Shelvey caresses a cross into the City box from the left, Gayle heads over when he should work Ederson at the very least, and that’s that! So for the second time in a month, Rafa Benitez’s plan for a rope-a-dope smash-and-grab briefly threatens to bear a little fruit ... but ultimately ends in failure, with the possession stats more damning than the actual scoreline. Newcastle battled hard and showed great discipline, but ultimately City were just too darn good, with Leroy Sane and hat-trick hero Sergio Aguero particularly impressive. Newcastle remain a couple of points above the relegation zone, while City go 12 points clear of Manchester United at the top.

90 min: There will be three added minutes.

88 min: Sane is replaced by Diaz. Meanwhile Newcastle aren’t quite finished: Murphy goes on a Sane-like run down the inside-right channel, reaching the edge of the area with a fine dribble. His shot comes off his own man Shelvey, who then nearly rounds Ederson, on walkabout. But City clear their lines.

87 min: City ping it around the back, with a view to running the clock down.

85 min: Bernardo Silva comes on for Sterling.

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Sane goes on a Ricky Villa style ramble into the Newcastle box down the left. It’s a stunning dribble. He looks to have been crowded out, but shimmies through three challenges and threads a pass into the centre for Aguero, who takes a touch on the penalty spot and pokes into the bottom right. That’s his 11th hat-trick for City ... and yes, he’s been awarded that first goal, so there are no questions about that!

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82 min: De Bruyne nearly puts it out of Newcastle’s reach, curling a glorious shot towards the bottom right from 20 yards. It’s inches wide of the right-hand post. Darlow wasn’t getting to it.

80 min: Murphy tears down the Newcastle right in acres of space. He’s got Gayle peeling away on the other flank, but can’t pick the pass. He eventually runs out of steam on the edge of the City box. But the visitors are going for it now. Newcastle are - improbably, given the possession stats - very much in this game.

78 min: Clark is booked for hanging out a leg and bringing down De Bruyne in the midfield.

77 min: Gayle comes on for Joselu. Plenty of pace up front for Newcastle now, as they look to test City in the latter stages of this very lop-sided and strange match.

76 min: City win their 17th corner of the evening. From the left, it’s played deep for Silva, who lashes a shot wide right from the edge of the box.

74 min: And now Newcastle are three on three, breaking from a City corner! Perez lets the hosts off the hook with a witless blooter upfield towards Ederson. But the hosts are rocking a little here. A little.

72 min: This game has turned very weird. Newcastle again trouble City, springing into life and attacking from nowhere. Diame snaffles a loose ball down the inside-left and flashes a shot at Ederson from a tight angle. Ederson parries, and should gather the ball, but lets it slip through his arms in the soap-in-shower style. Perez has a shot, then Diame has another go. Ederson rescues the situation at the third attempt.

71 min: City nearly score a picture-perfect goal, pinging triangles down the left. Sane drives a low cross towards Sterling, who hammers a first-time shot towards the bottom right. Darlow turns the effort onto the base of the right-hand post, and then Aguero flashes his hat-trick attempt into the side netting from a tight angle.

69 min: In the City dugout, Pep does that thing where he leans back, takes a slug of water from a bottle, and kids on he doesn’t care. To be fair, it’s still attack versus defence on the pitch, despite Newcastle’s surprise goal.

Er, hold on! This came from absolutely nothing! Joselu hacks a 50-50 ball forward from the centre circle. Suddenly Murphy is tearing free of Zinchenko, the last man! He draws Ederson and dinks a delightful effort over the keeper and into the empty net! Who needs possession, huh?

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66 min: In more deckchair rearrangement news, Yedlin comes on for Manquillo.

64 min: Perez comes on for Atsu. Manchester City have enjoyed 85% possession!

No question that Aguero’s scored this one! He batters his penalty into the left-hand portion of the net. Darlow got a hand to it, but couldn’t keep it out.

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62 min: City ping it around awhile. Suddenly Sterling turns on the jets down the left. He enters the area, feels Manquillo’s arm weighing heavily on his back, and goes down. The ref points to the spot.

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61 min: The corner leads to another corner, which leads to nothing.

60 min: Fernandinho wedges a gorgeous pass down the inside-right channel to spring Walker into the area. Walker’s low cross, meant for Aguero in the six-yard box, is bundled out at the near post by Hayden. That’s marvellous play all round.

58 min: This is not much of a spectacle, if we’re being honest with ourselves. Newcastle finally commit a couple of players upfield and nearly pay the price, losing possession and allowing Sterling to attack their suddenly out-of-shape defence down the right. Fortunately for the visitors his cross into the centre towards Aguero is no good.

57 min: De Bruyne whips a cross into the Newcastle box from the right. Sane gets the jump on Manquillo in the middle, but can’t connect with his head, ten yards out. A chance to work Darlow is spurned.

55 min: A loose ball from Murphy allows Sane to pick up possession and run at pace down the inside-left channel. Newcastle are light at the back, but Lascelles comes across to tackle Sane as he enters the box. A perfectly timed challenge that wasn’t without risk.

54 min: Fernandinho and Joselu clatter into each other and go down. The City man had swung his arm into the Newcastle striker’s startled face. Accidentally, it should be stressed. But for some reason it’s Fernandinho who’s come off worse. Very strange. They’re both up and about eventually.

52 min: A lot of possession for City in Newcastle’s final third. But it’s all in front of the box, and the visitors aren’t minded to give up enough space for a shot. Eventually City try to tiki-taka their way through, but once again Sane and Sterling aren’t quite on the same wavelength.

50 min: It’s worked all the way to Sane on the right, who overhits a pass down the flank for Sterling. This half has yet to get going properly.

49 min: Space for Zinchenko down the left. He earns City’s 11th corner off Murphy. Silva to take.

48 min: It’s attack versus defence again all right. Newcastle are quite happy to sit back and hold their shape, with a view to seeing what might happen late on if they can keep it to 1-0.

And we’re off again! After two false starts, Manchester City get the ball rolling for the second 45. No changes. Sterling goes fast at Newcastle, and tries to release Walker down the right with a cheeky backflick. Not quite.

Half-time listening: The likes of Rob Smyth, Lee Calvert, Rob Bagchi, Carrie Dunn, Jacob Steinberg, Gary Naylor, Mike Gibbons and Adam Hurrey going on quite a lot about 1980s and 1990s football? Yes please! Yes please!

So City lead at the break thanks to Sergio Aguero’s header. And it is his goal: the TV folk have got the virtual magnifying glass out, and you can see him flick the ball lightly as it passes him. More attack versus defence coming up!

43 min: Space and time for Fernandinho, 25 yards out. He drags a poor shot wide of the target. Then a rare attack for Newcastle, with Joselu in space down the left. He’s got Atsu in the middle, but his cross is weak and easily intercepted by Otamendi. Newcastle can’t afford to waste good positions like that.

41 min: City stroke the ball around a bit, then suddenly Aguero turns on the jets and attacks Newcastle down the inside-right channel. He flashes a no-backlift shot goalwards, and it’s deflected over by Dummett, who is operating as a one-man wall of defiance right now.