Hello and welcome to TheScore.ie’s coverage of today’s early Premier League clash.

The teams are in and, maybe it’s just me but the City back four looks fragile.

NEWCASTLE UNITED: Krul; Simpson, Williamson, Coloccini, Santon; Perch, Tiote, Anita; Cisse, Ba, Gutierrez. Subs: Elliot, Bigirimana, Marveaux, Shola Ameobi, Sammy Ameobi, Ferguson, Tavernier.

MANCHESTER CITY: Hart, Zabaleta, Kolo Toure, Nastasic, Clichy, Garcia, Yaya Toure, Nasri, Silva, Tevez, Aguero. Subs: Pantilimon, Lescott, Dzeko, Sinclair, Kolarov, Rekik, Razak.

The last time these two met in the Premier League, Manchester City turned Newcastle over in St. James’ Park thanks to two goals from Yaya Toure in May.

City have won eight of the last ten games between the two sides, with Newcastle managing just two draws in that time.

There are just over five minutes to go until kick-off and I suppose the biggest news from St. James’ Park is that City have found no room for Mario Balotelli on their bench. Instead, they’ve opted to go with 18-year-old Karim Rekik.

The young Dutchman has less than 30 minutes playing time for the Premier League champions – all of which came in the League Cup –  since joining from Feyenoord last season.

Manchester City get us underway in St. James’ Park.

Newcastle have the first chance of the game after 90 seconds Joe Hart makes a brilliant save from Cisse to deny the home-side the perfect start.

All the pressure early doors is coming from Newcastle and they’ve won the first corner of the game after four minutes.

Hart is put under pressure once more but his punch clear gives City some breathing space.

Kolo Toure has been penalised twice now for silly fouls and it looks as if he’ll pick up a yellow card for the next one.

Another chance for Newcastle and they could be two or three goals to the good already.

Manchester City just haven’t woken up yet, did anyone tell them it was a 12.45pm kick-off?

GOAL – Aguero, 9 mins

After all Newcastle’s early pressure, Manchester City take the lead thanks to a wonderful team goal by the away side. It started with a beautiful pass from Yaya Toure to Nasri who laid it on a plate for the Argentine forward.

The game’s first yellow card comes after 14 minutes as Mike Williamson upends Carlos Tevez to stop the striker’s charge through the centre of the Newcastle midfield.

City have really woken up here and are now creating chances with ease.

If Newcastle aren’t careful, this could turn into a long day for the St. James’ Park faithful.

Manchester City could be accused of trying to walk the ball in at this stage.

First David Silva has a shot blocked, then Samir Nasri hits the post from close range before Newcastle put it behind for a corner.

At the moment, it’s like a training game of forwards versus defenders.

Nasri has been the best player on the park in the first 22 minutes and is doing everything he can to make amends for ‘that’ effort in the wall against Manchester United last week.

A chance for Newcastle but Joe Hart comes to City’s rescue twice in the space of a few seconds.

First he went down at the feet of Ba before getting back up to stop a Mike Williamson shot from the edge of the area.

If the home side are to score, you get the feeling it will be from a set-piece. City’s defending of them has been awful.

Here is that City goal. It really was a thing of beauty:

YouTube: Basketballfreaks53

This has been a good game so far. City look like scoring with every attack, especially through Nasri and Silva, while Newcastle are threatening every time they get a chance to swing in a free kick or corner.

I’d be shocked if this finishes 1-0.

Substitution - Kolarov for Nasri, 36 minutes.

Samir Nasri’s afternoon comes to an early conclusion with what looks like a groin strain.

That’s a blow for City as the former Arsenal man was at the centre of everything for the away team.

GOAL – Javi Garcia

After all the set pieces Newcastle threatened from, it’s City who actually score from a corner as Javi Garcia rises and plants a header towards goal that Davide Santon makes a mess of at the back post to allow the score.

Santon has been woeful so far, and I’d be surprised if he comes out in the second half.

HALF-TIME - The referee blows his whistle for the half-time interval and few would argue that City aren’t excellent value for their two goal lead.

Newcastle started the game the better team but as soon as City found their stride they’ve looked far superior.

The loss of Samir Nasri late in the first half looked like it would hurt them but a second goal just two minutes later has softened that blow.

For Newcastle, it’s a case of ‘what if’. Had they converted one of the three or four chances they created in the opening minutes this game could have been there for the taking.

Join us in the second half for more minute-by-minute action.

Before the second half gets underway, there’s reason for Newcastle fans to have some hope of getting back into this game:

Newcastle get the second half underway.

Newcastle have the first chance of the second half but Ba is unable to direct his header on target.

There’s a greater urgency to Newcastle in this second half and, obviously in a move designed not have him mess up at the back, Davide Santon works his way into the City penalty area but his shot strikes the side-netting.

GOAL – Demba Ba, 51 mins

Those set-pieces have finally paid off for Newcastle as Demba Ba has found the net for the home side.

There’s been a very deliberate ploy by Newcastle to target Pablo Zabaleta in the second half and it is one that won them the corner from which Ba scored.

It will be interesting to see if they continue with the tactic.

It’s end-to-end stuff at St. James’ Park now and the home crowd are getting right behind Newcastle.

They’ve won another corner here but Tiote’s speculative shot from the edge of the area drifts harmlessly wide of Joe Hart’s goal.

City have started this second half in much the same way as they did the first.

They’ve created a couple of half chances but are nowhere near the free-flowing threat they were with Nasri on the park.

Another corner, another Newcastle chance but this time Ba’s effort hits the side netting.

Half the crowd thought he’d equalised for Newcastle.

Demba Ba has yet another chance for Newcastle but his shot is easily saved by Joe Hart in the City goal.

With nearly 70 minutes gone, this feels more like a cup game than a Premier League tie.

Substitution – Dzeko for Kolarov

The substitute has been substituted but it’s more to do with an injury to Kolarov than anything he’s done wrong.

That said, City haven’t been nearly as threatening since Nasri left the action and Dzeko poses much more of a threat.

Substitution - Marveaux for Tiote

Tiote looks disappointed to be coming off but Newcastle need a fresh pair of legs if they are to draw level in the last 15 minutes of this game.

GOAL – Yaya Toure, 78 mins

And that, as they say, is that.

It’s harsh on Newcastle who have made all the running in the second half but they lost concentration at the back for just a few moments which allowed Yaya Toure, who scored twice against them here last May, score at the near post.

Hard to see the home side recovering from a blow like this so late in the game.

Here’s the Javi Garcia goal that made it 2-0 to City:

YouTube: CopadelRayHD

And the Demba Ba goal that made it 2-1:

YouTube Credit: KoJones69

Finally here’s Yaya Toure’s goal that looks like it has sealed all three points for Manchester City:

YouTube Credit: Basketballfreaks53

And that’s it, the final whistle has gone here and Manchester City have won 3-1.

Newcastle have claimed just four points out of the last 24 available in the Premier League and could, if results go against them, finish the weekend in the bottom three.

For City, the win is there first in any competition in the month of December and moves them within three points of leaders Manchester United who play Sunderland at 3pm.

The cliche states that it’s a game of two halves but this one was actually broken up into quarters.

Newcastle started the brighter of the two sides but failed to convert any of a number of chances.

City then came into the game and looked excellent value for their 2-0 lead at half time.

For the first 25 minutes of the second half, Newcastle were much better, dominating possession and quite deliberately targeting Pablo Zabaleta which eventually resulted in the home side pulling a goal back.

However, once Toure scored City’s third with just over ten minutes to go, this game was effectively over and they Blues saw it out quite comfortably in the end.

So that’s it from St. James’ Park. Thanks for joining us for our minute-by-minute coverage.

What did you make of today’s game? Which is the real City, the one who comfortably took a 2-0 lead or the one under the cosh for most of the second half?

And what of Newcastle? Was giving Alan Pardew such a lengthy contract a mistake? Are the Geordies in real danger of slipping into a relegation battle?

Let us know in the comments below.