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Manchester City were unable to win a fourth straight Premier League game and settled for a disappointing 1-1 draw against Newcastle in a bad football match on Tuesday. Here is a few takeaways from what we saw at St. James' Park.
1. The Chelsea game took its toll
The mental and physical demand from Saturday's visit to Stamford Bridge was bound to have an effect on the next game, especially with it being another trip just three days later. Kevin De Bruyne looked fatigued, and without his best football, it was hard to expect anything special from City. Samir Nasri's injury against Chelsea also contributed to Tuesday's poor showing, since De Bruyne was the only creative player in midfield without Silva and Nasri in the lineup. A draw is certainly disappointing, but it was certainly not unexpected.
2. Sergio Agüero is still not fair
Kun wasn't especially incredible in this game, and his goal should clearly have been waived off as he was miles offside. But the fact he scored his 100th goal in 147 Premier League appearances just adds a little perspective to the incredible talent we see playing in a Sky Blue shirt week in and week out. Only Alan Shearer needed fewer games to reach the century mark, and that is certainly a good company to have if you're Agüero. This is the best striker in the league today, and only Harry Kane has a shot of changing my mind in the near future.
3. City can still finish third
The two points wasted at St. James' Park are big for the top-three fight. Against a relegation candidate, no matter how well they played, City just had to win. Being in the top four is good, but finishing third means escaping the Champions League Playoffs, which add two more games to what already is an insane schedule in England. Thankfully, City's fight for third place is against Arsenal, who, you know, are Arsenal. And even if Manchester United threaten to enter the race, they are too inconsistent. Not that City is the model of consistency, but they are a tad better in that department. Not beating Newcastle hurts, but it doesn't end a top-three dream.