Raheem Sterling fired Manchester City 15 points clear at the top of the Premier League table as they extended their winning run to 18 games at Newcastle.

Sterling's 31st-minute strike was all the leaders had to show for a dominant display in front of a crowd of 52,311 at St James' Park as the Magpies' ultra-conservative approach frustrated them despite their wealth of possession.

But ultimately it was enough on a night when Rafael Benitez's men slipped to a fifth successive home defeat for the first time since 1953, and it might have been worse had referee Andre Marriner taken a dimmer view of Jacob Murphy's fist-half challenge on Ilkay Gundogan.

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