Image source, Rex Features

Steve James: Someone please throw another ball on for Newcastle to play with.

David P H Thomas: KDB is just a wizard, sensational pass.

Jaylock: Is there a better creator or assister in football than Kevin De Bruyne?

Normal service resumes after that brief Newcastle flurry.

Manchester City, like a playground bully, teasing the opponents by playing keep-ball between themselves.

Alan Shearer
Former Newcastle striker on BBC Radio 5 live

Pep has improved his players and given them huge confidence.

He has worked with Raheem Sterling in the afternoons and improved him - and we are seeing the benefit of that now.

Newcastle do come out and nearly grab a quick equaliser.

Kyle Walker slips in his own box and then Rolando Aarons has time and space to set himself.

He takes a touch and chips a shot goalward from the left, it goes over goalkeeper Ederson, but Nicolas Otamendi has the nous to sniff the danger and head the ball off the line.

Alan Shearer
Former Newcastle striker on BBC Radio 5 live

Image source, Getty Images

You cannot give the player of the season that much time to pick a pass when he has runners coming off him at pace. There was not a Newcastle player within five yards of Kevin de Bruyne and he delivered a perfect ball right onto the instep of Raheem Sterling.

It will be interesting to see what Newcastle will do now. They cannot continue like they have been a goal down.

Oof, that is inches away.

Sergio Aguero shows quick feet by wriggling in between the challenges of Chancel Mbemba and Jacob Murphy and his shot from 20 yards dips and rattles against the post.

That's twice now the Argentine has hit the woodwork in this match

Manchester City throw their arms up in the air, there is miscommunication between Sergio Aguero and Raheem Sterling.

The Argentine has three Newcastle defenders in attention inside the box, he has his English team-mate haring in in support, but Aguero rolls his pass straight out of play.

Johnny Magrinho: Do not understand how Joselu is still getting games for Newcastle. I’d rather start Merino or Ritchie ahead of him with Perez or Murphy alone up top. I mean, what does he actually add to the team rather than having a fancy Spanish name? Gayle must be livid.

Sohaib Deen: People having a go at Newcastle for this approach have no idea. Its exactly the right tactic to try and get something/limit damage from the game. Spurs went head to head and got smashed

Kevin de Bruyne's radar is off today.

Again the Belgian finds the ball at his left boot on the edge of the area and you know what he is trying, that thumping, bending strike into the top corner, but instead he smacks a shot over the crossbar.

Having been in their half the entire match, Newcastle cross the halfway line and are close to reaching the opposite penalty area, but defender Nicolas Otamendi shifts gears to cut the ball out.

City have had 90 (NINETY) per cent of the possession in the opening quarter of this game.

Total and utter domination.

Image source, Opta

Image source, Reuters

Are Manchester City getting frustrated? There are 21 players in the Newcastle half of the pitch which means play is so congested.

Brazilian full-back Danilo tries to take matters into his own hands, but his long-range drive is way off target.

Gary Flintoff
BBC Radio 5 live at St James' Park

Many of the Newcastle faithful are restless. They want their side to go toe to toe with Manchester City, but Rafael Benitez clearly does not want to leave any space for the visitors to exploit.

As a result, the entire game is being played in the Newcastle half.

20 minutes gone, still goalless.

That means Rafael Benitez's gameplan is going as he wanted.

John Murray
BBC Radio 5 live

This is just about the most negative approach that I can remember from the home team in the Premier League.

Image source, Reuters

Fantastic, fantastic stop.

Kevin de Bruyne curls a superb delivery into the box - you would expect nothing less from the Belgian - and it is flicked on at the front post by Sergio Aguero, but Rob Elliot makes a sharp, instinctive save, stretching out his right arm and pushing the ball away.

Having played goalkeeper myself back in the day, I am loving that from the Newcastle goalkeeper.

Look at this touch map after 15 minutes. Newcastle on the left, Man City on the right - guess who has been on top so far?

Image source, BBC Sport

Wale ibraheem: Every team has played 10 men behind the ball against City and still lost. Why can't Rafa do something different?

Image source, PA

Newcastle manager Rafael Benitez is out of his seat for the first time, making arm gestures to his players like a traffic official.

City get a corner which goes right across the six yard box and neither Sergio Aguero nor Gabriel Jesus can poke it home.