MAN CITY 4 NEWCASTLE UTD 0
MAN CITY: 1. Joe Hart 5. Pablo Zabaleta 4. Vincent Kompany 71' 6. Joleon Lescott 22. Gael Clichy 25. Fernandinho 42. Yaya Toure 15. Jesus Navas 16. Sergio Aguero 62' 21. David Silva 80' 10. Edin Dzeko
Subs: 7. James Milner 8. Samir Nasri 62' 9. Alvaro Negredo 80' 13. Aleksandar Kolarov 14. Javi Garcia 71' 17. Jack Rodwell 30. Costel Pantilimon
NEWCASTLE: 1. Tim Krul 26. Mathieu Debuchy 2. Fabricio Coloccini 27. Steven Taylor 13. Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa 7. Moussa Sissoko 24. Cheick Tiote 11. Yoan Gouffran 45+4' 10. Hatem Ben Arfa 65' 18. Jonas Gutierrez 44' 9. Papiss Cisse
Subs: 8. Vurnon Anita 44' 21. Rob Elliot 22. Sylvain Marveaux 23. Shola Ameobi 25. Gabriel Obertan 28. Sammy Ameobi 65' 36. Paul Dummett 45+4'
After David Silva took just six minutes to open City's account with a close-range header, we were all wondering what Pardew's excuses were going to be.
Having blamed Europe for the catastrophe last season, perhaps our pre-season fixture with Braga left his players tired?
Sergio Aguero added another before half-time, with Yaya Toure and Samir Nasri also on target after the interval, while Edin Dzeko missed chance after chance.
It was expected, although you sit in the stands and pray you were wrong, and the misery of being a Newcastle fan continues.
I'm 58 years old, and never have I gone into a new season feeling as low as I do now, and that includes the relegation aftermath of 1978, 1989 and 2009.
The club is a mess, with a manager who thinks 'tactics' are a little mint sweet and an owner who couldn't give a f*** what happens to the club.
It was not entirely a trouble-free night for City boss Pellegrini as he lost skipper Vincent Kompany to a groin injury ... but compared to opposite number Alan Pardew, the Chilean's problems are minuscule.
Pardew was clearly furious that a bid from Arsenal for Yohan Cabaye was made public in the hours before kick-off, which effectively prevented the midfielder from being involved.
So - straight away he had someone to blame for the defeat - and when he sees the television replays he will be equally annoyed with Steven Taylor.
Inexplicably, Taylor deliberately caught Aguero round the side of his head with a swing of his arm, right in front of referee Andre Marriner, and that after he did his usual party trick - making a tackle in the box leading with his arms. It wasn't a penalty, but many City fans thought it should have been, and boy was he lucky to get away with it.
It's a failing he has had throughout his career, and something that needs addressing NOW!
The foul was an obvious straight red card and considering United were already two goals down, left them with no chance of salvaging anything from a sorry evening.
But with frustration showing, he could have been joined for an early bath by Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa and Mathieu Debuchy, who were both 'on the edge'.
Having been forced to wait 48 hours to enter the battle, during which time their main title rivals (Man Utd and Chelsea) had secured comfortable victories, City seemed intent on making a statement.
Aguero had an early shot saved, Dzeko looked lively and Silva schemed.
Their own hopes hampered by the bid for Cabaye which triggered the Frenchman's return to the north-east because he was not in the right frame of mind to play, Newcastle wobbled.
The midfield was motivated, but purely outclassed by better players, confirming Pardew's earlier words: "I cannot bring in the sort of players City can attract."
And when Taylor turned Dzeko's near-post cross into the path of Silva, the little Spain star nodded home from close range.
Toure could well have had a penalty when he was shoved over by Mathieu Debuchy and Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa looked like an accident waiting to happen in an over-run Newcastle defence.
As it happened, City's second came straight down the middle of the pitch.
Skipper Kompany put the visitors' defence on the back foot with an incisive pass to Dzeko, who caught Newcastle by surprise by flicking the ball straight on to Aguero.
His quick thinking allowed him to get half a yard in front of Taylor, which was all the room he needed to bury a precise shot into the bottom corner.
Amid a flurry of yellow cards Cheick Tiote brought a rare save out of Joe Hart with a long range effort before Dzeko headed Aguero's cross wide at the other end.
That effort apart, Steven Hawkins could have played in goal for City, that was how little Hart saw of the ball!
If Pardew was contemplating the swings and arrows of misfortune in the minutes ticking down the interval, he must have been incredulous at Taylor's early exit.
As he had also lost Jonas Gutierrez to injury, it was about as bad a 45 minutes as Newcastle could have imagined.
Within five minutes of the restart it had got worse.
Initially it appeared Newcastle had been reprieved thanks to a brilliant save from Tim Krul to deny Dzeko.
The hosts maintained their pressure, though, and after Debuchy had fouled Aguero on the edge of the area, Toure curled a superb free-kick into the top corner.
But only because 3ft 6" Vurnon Anita - stood in the pivital spot in the wall - DUCKED as the ball headed towards him.
The golden rule in setting up a wall - only stick in players who are willing to take a smack in the face! Anita bottled it! And not for the first time.
Silva went close from a pass by Fernandinho, who was outstanding on his debut, then Dzeko was denied by Krul again.
Nasri's introduction in place of Aguero on the hour underlined the offensive strength Pellegrini has at his disposal, with Stevan Jovetic not even making the bench.
Nasri evaded the attentions of Debuchy to slot home City's fourth, as the Toon defender look far from being international class.
Just as he showed against Liverpool in the 6-0 drubbing last season, he cannot handle a humiliation, and his French temperament is first to show.
Dzeko went close again before Alvaro Negredo was handed his debut, the former Sevilla man having a goal incorrectly ruled out for offside in the dying stages.
Newcastle United Fixtures ...
Saturday August 24
15:00 Premier League Newcastle United v West Ham United
Wednesday August 28
19:45 League Cup - 2nd Rnd Morecambe v Newcastle United *Sky Sports
Saturday August 31
15:00 Premier League Newcastle United v Fulham
Saturday September 14
15:00 Premier League Aston Villa v Newcastle United
Saturday September 21
15:00 Premier League Newcastle United v
Hull City
Monday September 30
20:00 Premier League Everton v Newcastle United *Sky Sports
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