NEWCASTLE UNITED 0, MANCHESTER CITY 2
Samir Nasri could be out for months after potentially injuring his medial ligaments in a horror tackle by Newcastle United defender Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa.
The Frenchman was stretchered off in tears and will undergo a scan on Monday but Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini was adamant that the Magpies should have been reduced to 10 men for the challenge.
“Nasri has a serious injury with his knee.” reported Pellegrini.
He added: “It was a red card.”
The Nasri injury was not the only moment of controversy during the game, with the Magpies denied an equaliser by Cheick Tiote when referee Michael Jones chalked it off for an infringement in Yoan Gouffran was deemed offside on a technicality while avoiding the flight of Tiote’s thunderbolt ‘goal’.
Edin Dzeko had earlier given City the lead after he slid home Aleksander Kolarov’s centre for his 13th goal of the season before the controversial equaliser was disallowed. A touchline incident with both dugouts erupted and threatened to get worse when Magpies manager Alan Pardew reportedly resorted to foul and abusive language directed at Pellegrini for which he later apologised “100%”.
City had to weather a robust response from the aggrieved Magpies who were never out of the game, forcing Joe Hart into a string of saves to deny them until stoppage time when Alvaro Negredo’s 19th goal of the season, a tap-in to an empty net after his initial shot came off Tim Krul, finally deflated the St James’ Park crowd.
The loss of Nasri is just the latest test of the strong City squad. Pellegrini admitted that Yaya Toure had a back problem all week and Dzeko came off with a calf injury after sustaining a foul during the game.