Manchester City close the gap to Arsenal after beating Newcastle United 2-0, capitalising on the away side's goalscoring struggles, with Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden the goalscorers.
Both sides had polarising success in cup competitions last time out, with Man City booking their place in the FA Cup quarter-finals, and Newcastle suffering Carabao Cup agony as they lost at the final hurdle against Manchester United.
With Man City dominant in the opening 45 minutes in Manchester, the in-form Foden opened the scoring as he netted his fourth goal in three games, after weaving through the Newcastle defence and putting the Citizens ahead.
Newcastle had opportunities on the break in the first half, but the Magpies, who are struggling for goals, snatched at their chances.
Eddie Howe's side faced the difficult task to turn the game on its head, with the beaten Carabao Cup finalists only scoring three goals in their last seven Premier League matches.
The Newcastle manager introduced Alexander Isak and Allan Saint-Maximin to try and get his side level, but super-sub Bernardo Silva scored his fourth Premier League goal of the season to put Man City in control of the fixture.
The Magpies' winless streak at the Etihad Stadium continues, with Newcastle's last win away to Man City coming 23 years ago at Maine Road.
Story of the Match
Pep Guardiola shuffled his pack from the FA Cup win over Bristol City, making six changes from that game, with leading goalscorer Erling Haaland, Ederson, and Jack Grealish returning to the matchday squad, as well as Kyle Walker, Rodri, and Ilkay Gundogan.
Howe made three changes to the that were beaten by Manchester United in the Carabao Cup final, with Nick Pope serving his suspension and returning to the starting line-up. There is also a first Premier League start for Anthony Gordon and a surprise start for Jamaal Lascelles, with Fabian Schär absent from the matchday squad.
Man City have been dominant in this fixture in the modern era winning 30 of the last 44 competitive fixtures since the turn of the century, with Newcastle only winning eight.
Man City started sharper and could have been ahead in the opening five minutes when Jack Grealish hung a cross towards the unmarked Gundogan but his flicked header did not come down quick enough and landed on top of the net.
Newcastle did grow into the game as they started to control possession and dictate play, with Gordon presented with an opening, but at the crucial moment he miskicked his shot and Man City cleared.
Man City opened the scoring when Foden danced his way past four of five Newcastle defenders and drove into the box, before firing into the back of the net courtesy of a deflection off the outstretched leg of Sven Botman.
The Magpies almost hit back instantly with Sean Longstaff finding himself unmarked in the box, but Nathan Ake scrambled across to block the midfielder’s effort.
Haaland has 27 goals in the Premier League and should have had his 28th, when the Norwegian met Kevin De Bruyne’s cross, but his downward header was wide of the right post. Most of the ground expected the net to bulge.
Newcastle should have had their equaliser with Kieran Trippier heading down to Callum Wilson, but the striker snatched at his shot and mistimed his effort. A good connection and Newcastle would have been level.
Newcastle had it all to do in the second half, with Howe’s side yet to win a game this season when scoring first, amid a torrid goalscoring run where the last Premier League game they scored two goals or more coming on Boxing Day in a 3-0 win against Leicester City.
Joelinton went into the book for a late challenge on Ruben Dias in his own half. The poignancy of that booking is that the Brazilian will now serve a two-game suspension after accumulating 10 yellow cards this season and will miss the games against Wolves and Nottingham Forest.
Joe Willock made an instant impact off the bench delivering a whipped cross into the box, Joelinton arrived on the scene, but the ball slipped underneath his boot, just as it looked like he was going to connect with the cross and finish past Ederson.
But it was Man City’s super sub Bernardo Silva that made a bigger impact as he doubled the Man City advantage, just as it looked like Newcastle’s changes were having a positive impact. Trippier gave the ball away in midfield and Grealish drove at the Newcastle backline, the winger found Haaland, who laid it off around the corner to the Portuguese midfielder who poked it into the bottom right corner.
Foden almost had his second of the game after a fluid move from Manchester City opened up space for the winger on the right side of the Newcastle box, but Pope was down quickly to save his low curled effort.
Player of the Match
Phil Foden (Manchester City)
After a run of games on the Man City bench the midfielder looks to be proving a point to his manager. The England international is in good form scoring his 13th goal of the season.
Foden's quick feet and dribbling ability were sensational as he skipped past the Newcastle defence to give his team the lead in the first half. Dan Burn really struggled to deal with him all game and he could have had a few more today.