Jack Grealish has paid tribute to a 'really strong' Newcastle United side after Man City resorted to running down the clock in the closing stages of the champions' 2-0 win.
Four minutes of stoppage time had just been added on when City were awarded a corner kick in the 90th minute. Rather than getting in the box, Erling Haaland opted to stand just to the side of Grealish after the reigning champions decided to go short despite Phil Foden going close to scoring a third just minutes earlier.
Grealish rolled the ball and Haaland simply waited for Joelinton to try and win it back. Haaland then shielded the ball and won another corner after Joelinton inadvertently kicked the ball out of play as he desperately tried to dispossess the City star.
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City immediately set up to repeat the same routine again much to Jamaal Lascelles' frustration and the Newcastle captain was handed a yellow card by referee Simon Hooper after he remonstrated from a distance. Grealish, undeterred, laid the ball off to Haaland once again and Joelinton rushed over to try and win it back. This time the smiling Haaland simply kicked the ball off Joelinton's leg to win another corner.
These antics wasted more than a minute from start to finish and, in a strange way, were a compliment of sorts to Newcastle when City could easily have gone for a third from the set-piece. However, City appeared more concerned with seeing the game out in the final minutes and Grealish was the first to pay tribute to a 'really strong' Newcastle side after the game.
It must be said that Newcastle have used similar tactics to wind up a number of opposition sides this season with the way they have run down the clock and Lascelles has even picked up yellow cards against Chelsea and Arsenal despite not even being on the pitch. Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag labelled Newcastle an 'annoying team' last month but Kieran Trippier told ChronicleLive: "I wouldn't say it's cheating - it's about trying to win a football match."
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