Champions City on roll: Torres treble helps them to record 12th straight away win, this time over Newcastle in seven-goal thriller

Champions City on roll: Torres treble helps them to record 12th straight away win, this time over Newcastle in seven-goal thriller

FPJ News ServiceUpdated: Saturday, May 15, 2021, 10:30 PM IST
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Newcastle United's English midfielder Jonjo Shelvey (R) fouls Manchester City's Spanish midfielder Ferran Torres during the match, at St James' Park on Friday | AFP

Newcastle: A Ferran Torres hat-trick helped champions Manchester City celebrate their coronation with a 4-3 victory over Newcastle United and a Premier League record, at the St. James' Park, on Saturday.

The Spain winger was part of another heavily rotated lineup named by Pep Guardiola that also included third-choice goalkeeper Scott Carson, an on-loan 35-year-old who was making his first start in the top flight in 10 years on Friday.

With the title wrapped up on Tuesday with three matches to spare, City looks like it will have some fun in the final week of the campaign and Torres certainly enjoyed himself at St. James' Park.

He is finishing his first season at the club in impressive fashion, taking his tally to five goals in his last four league games by scoring twice in three minutes from the 64th as City fought back from 3-2 behind.

City moved 13 points clear of second-placed Manchester United, which handed its neighbour the title by losing to Leicester in midweek.

Newcastle, which is safe from relegation, went ahead through Emil Krafth's header at a corner in the 25th before Joao Cancelo equalised off a deflected shot that spun into the far corner from the edge of the area in the 39th.

Torres produced an impressive flicked volley in mid-air three minutes later as City moved ahead 2-1, only for Joelinton to get fouled in the area by Nathan Ake and dust himself down to convert the penalty past Carson in first-half stoppage time.

Newcastle was awarded another penalty when Joe Willock was tripped by Kyle Walker and the fouled player again took the spot kick. This time, Carson made the save, but the ball rebounded out and Willock converted into an empty net in the 62nd.

Walker teed up Torres to equalise, and the winger was on hand to volley the winning goal high into the net when Cancelo's shot came back off the post.

City's class of 2020-21 had been tied on 11 away straight victories with Chelsea (2008) and the Man City team from 2017, also managed by Guardiola.

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