) - 6/10

Manager

Pep Guardiola - 7/10 - Went surprisingly strong for this lineup, considering his public pleas for more opportunities to rest his stars, but there can be no complaints with the outcome.

Player Ratings

Stefan Ortega (5/10):

Bratislava's two shots missed the target and he had little to do over the 90 minutes.

Rico Lewis (8/10):

Did a good job sending Doku free down the right side. Fought to win the ball, was useful on it, and caused problems with his movement up the field. Set up Haaland with a fine pass, too.

Manuel Akanji (6/10):

Helped keep Bratislava's attack quiet and was decent with the ball.

John Stones (7/10):

His passing was excellent and he was barely troubled defensively.

Josko Gvardiol (7/10):

Put in a lot of tackles and made some important interventions to keep the home team out

Matheus Nunes (6/10):

Made some promising runs forward when he could and his passing was good.

Ilkay Gundogan (7/10):

Was lucky to see his shot hit a defender and go in, but he put in a strong display and hit the woodwork.

Phil Foden (8/10):

All balls into the middle seemed to find him instead of Haaland as he always managed to get into space. Deserved his goal and got an assist.

Jeremy Doku (8/10):

He had a great time! A constant threat with so much down the flank to put his pace to good use. Key for the first two goals, hit the woodwork himself and created chance after chance.

Savinho (6/10):

Gave the hosts a lot of trouble down City's left but created nothing substantial.

Erling Haaland (6/10):

Went through long spells without being involved, but pounced on some woeful defending to get his goal.

Subs & Manager

James McAtee (7/10):

Looked lively after replacing Haaland for the last 30 minutes and managed to get a goal.

Ruben Dias (5/10):

Didn't have much to do with City cruising by the time he came on.

Jack Grealish (5/10):

Was unable to get much time on the ball in his 10 minutes or so on the field.

Kyle Walker (6/10):

Got involved down the right side and had a long-range shot saved.

Pep Guardiola (7/10):

May feel his team should have scored many more considering their dominance and 25 shots - 13 on target - over the 90 minutes, but he can have few complaints otherwise as City strolled to the win.

Player Ratings

Stefan Ortega- 6/10: Besides an early scare he barely had anything to do. Was good in possession when required.

Rico Lewis-9/10: Yet another fantastic performance from Lewis. Dominated in midfield and his assist for Haaland’s goal was sublime.

John Stones-7.5/10: Stones’ best performance of the season to date. Very good in possession and untroubled at the back.

Manuel Akanji-7/10: Taken off when the game was over but was good once again at the back.

Josko Gvardiol- 6.5/10: Was good in possession and untroubled at the back. However, it was again noticeable that teams are getting after the gap left by Gvardiol when City lose possession.

Ilkay Gundogan- 7.5/10: Scored his first goal since returning to the club and put in a quality performance.

Matheus Nunes- 6.5/10: I was hoping to see more from Nunes throughout the game. Showed some nice touches at times but was on the periphery of the game for the most part.

Savinho-6.5/10: He did some nice things at times but he wasn’t as dynamic as previous showings this season.

Phil Foden-9/10: A superb performance from Foden. He scored one and set up McAtee’s goal with a sublime ball. Looks back to his best based on his performance tonight.

Jeremy Doku-8/10: Grabbed an early assist and was always dangerous on the right wing. If his end product improves, he will be a world-beater.

Erling Haaland-7/10: Grabbed his goal in the second half with a composed piece of play. Could’ve scored two or three in a busy performance.

Substitutes

Ruben Dias- 6/10: Tidy in possession when he came on. Didn’t have any defensive work to do of note.

James McAtee-7.5/10: Had some nice touches off the bench and scored his first goal for the club in a special moment.

Jack Grealish-N/A: Not on long enough to mark.

Kyle Walker-N/A: Not on long enough to mark.

Starting XI: Ederson; Lewis, Akanji, Dias ©, Gvardiol; Kovacic, Gundogan, Foden; Bernardo, Haaland, Grealish.

Substitutes: Ortega Moreno, Carson, Walker, Stones, Nunes, McAtee, Savinho, Doku.

Player Ratings

Ederson – 8

The Manchester City keeper made a couple of huge saves, most notably in one-vs-one situations with Adama Traore.

Rico Lewis – 7

Rico Lewis was at usual best with the ball at his feet against the Londoners, but struggled to deal with the pacy Fulham counter-attack at times.

Manuel Akanji – 7

Manuel Akanji has cemented himself as one of Pep Guardiola’s most reliable defensive options, and hardly put a foot wrong once again.

Ruben Dias – 6.5

Ruben Dias remains a steady presence, but being on the pitch for two goals from close-range in the Manchester City box will knock him down a peg.

Josko Gvardiol – 6.5

A relatively quiet day from the Croatian, but Manchester City continue to struggle defensively.

Mateo Kovacic – 8.5 (MOTM)

Mateo Kovacic is showing with each passing week that papering over the Rodri-less cracks may not be the impossible task we once thought it to be.

Ilkay Gundogan – 7

The former Manchester City captain is still looking to find his feet back in the team, but he remained silky on the ball and a threat from the edge of the box.

Phil Foden – 7

It’s great to see Phil Foden back in the starting line-up, and he was buzzing around the edge of the penalty box as usual. The goals will come with rhythm.

Bernardo Silva – 8

Bernardo Silva has received plenty of criticism when playing out on the wing, but his assist and an overall controlled performance was exactly what Manchester City needed at times.

Jack Grealish – 6.5

Jack Grealish went missing throughout stretches of the game, but was involved in the build-up for the second Mateo Kovacic goal.

Erling Haaland – 6.5

A victim of his own success in our ratings. Erling Haaland was involved, occupying defenders to allow space for his teammates but ultimately struggled to take his few chances.

Substitutes

Kyle Walker – 6.5

The Manchester City skipper was seemingly brought on to deal with the counter-attacks, but was burned by Adama Traore and played a role in Fulham’s late fight-back.

Jeremy Doku – 7.5

Jeremy Doku’s moment of magic ultimately secured the three points for Manchester City, but the game did open up in a threatening way when the Belgian came on the pitch.

John Stones – N/A

Matheus Nunes – N/A


This post has been edited by kjs86: Oct 6 2024, 02:06 AM