Manchester City needed to show a response after their heartbreaking 3-2 loss to Manchester United in the big Derby last weekend, and they did just that, showing plenty of character to pull off a hard fought 3-1 win over Newcastle United in their English Premier League game at St James' Park.
Sergio Aguero opened the scoring for City, before Javi Garcia made it 2-0. Demba Ba halved the deficit early in the second half, but Yaya Toure netted late on to take City to within three points of United, who play Sunderland later.
It was Newcastle that started the much better team, testing goalkeeper Joe Hart in the very first minute. Vurnon Anita whipped a low cross in, which Papiss Cisse just guided with his right boot towards the bottom corner, but the City custodian got down brilliantly to make a save.
Anita again created another chance for Newcastle; this time his freekick was headed on by Mike Williamson, with the ball just going beyond Demba Ba, allowing Hart to gather.
The first ten minutes was all Newcastle, but City opened the scoring off virtually their first attacking move. Yaya Toure played though Samir Nasri with a brilliant through ball, with the former Arsenal midfielder unselfishly squaring it to Aguero for a tap-in in the tenth minute.
Just like in the Manchester Derby last weekend, when Manchester United found their groove following their goal, City went up a couple of gears.
That free flowing, quick style of play was in full view as the away side put on wave after wave of attacks, with David Silva, Yaya Toure and Nasri central to the build-up play.
Silva created City's next chance, weaving his way into the box, aided by a one-two with Aguero, before playing a cross to Carlos Tevez, who saw his strike well saved by Tim Krul.
It was all City now, and their play was a joy to watch, as Nasri flashed a cross across the face of goal after being put through by Toure, but the ball was just out of Tevez's reach.
Nasri, who was heavily criticized for his performance in the Manchester Derby, then came extremely close to make it 2-0.
Silva glided through the Newcastle defense again, before playing through Nasri, who somehow found a way past Krul from a tight angle, but unluckily saw his strike hit the post, with Williamson making a brilliant block to prevent Aguero from finishing off the rebound.
The Newcastle defender tested Hart at the other end off a freekick from Anita, but it was all City now, as they finally looked like the Premier League champions.
Nasri's day, though, ended prematurely, as the playmaker picked up a groin injury, with Aleksandar Kolarov replacing him in the 35th minute.
Silva was the chief orchestrator now, playing through Tevez for another crack at goal, but the ball took the slightest of nicks of Krul to go out for a corner.
Off the ensuing set-piece, Javi Garcia rose unchallenged to head the ball in, with Davide Santon making a hash of the clearance on the goalline as City doubled their lead in the 39th minute.
The next six minutes of the first half, saw Newcastle make a couple of efforts on goal as they tried to find a way back into the game, but City kept their two-goal advantage comfortably enough.
The home side started the second half, as they did the first - on the front foot. Ba had the first chance, but headed high and wide off a cross from Cheick Tiote to the far post. Davide Santon then made a nice run down the left, before cutting in onto his favored right foot, but only managed to hit the side netting.
Newcastle cut the deficit in the 51st minute, with Ba scoring for the Magpies. Silva cleared a corner with his head, which Coloccini just hooked back into the penalty area. City got caught out while trying to come out, with Ba having the simplest of tasks of heading into the back of the net past Hart.
Cisse then had a glorious chance to make it 2-2, but slammed his shot high, after a neat turn got him away from Matija Nastasic just inside the penalty box.
Newcastle were bossing possession in the second period, but despite all their best efforts, City made the game safe in the 77th minute. Pablo Zabaleta played a nice cross from the left for Yaya Toure to stab the ball in and end the home side's chances of a comeback.
