Manchester City continued their perfect start to the Premier League season with a 1-0 win over Newcastle United on Saturday evening.
Argentine international Julian Alvarez and Ruben Dias returned from City's penalty shoot-out success against Sevilla in the UEFA Super Cup, while Newcastle went with the same starting line-up from their 5-1 thrashing of Aston Villa last weekend.
The champions looked to get their noses in front from smart foot-work by Jack Grealish off a decent area, but a block from Kieran Trippier denied the winger.
City did though get ahead just past the half-hour mark when Phil Foden played Alvarez in on the cusp of the area and saw the forward opened an angle to blast off the finger-tip of Nick Pope.
The Magpies were under more pressure and nearly conceded again shortly before halftime as Ederson's long ball saw Foden take aim to set-up Erling Haaland for a strike, but he went narrowly wide.
Eddie Howe's charges turned up inspired in the second half and threatened to draw level through a snap effort near the area by Anthony Gordon, but he had his effort parried.
City did have a chance to increase their tally with a teasing effort by Haaland after good work again by Foden, but he mis-fired yet again.
The visitors looked to bench in the hope of a comeback and introduced Callum Wilson for Alexander Isak in the final third, with the Citizens unchanged.
However, with time running out the Magpies failed to engineer a comeback and saw the defending champions run out winners.
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