Stu Forster/Getty ImagesNewcastle's Mike Williamson, left, and Davide Santon react during the loss.

Manchester City are back on track in their title chase after beating Newcastle for the sixth time in a row, but Newcastle didn't make it easy for the defending champions in City's 3-1 victory at St. James' Park on Saturday.

Just like last season, Newcastle had a real go at City but ended with nothing to show for it.

Newcastle had a bright start, and a top-class save by Joe Hart in the first couple of minutes kept the score level.

It didn't take the Manchester billionaire's 72 million-pound forward trio of Carlos Tevez, Sergio Aguero and David Silva long to get going, though. Ten minutes in, Aguero put City ahead with a tap in from a couple of yards. The buildup was nice, as was much of City's first-half play, which regularly made the Newcastle back four look like static cones in a training drill.

Rotund centre-half Kolo Toure spent a lot of time fouling Newcastle players, particularly Demba Ba. Referee Andre Marriner kept giving free kicks but no cards. Not long later, Mike Williamson was booked for his first foul. Danny Simpson was booked for a poor challenge while Silva was let off with an equally bad challenge on Davide Santon. Amazing how decisions go once a club has a few billion in the bank and a league title in the cabinet. Toure was eventually booked late in the second half for his fifth foul to sarcastic applause.

Halfway through the first half, the Manchester City fans in Leazes Level 7 threw a smoke bomb or blue flare into the Newcastle supporters below. It landed only a few yards from children at the game with their parents. I'm amazed that this hasn't been highlighted by the TV people or the newspaper boys, especially after the behaviour of the City fans in last weekend's derby.

Javi Garcia doubled Man City's lead with a header, the ninth headed goal conceded by Newcastle in the Premier League this season, an astonishing record. Santon was on the line, but he missed the ball with his swinging right leg and it bounced in off his left. Again, very soft.

Ba pulled Newcastle back into the game by burying a header off a Fabricio Coloccini cross, and within two minutes, Papiss Cisse missed a golden chance to level the score. He controlled and turned brilliantly, but his left-foot shot didn't even hit the target. He would have buried it 10 times out of 10 last season. If that shot had gone in, I believe Newcastle would have gone on to win, but you get nothing for ifs.

Newcastle were very good throughout the second half and applied a lot of pressure in seeking the equaliser, but the game was ended in the 78th minute when Yaya Toure scored on a counterattack.

In summary

The Manchester City forward three cost around 29 million pounds more than the entire Newcastle starting XI, but the vast difference in player investment wasn't obvious, as Newcastle had 55 percent possession and 17 shots to City's 16. The real difference was in the quality of the finishing. At times, Newcastle looked very good in possession, but as ever, the back four and Cheik Tiote looked very shaky when on the back foot. That said, this was probably Williamson's best performance of the season.

Newcastle manager Alan Pardew needs to take a close look at the form of two players. Tiote was a liability in the first half. He continues to hang on to the ball for too long in dangerous areas and make the occasional suicide pass. It has to stop. I'm sure owners Derek Llambias and Mike Ashley cry a little every time he does this, seeing his value tumble.

Jonas Gutierrez is also a major concern. Last season, if Jonas couldn't beat his man, he was always good for his energy, always offering an option and always getting back in to make a tackle.

It looks like that's all left him. On Saturday, he spent a lot of time standing still or bending over with his hands on his hips looking absolutely shattered. Yet he's apparently undroppable. Newcastle have other players who aren't cut out to play at this level but don't have anyone to challenge their places. Jonas and Tiote do.

Vurnon Anita was once again the most willing player in a black-and-white shirt. He is always available for a pass -- one of the very few, unfortunately -- and gets better by the game.

After 17 games in the relegation season of 2008-09, Newcastle had four more points, had scored more and conceded less than this season. As a standalone fact, that is a worry, but when you look at the bigger picture, it isn't quite as bad. The mood around the club is incomparable to that season, and performances have picked up.

Having said that, Newcastle absolutely have to beat Queens Park Rangers next weekend. If they don't, Pardew might find himself looking for a new job over the Christmas period.

Twitter: @MarcSDuffy

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