Jonathan Pearce
BBC Match of the Day commentator at Etihad Stadium

Newcastle were defensively dogged but are ultimately beaten again.

Amrul Choudhury: Ladies and gentleman we will see the top four formed tomorrow when Tottenham beat Watford. Mind the gap.

Job done for City, hats off to the Toon too. Both sides can take positives.

City will lap up the points and a win going into the international break, Newcastle will look at what was a committed display.

Man City have the ball, Newcastle need a miracle with seconds to go...

A big chance for Sergio Aguero as the away defence is pierced clean through the middle. He goes to round Martin Dubravka who does everything right. The keeper forces Aguero wide and dives to palm away at his feet. Aguero quickly collects and Dubravka is out of his goal but the striker gets confused and almost plays what looks like a cross and a shot. Well wide.

Ilkay Gundogan thinks he's Tony Yeboah, hitting a volley first time from 25 yards. That belongs on a Sunday League pitch. Well, it would have ended up on an adjacent pitch given how far wide it was.

Andrew Hamilton: Bernardo Silva looks like he's developing into a world-class player. But worrying that Sane started to stall in February and hasn't kicked on since, Jesus hasn't looked the same since his injury last year, and Mahrez not clicking

Sandy Jarvis: Is anyone else rooting for Manchester City's opposition every week, whoever they are? I just don't want them to win because, as an Arsenal fan, I believe that the 03/04 team for the Gunners is better than this current City team. They are not the best we’ve ever seen!

Paul Lake
Former Manchester City defender on Radio Manchester

Raheem Sterling has not got in behind anyone on the left. He is keeping possession well, has been strong and reliable, but has left the left hand side redundant.

Bernardo SIlva has been far more consistent and is making City tick.

Image source, Reuters

Vincent Kompany comes on, David Silva goes off. Big reception for both men as you'd expect.

David Silva thinks he's in behind but he's well offside. At the other end, DeAndre Yedlin drives forward and the ball ricochets off bodies into the path of Joselu but his shot from 20 yards catches a defender and the sting is taken out of it, leaving an easy save for Ederson.

Newcastle still having a go.

Image source, Getty Images

Louis Porter: Interesting to see how quickly opinions change. At 1-0, all praise was being aimed at City, they are going to steamroll Newcastle and look strong. Newcastle then score to make it 1-1 and suddenly Mahrez isn't playing well, a bit shaky? Modern football

Newcastle pushing a touch more down the left flank and a low cross requires a sliding interception in from a blue shirt. A yard either way and there would have been problems. City have it back and play in triangles in the middle of the pitch, a lengthy spell of possession ends up back at Ederson's feet.

Any fight Newcastle have left is being sucked out with every pass.

Image source, PA

Right, as this game edges towards a solid home win, who thinks Jermaine Pennant will win Celebrity Big Brother?

The guy loves his "banter" and so do we. We're on #bbcfootball.

On this showing, Newcastle have plenty of heart in what looks like it will be a scrap to survive. They are pressing a little more now but Man City play through the initial press and get Raheem Sterling on the ball wide left. He cuts in, crosses, too high.

Jacob Murphy is coming on for Newcastle, Ciaran Clarke comes off. That's positive for the away side.

Raheem Sterling runs at the heart of the Newcastle defence and it's briefly three against three. He has David Silva right and Sergio Aguero right. That's a hospital ball to Aguero though and he has to launch into a 50-50. A waste.

Image source, AFP

Alphonse Rawlinson: Unpopular opinion, I know, but I'm so bored of watching City, particularly against lower class opposition, it's not a match it's a siege

Ilkay Gundogan's first action is to play a fine free-kick to the back post and as Fernandinho goes to head from close range, Paul Dummett rises to flick it for a corner. That was crucial.

Off goes Riyad Mahrez, who gets a warm applause despite not really catching light. Ilkay Gundogan is coming on.

Image source, Reuters

It's not just the difference in possession making a difference here with City on 78%, it's also the care taken with the ball.

Aymeric Laporte has completed 96% of his passes - and he's played 99 in all. He sums up City's use of the ball as his side have completed 90% of their passes.

Newcastle by contrast have completed just 61%. Ayoze Perez is their most accurate man having completed 71% of his 15 passes.

I guess it tells you that when you're seeing so little of the ball, you have to make it work for you when you get it.

Image source, Getty Images