Newcastle United were impressive at St. James' Park on Sunday, giving Manchester City a real scare, and pinning the English Premier League title favourites in their own half for considerable periods.
However, an incident just past the half hour soured Newcastle's evening, and put Manchester City at the top of the table.
Newcastle were trailing 1-0 after going down in the eighth minute courtesy an Edin Dzeko strike, when Cheick Tiote decided to awaken that unforgettable effort against Arsenal, unleashing a piledriver with his left foot from 25 yards which buzzed past Joe Hart, who, even if he was Superman, could not have stopped the ball from thumping into the net.
However, referee Mike Jones controversially decided to disallow the goal, deeming Yoan Gouffran, in an offside position, to have interfered with play, even if there was absolutely no way that ball was headed anywhere but the back of the net.
"For me, this is an entertainment business," said a seething Newcastle manager Alan Pardew, who could be heard telling Jones "the linesman got the decision right, you got it wrong" at halftime. "The guy's hit a goal that Joe Hart is just not going to save. It goes through a number of bodies but his vision is not impaired.
"I don't think he was clear in his answers about Joe Hart being impaired -- I couldn't work that out. I don't understand it. Even if Man City's back four is on the edge of the box and we've got four offside, it's such a clean hit, it's going in the top corner.
"He's got that wrong and unfortunately that was a massive call. In these type of games they have got to go your way. It was probably easier for him to give the goal and I can't understand why he hasn't.
"We're crying out for entertainment, you hit a goal like that and the place is in uproar, and he's gone on a real tiny technicality, which I think is wrong."
Newcastle lost their head a little after that decision, picking up a couple of yellow cards, and despite a concerted effort at City's goal, that equaliser would just not come, with Alvaro Negredo adding to the Magpies' misery by netting a late second off a counter-attack.
City also had an incident to rage about, with midfielder Samir Nasri having to be stretchered off in pain after a reckless challenge from Newcastle defender Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa.
"The kick he [Yanga-Mbiwa] made to Nasri was absolutely a red card directly," City manager Manuel Pellegrini told Sky Sports.
"We did not have any help from the referee today. He didn't give a goal because it was absolutely offside, that is the only clear thing about which Newcastle can complain - but it was offside."
"Nasri has I think a serious injury to his knee, we will see tomorrow. I repeat it was a direct red card. It's his medial ligament. We will see tomorrow [Monday] what has happened with him."
