Newcastle United is fighting for safety from near certain relegation, and manager Rafa Benitez is hoping that Manchester City’s Champions League push will prove as a distraction to enable his club to fight for victory and edge closer to salvation.
Advertisement
City had won a dozen Premier League games in a row against Newcastle, but – perhaps with one eye on next week’s meeting with Real Madrid – could not rouse themselves to extend that run to 13, and had Hart to thank for their draw when he denied Wijnaldum late on.
“In the back of your head you are thinking about a semi-final or a final and if you are going to get an injury”, the Spaniard told reporters on Monday.
Benitez, who led Liverpool to Champions League glory in 2005, said: “We have to try to win every game, it doesn’t matter where”.
“We must try to finish now playing this way, trying to be as near as possible at the top of the table, trying to play the final of the Champions League and we will finish a good season if we win two titles”.
Newcastles United’s Jack Colback, background, and Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling battle for the ball during their English Premier League soccer match at St James’ Park, Newcastle, England, Tuesday April 19, 2016. “We also have a lot of players who talk French and Sissoko has big influence with them”.
A draw moved third-placed City a point ahead of Arsenal in fourth and five clear of United, who host Crystal Palace tonight, although both have a game in hand. “We have fantastic players and I am happy to have them in my team, at any given time they can give me an assist”. “We had some chances in the second half to score the second goal, but we didn’t play well and didn’t deserve to win”, the Chilean said at his post-match media conference.
Andros Townsend’s work-rate and desire to track back and get forward on the right set the example to his team-mates and the ovation he received when substituted showed the Magpies faithful appreciated his efforts. Newcastle are very unsafe, they have good players.
The reverse fixture saw Newcastle destroyed 6-1 at the Etihad, with Sergio Aguero netting five goals.
Man City had a rare chance with 16 minutes to play, and Darlow parried a long-range bullet from De Bruyne.
Advertisement
Pellegrini was also quizzed on Aguero, with only Alan Shearer able to better Aguero’s achievement of reaching his Premier League century in 147 games – the Newcastle legend having reached the landmark in just 124 appearances.
