Nico O’Reilly scored twice as Manchester City closed the hole on Premier League leaders Arsenal to 2 factors with a slim 2-1 victory over Newcastle on the Etihad.
Lewis Corridor had equalised for the Magpies, who made the longest journey by an English membership in Champions League historical past in midweek and ran Pep Guardiola’s facet shut for lengthy durations within the recreation.
Nevertheless, O’Reilly’s brace ensured the title race stays nicely and really open forward of the north London derby on Sunday.
O’Reilly on the double
It took lower than 1 / 4 of an hour for the impasse to be damaged. After choosing up on the free ball, Omar Marmoush discovered O’Reilly and the versatile Metropolis participant fired dwelling to offer the hosts the lead.
The benefit lasted lower than 10 minutes. From a nook on 22 minutes, the ball was cleared to Corridor on the sting of the field.
The defender’s strike took a giant deflection off Rayan Ait-Nouri earlier than nestling into the underside nook to carry Newcastle again on degree phrases.
O’Reilly doubled his and Metropolis’s tally for the night simply 5 minutes later, the England participant leaping highest to nod dwelling Erling Haaland’s chipped cross following some neat play from Antoine Semenyo.
Dan Burn then noticed his header dominated out for offside earlier than Marmoush twice went shut to increase Metropolis’s lead.
After the break, Corridor almost caught out Gianluigi Donnarumma when he fired narrowly broad from a free-kick.
Newcastle had been in search of a means again into the sport however the most effective possibilities fell to Metropolis, Antoine Semenyo blasting over from an excellent place when a cross might have been the extra appropriate choice.
Nick Pope denied each Haaland and substitute Phil Foden late on earlier than Harvey Barnes drew a finger-tip cease from Donnarumma proper on the dying as Metropolis held on to make up precious floor on the Gunners.
