City were on the back foot for the majority of yesterday's game, soaking up pressure and hitting Newcastle on the break when possible. They scored against the run of play early on and then worked tirelessly to protect their lead as Newcastle tried to turn the screw in the second half. The centre half pairing of Kompany and Demichellis stood solid against the Magpie's onslaught and all of City's players worked for each other in pressing their opposite number. Pellegrini has instilled a real togetherness in his team, something which was so blatantly lacking at the club under Mancini's management. Very much like Mourinho's Chelsea of old, City were confident in their ability to see a game through once they had the lead and their hard work was rewarded in the final minutes, Negredo wrapping up another fine display on the road for the Citizens.
