Man City go top

LONDON. — Manchester City took over at the top of the Premier League table after winning 2-0 against Newcastle United in a tempestuous encounter at St James’ Park yesterday. Edin Dzeko and Alvaro Negredo claimed City’s goals, but the match’s defining incident occurred mid-way through the first half when Newcastle midfielder Cheick Tiote had a goal contentiously ruled out for offside.

Referee Mike Jones’s decision created a taut atmosphere inside the stadium, with fans jeering the officials and Newcastle manager Alan Pardew haranguing Jones as he left the pitch at half-time.

It was City’s sixth consecutive league win and lifted them above Chelsea at the summit, although they will lose their hold on first place if Arsenal win at Aston Villa today.

Newcastle, meanwhile, remain in eighth place.
Bidding to avenge a 4-0 defeat at City on the season’s opening day, Newcastle began at a high tempo, but it took the visitors less than eight minutes to make the breakthrough.

David Silva released Aleksandar Kolarov with an incisive pass down the inside-left channel and the Serbian left-back delivered a low cross that was clipped home by Dzeko.

There followed a moment of real controversy in the 34th minute, when Tiote thrashed a shot past Joe Hart from the edge of the box, only for referee Jones to rule the goal out for offside after speaking to an assistant.

Yoan Gouffran, hovering in front of goal as Tiote shot, did not appear to have been interfering with play, and the angry mood in the ground was almost worsened when Silva volleyed narrowly wide from a corner.

City manager Manuel Pellegrini bolstered his midfield by introducing Jesus Navas in place of Dzeko early in the second half, as dissent from Newcastle’s fans continued to rain down on the match officials.

After Newcastle goalkeeper Tim Krul kept his side in the game with a point-blank save to repel a header from Negredo, the hosts began to push their visitors back.

Yohan Cabaye saw one long-range strike saved by City goalkeeper Hart and another whistle over the bar, before Hart produced a smart save with his legs to foil Loic Remy.

Meanwhile, Luis Suarez scored twice as Liverpool secured a first Premier League victory at Stoke City and climbed to fourth in the table with a dramatic 5-3 win yesterday.

The visitors raced into an early 2-0 lead, with a Ryan Shawcross own goal and a Suarez effort giving them an apparently comfortable cushion.

But Peter Crouch’s header pulled one back before Charlie Adam — also a former Liverpool player — thumped in from the edge of the area to pull Stoke level just before half-time.

Steven Gerrard restored the lead with a penalty before Suarez curled in a fourth. Jonathan Walters looked to set up a tense finish by reducing the arrears in the 85th minute, but Daniel Sturridge celebrated his return from an ankle injury by scoring Liverpool’s fifth. The visitors were far from convincing at times, but they picked up what could prove to be a pivotal win in their push for a Champions League place. Brendan Rodgers’s side had to make a strong start defensively as they dealt with a couple of early Adam corners, but the visitors got a welcome break after just five minutes.

Lucas Leiva played Raheem Sterling into space down the right and the winger clipped the ball back for Aly Cissokho, whose shot from 25 yards was flying well wide before hitting Shawcross and flying past Jack Butland.

The visitors were continually forced deep but rarely looked in trouble and should have doubled their advantage when Sterling crossed for Philippe Coutinho, only for the Brazilian to lift his shot just over the bar. — AFP.