PL: Manchester City beat Newcastle to increase pressure on Arsenal

Manchester City moved to within two points of Premier League leaders Arsenal with a tense victory against Newcastle United at Etihad Stadium.

The Gunners opened the door to City by squandering a two-goal lead against doomed Wolverhampton Wanderers in midweek - but Newcastle made Pep Guardiola's side fight all the way for a vital three points.

Nico O'Reilly's two first-half goals, either side of Lewis Hall's equaliser, set the platform for City's victory, putting pressure on Arsenal before Sunday's north London derby at Tottenham Hotspur (16:30 GMT).

Newcastle, however, made light of their 5,000-mile round trip to Azerbaijan to face Qarabag in a Champions League play-off, giving City plenty of anxiety in the second half before the win was secured.

City, knowing victory would push them on to Arsenal's shoulder, made a predictably fast start and went ahead in the 14th minute, O'Reilly's shot carrying too much power for Newcastle goalkeeper Nick Pope, who should have done better having got a hand to the effort.

Newcastle were posing threats of their own and were quickly level, Hall's shot deflecting past Gianluigi Donnarumma off Rayan Ait-Nouri after City failed to clear a corner.

City were briefly set back, but went ahead again after 27 minutes when Antoine Semenyo showed more desire than Nick Woltemade to play in Erling Haaland, who provided a perfect cross for O'Reilly to head home at the far post.

Nerves were frayed inside the Etihad in the closing stages, and it needed a huge save by Donnarumma from Harvey Barnes in the dying seconds before City could finally celebrate.