Even as Newcastle United fans sang for the club to sack manager Alan Pardew, owner Mike Ashley has stuck by his man, and that's starting to look like a very good decision. Just three days after his side scored an upset win at White Hart Lane, they've put together an even more stunning result, knocking Manchester City out of the League Cup with a 2-0 win away at Emirates Stadium.
Manchester City vs. Newcastle United: Final score 0-2, Magpies pull massive upset
One of the League Cup’s big favorites has bitten the dust.
The Magpies had the lead after just six minutes. Ryan Taylor, recently back from a long injury layoff, created the goal by pressuring Fernandinho into a turnover. The ball rolled into the path of 18-year-old Rolando Aarons, who surged past his defender and placed a shot between the legs of City goalkeeper Willy Caballero to stun the home crowd.
As it turned out, Taylor contributed something else for his team earlier, though inadvertently and not in the way anyone likes. His challenge resulted in an injury for David Silva, who tried to run off his knock, but was eventually replaced by Samir Nasri in the 9th minute.
For the rest of the first half, City were well in control and only failed to score due to a combination of bad luck and some excellent goalkeeping by Robert Elliot. He denied Stevan Jovetic in the 20th minute, and the Montenegrin's follow-up attempts were blocked before the ball was cleared away. Fabricio Coloccini nearly scored an own goal seven minutes after that when a terrible clearance attempt hit the post, while Elliot had to make another good save in the 42nd minute, on a low drive by Yaya Toure.
While the hosts continued to dominate play into the second half, they looked much less dangerous, and let Newcastle break off a few decent looking counters as they pushed farther forward. Eventually, their risk-taking resulted in the Magpies adding an insurance goal, and in spectacular fashion. Mousa Sissoko beat three defenders with a great show of strength and burst of pace into the box before slotting past Willy with the outside of his right foot from 12 yards.
City laid siege on the Newcastle goal after that, but they never found a goal. Taylor came up with a huge block on Edin Dzeko in the 85th minute and substitute Jesus Navas missed a great chance badly from 15 yards not long after that. Newcastle composed themselves well heading into stoppage time, and comfortably held on for a shutout win.
Manchester City: Willy, Kolarov, Mangala, Demichelis, Sagna, Fernandinho, Toure (Navas 60’), Silva (Nasri 9’ [Aguero 70’]), Jovetic, Milner, Dzeko
Goals: None
Newcastle: Elliot, Haidara, Dummett, Coloccini, Janmaat (Sissoko 64’), Colback, Abied, Taylor, Aarons (Ameobi 46’), Armstrong (Riviere 65’), Obertan
Goals: Aarons (6’), Sissoko (75’)
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