Newcastle United v Manchester City: live Newcastle 0 Man City 2 (Garcia) You know those goals from corners which prompt the criticism "that's why you need a man on the line"? Well there was a man on the line there, and he entirely failed to do anything resembling a good job. Garcia does well to win a header and nods it towards the near post, but Santon's stationed there and should block it with ease. Instead he totally misreads the flight of the ball and Garcia's header hits him pathetically on his standing leg and limps over the goal-line. 39 min City break at speed, and Silva finds Tevez on the left. His shot is just wide, Krul got a miniscule touch. 37 min No laughing matter for Nasri, seemingly, who's had to head off down the tunnel very gingerly indeed. Aguero goes into the book for City. Kolarov replaces Nasri. That's a blow for City, their front free was working superbly. It's a blow for Nasri too, who I imagine is having a pretty horrible time right now. 36 min Hats off to Sky's man on the touchline Geoff Shreeves who confirmed that Nasri "took a tackle right in the centre of his tackle." 35 min Newcastle have finally got the game under control, but the only place they're being allowed to pass in around calmly is their own half. City are getting into them well when they attempt to take it towards the final third. Break in play now, as Nasri goes down with what looks like an injury to his penis. 32 min Bit better from Newcastle, who work it right for Cisse to have a crack not far from the area. Reasonably-hit shot, but it's reasonably far over the bar. 28 min More of the same for City, who are passing beautifully today. Newcastle can't get close to them and Nasri, once again, is picked out in space and with terrifying speed on the right. He squares for Tevez, who shoots wide. I'd be tempted to say that City might be made to pay for their profligacy if they weren't playing so well. There are surely going to be a half dozen more fantastic chances for them today if things continue in this manner. 27 min Simpson joins Williamson in the book for Newcastle with a silly high challenge on Silva. 25 min High ball in the box falls kindly for Williamson who's able to volley towards the bottom corner. Another good save from Hart! My 0-1 prediction is not looking very good, despite it being the current score. 24 min Newcastle desperately need to weather the storm here, but Anita gives it away with criminal carelessness from a free kick. City break, and are three-on-three, but Tiote sorts it out by winning the ball and bringing it forward to safety. 21 min Nothing too exciting from the resulting City corner. Newcastle break, but Cisse's attempt to spread the ball to the two men over on the other side is underhit and mopped up. 19 min Silva beginning to look like the player he was in 2011 today. When he's on song there are few with such speedy elegance on the ball. City are doing most of their work on the right-hand side and cutting through Newcastle at will... and Nasri hits the post! Close range shot, and it drops for another Aguero tap-in, but there's Williamson with a great last-ditch block! This could get ugly for Newcastle. 18 min Here's Toure's wonderful pass which led to Aguero's goal: 16 min City have turned it on to thrilling effect now, Nasri, Tevez and Aguero buzzing around one another beautifully and it's all a bit much for Newcastle. Nasri nearly finds Tevez with a curling ball towards the far post, but it's just wide instead. Here's a facial configuration we've not seen often from Bobby Mancini of late: 15 min Grim foul by Williamson, just not even trying to track Tevez as he galloped over the halfway line. Instead he trips him, and is booked. 13 min City rampant now, Silva exhibiting tremendous close control as he initiates a one-two then picks out Tevez in the middle, eight yards out. Tevez attempts to tee himself up for a volley, shoots, but it's blocked. Newcastle 0 Man City 1 (Aguero) Glorious pass from Yaya Toure, who spots Nasri peeling off his man and running into the too-empty space in between Williamson and Santon. Toure finds the perfect ball from his position inside the centre circle. Nasri spots the unmarked Aguero in the middle and duly squares for a tap-in for the Argentine. Well-exectuted, but too easy for City, and a total drag for Newcastle given their promising start. 9 min First meaningful attack by City, with Aguero forcing Tiote into a mistake as he backtracked inside his own half. Aguero targets Tevez in the middle but he's supposedly offside. No matter, Krul saved his shot. 6 min It's all Newcastle! They're assaulting the City box. Williamson rises highest to nod a hopeful high ball towards the Ba (note: not "the bar") in behind the City defence. Just a tad too far in front of him and once again Hart does what he needs to. 5 min Dangerous delivery from Guttierez from the set play, swinging towards the bar (note: not "the Ba") at the last. Hart reads it and beats it away. 4 min Anita pumps a free kick high into the box towards an imaginary Andy Carroll. No immediate benefits, but Newcastle win a corner soon afterwards. 2 min Great save by Hart! Cisse swings it in low from deep on the right. Toure's predictably out of position, and Ba manages to hook it towards goal. Not much power behind it, but Hart has to be extremely alert to scoop it away. 1 min Here we are then, it is a football. City kick off and work it backwards. Newcastle win it back. Thrilling stuff. 12.43 Teams are out. Local Hero has finished, we are not far away at all. 12.40 Mario Balotelli, you may notice, isn't even in the City squad today. He's not injured, Roberto Mancini says "no, he needs to train more." Have you noticed how Bobby Manc answers every question with "no" regardless of what he's saying afterwards? 12.38 Shall we all take part in a lovely predicting the score game? I say we should. And I'll also say today's game will finish 0-1. 12.32 Despite me saying just below that this is the sort of fixture you could have imagined Newcastle winning last season, they actually lost it thanks to an inspired Yaya Toure, whose two goals put City's title-winning fate in their own hands. But that was before the magnificent men in red and white quarters had their say, and everyone's favourite hard-working scamp Jamie Mackie gave QPR a 2-1 win on the final day of the season. I stopped watching that match on 88 minutes, I'd seen enough. 12.20 I know it. You know it. It's time for the day's first pertinent statistical tweet from our friends at Opta: 12.10 Today's retro highlights are brought to you by the year 1976: 12.00 Here are your teams: Newcastle: Krul; Simpson, Williamson, Coloccini (c), Santon; Perch, Tiote, Anita; Cisse, Ba, Gutierrez. Subs: Elliot, Tavernier, Ferguson, Bigirimana, Marveaux, Sammy Ameobi, Shola Ameobi. Manchester City: Hart; Zabaleta, Kolo Toure, Nastasic, Clichy; Garcia, Yaya Toure (c); Nasri, Silva, Tevez; Aguero. Subs: Pantilimon, Kolarov, Lescott, Sinclair, Razak, Rekik, Dzeko. Referee: Andre Marriner 11.45 Morning liveblog fans. Can you smell that? It's not an extremely premature turkey, or a pint of Egg Nog on the turn, but in fact the Premier League season, which is in danger of stinking out the place as we head towards the halfway stage. This season's got the lot, as far as underwhelming football goes. Teams at the top of the table that look brittle at best and tiresome at worst. Teams at the bottom, one in particular, CANNOT WIN A FOOTBALL MATCH. Yes, those are the desparate capital letters of a QPR supporter Where are this season's exciting stories? Sure, West Brom have been impressive, but when a team that functional are resorted to as a bright side in the gloom you know you're not witnessing a classic campaign. This afternoon's game features two of the season's most disappointing teams. This is the sort of match you'd have given Newcastle a fighting chance in last season but they're in a run of one win in their last 10 games and looked a right state at times against Fulham on Monday. City, still unbeaten away at least, are six points behind their neighbours at the top of the table. Their record is impressive, but their play has been anything but. Their days of impermeable defensive dullness of 2010/11 are long gone, the swagger they exhibited at the start of last season feels even more distant. We're in need of a league-inspiring pick-me-up. Perhaps a copy of the magazine Pick Me Up? Oh no, that's just left me tremendously depressed. Over to you, Newcastle and City. Team news and increasing levels of festive cheer to follow, stay tuned. When I say "pre" you say "view." PRE! <view> PRE! <view>: Saturday, December 15 Newcastle United v Manchester City St James" Park Kick-off: 12.45 GMT TV: Live Sky Sports 2, highlights BBC ONE Match of the Day. Referee: Andre Marriner (Matches 9, R0 Y33).