Southampton, meanwhile, are unbeaten on the road this season in the Premier League (W2 D4) and have won six and drawn two of their last nine matches in all competitions. “It was a very important reaction”, the manager said.
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Leicester is now second on goal difference behind City, but that was just a footnote on a memorable day for Vardy. “It’s very hard to replace him”, Pellegrini told reporters on Friday.
“As I say, these players have got to come through this, we all have to come through it, but there’s no one more determined than me, starting tomorrow morning”.
“If you want to be involved in the title race you can not drop more points at home”.
Despite the limp efforts of Newcastle’s players this season, the travelling support was still strong.
“I know Joe is in an wonderful moment and is playing really well”.
“It is not a crisis”. Southampton are having a good season.
The Saints returned in the second half and pulled a goal back in the 50th minute through as Long met a cross from Sadio Mane to head past City goalkeeper.
Newcastle actually took the lead against Palace through Papiss Cisse, but then capitulated to suffer their eighth defeat in 14 league games.
David Silva’s absence has been just as badly felt, with the Spaniard’s creativity in tandem with top scorer Sergio Aguero, who is yet to play 90 minutes since returning from a seven-match spell out with a hamstring injury, denying City a major weapon.
The sight of Sergio Aguero hobbling off with ankle pain is a worry, but manager Manuel Pellegrini will be encouraged by the fact his side recorded a win without five senior players.
“He has a pain in his heel”. I’m confident we can go there and do that.
Koeman saw improvement after the interval but admitted his side played into the opposition’s hands and were punished for their lacklustre start.
“Maybe we were lucky to be only 2-0 after 20 minutes because we lost every ball”.
The midfielder needed no invitation to shoot as the ball rolled into his path outside the area but he benefited from a big deflection off the luckless Virgil van Dijk as Stekelenburg was wrong-footed.
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Shane Long reduced the arrears early in the second half with another headed goal, but there was to be no late comeback from the visitors as Aleksandar Kolarov applied the finishing touch. We had the best chance to make it 2-2 with (Dusan) Tadic.
