Good evening sports fans and welcome to the first Monday night footy of the Premier League season!

First things first, let's take a look at the teams...

CITY XI: Hart; Zabaleta, Kompany, Lescott, Clichy; Navas, Fernandinho, Toure, Silva; Dzeko, Aguero

We're still waiting on the Newcastle lineup and there's strong rumours that Yohan Cabaye is NOT playing! He was reportedly bid for by Arsenal today.

NEWCASTLE XI: Krul; Debuchy, Taylor, Coloccini, Yanga-Mbiwa; Tiote, Gutierrez; Ben Arfa, Sissoko, Gouffran; Cisse

There's no place for Cabaye in the squad of 18 at all. Is the Frenchman injured or are today's rumours of an Arsenal bid a bit more serious than first reported?

You have to say that a ball-playing midfielder like Cabaye is arguably the one position that they do not need to invest it. They already have Cazorla, Wilshere, Arteta, Ramsey, Rosicky and more! Why spend some of that considerable budget on another?

THE SUBS! Here are tonight's benches:

City: Pantilimon, Negredo, Milner, Kolarov, Garcia, Nasri, Rodwell
Newcastle: Elliot, Dummett, Anita, Marveaux, Obertan, Sammy Ameobi, Shola Ameobi

After plenty of Premier League debuts over the weekend, there's just two tonight at the Etihad, both for the hosts. Jesus Navas and Fernandinho will pull on the sky blue for the first time while Newcastle's lineup contains no new faces. To be fair, they've only made one summer signing - the loan of Loic Remy from QPR - and he's not fit yet.

REFEREE WATCH: The man in charge tonight is Andre Marriner.

There's a rare start for Joleon Lescott at the back for City. Last season the former Everton man stayed behind youngster Matija Nastisic in the pecking order to join Vincent Kompany at centre-back.

There was some great news for City fans earlier today as right-back Pablo Zabaleta signed a new four-year contract with the club. He was player of the year last term and penning a new deal with the club is a big boost. Read more here.

Manchester Evening News journo Rob Dawson confirms on Twitter that another new City signing - Stevan Jovetic - and Micah Richards are both missing tonight with niggles. "Nothing major," says Dawson.

The hosts' frontline is certainly a menacing one. Edin Dzeko and Sergio Aguero offer pace, power and, primarily, deadly finishing. Dzeko, particularly, has been in red-hot form in pre-season.

Pardew is asked by Sky Sports News about the Cabaye situation. He confirms that a below-par bid has been made for the Frenchman and that he feels leaving out the player gives his side a better chance of achieving a result tonight.

Pardew highlights Hatem Ben Arfa as a key player for the Magpies tonight. The Frenchman missed much of last season through injury and will be hoping for a long run in the team now.

Pardew actually looks quite relaxed here, but let me assure you he seemed incensed about the interest in Cabaye.

Legendary City goalkeeper Bert Trautmann is being remembered tonight after he died last month aged 89. He's perhaps most famous for playing the last 17 minutes of City's 1956 FA Cup final triumph with a broken neck. Unbelievable!

Here are the City players emerging for the warm-up in green jerseys similar to the one worn by Trautmann.

PREDICTION! With 10 minutes until we get underway at the Etihad, it's time for my thoughts on the match ahead. I can't look past City and am going to plump for 3-1 triumph. Dzeko to score a brace. Trust me.

The two sides are ready and waiting in the tunnel. City are in a brilliant white tracksuit while Newcastle are in an opposing black outfit.

Just before kickoff, we have a minute of applause for Trautmann and we're now ready to go.

KICKOFF! We're underway at the Etihad.

GREAT SAVE! Early chance for Aguero that's stopped by a sprawling dive from Krul. It looked like Zabaleta, making one of his trademark runs forward, may have been chopped down but Marriner waved play on and Aguero failed to beat the Dutchman.

EVEN BETTER SAVE! Wonderful, wonderful stop from Krul. Again it's Zabaleta charging up the right who cuts back for Dzeko and his shot is headed for the far corner until Krul's fingertips push it wide.

It had been coming. Dzeko shows a rare bit of flair on the left of the area to beat his man and fizz it across goal. Taylor gets his body in the way but the ball pops up for Silva who heads the bouncing ball into the far corner. City looking oh so slick.

DISALLOWED GOAL! Newcastle's first real chance of the game is put away by Gouffran but the Frenchman was just offside when Ben Arfa played him in. Some run by Ben Arfa to set that up.

How has Marriner not given a penalty there?! City show off their passing with some Barcelona-esque tiki-taka football, with Dzeko playing in Yaya who is clearly bundled over from behind by Debuchy. Probably would have been a red card too.

Zabaleta goes in rashly on Argentina teammate Gutierrez and Newcastle have a free kick in a dangerous position out on the right. Ben Arfa's delivery is poor though and doesn't even beat the first man.

Silva gifts the Magpies possession and Ben Arfa has just Lescott to beat. You'd back the Frenchman to do it but Lescott watches the ball and dismisses him with a fine tackle.

CHANCE! Fernandinho certainly doesn't mind putting himself about and it's his tackle that releases Dzeko to run at Taylor. The Bosnian does a step-over but drags his left-foot shot wide.

It's all too easy for City! They are playing some free-flowing footy here. Again it's Dzeko who provides with a deft backheel for the Argentinian who beats Taylor on the outside before drilling a pinpoint shot in off the far post.

Ben Arfa really is the only threat that Newcastle have at the moment. Cisse is being outmuscled by Kompany and Lescott but Ben Arfa is getting the better of France teammate Clichy.

More swift passing from the home side as Silva plays in Dzeko who looks to return it to the Spaniard but has his cross slowed down by Taylor's block.

HANDBAGS! Yanga-Mbiwa and Dzeko clash after the former gave the latter a little knee in the side followed by a push from either man. They're both booked by Marriner. A talking-to would have sufficed.

YELLOW! Another booking this time for Fernandinho as he loses possession on the edge of the area before sliding in to take out Gouffran who was looking to break clear.

YELLOW! A fourth booking in a couple of minutes as Sissoko carelessly takes out Aguero.

JUST WIDE! From the resulting free kick, Navas whips in a deadly free kick that somehow goes all the way through and flashes just wide of the far stick.

CHANCE! It should be three. Fernandinho's plays in Dzeko who would have a free shot at goal from the right of the area but unfortunately he slips at the crucial moment on the greasy surface.

Here's a photo of Silva running away in celebration after the opening goal:

YELLOW! Newcastle need to chill out here. The next name to go in the book is Debuchy for showing dissent.

It gets worse for Newcastle. Gutierrez charges after a ball and pulls up with what looks like a classic hamstring pull. Vurnon Anita strips off his tracksuit.

NEWCASTLE SUB: Gutierrez trudges off as number eight Anita comes on earlier than he would have expected.

CHANCE! Dzeko turns smartly before curling out a fabulous pass out to Aguero on the left. The Argentinian looks to return the favour and it's a good cross but Dzeko heads wide.

THREE minutes added on at the end of the opening 45.

RED CARD! Steven Taylor is dismissed!

What a horrendous first half this has been for Newcastle. Moments ago Taylor got away with the ball striking his hand from Aguero's shot and now he gets himself sent off for a needless swipe at Aguero's head when challenging for the ball.

Could that have gone any worse for Newcastle? They've been completely outplayed and are two down and now a man down. Nightmare.

If you're only just joining us and want a quick recap on the opening 45, read Barney Corkhill's HT report here.

IMAGE! Here's Aguero accurately putting the hosts two ahead:

Forgot to mention this because of all of the craziness at the end of the half but Pardew was forced into a second change because of Taylor's stupidity, with Paul Dummett coming on for his Premier League debut for Gouffran.

IDIOT! Here's Marriner dismissing Taylor for his completely pointless 'clothes-line' swipe on Aguero.

The two sides are back out. Pardew has already made two changes remember so he'll be saving his final substitution. Pellegrini hasn't altered his lineup.

KICKOFF! We're back underway at the Etihad.

I wouldn't bet against Newcastle getting another red card here. Both full-backs have already been booked. Pardew must have told them to calm it.

It's three and what a lovely way for Yaya to open his account for the season. City get a free kick right on the edge of the box and the Ivorian curls over Anita ducking away from the ball into the wall and into the top corner. Lovely.

By the way, moments before the goal Krul got in his entry for save of the season with a stunning point-blank stop from Dzeko's header.

CHANCE! How have City only scored three?! It's Navas who is completely unmarked down the right that pulls it back for Clichy coming in at the back post. The Frenchman hits it low and true but it's blocked in front of Krul and balloons out for a corner.

You'd say that Krul is one of the calmer, more composed characters in the Newcastle backline but even he's showing nerves. He's just casually strolled out of his area and been dispossessed by Clichy. The Frenchman looked for a teammate in the middle but it was cleared.

CITY SUB: Aguero struggled to get 90 minutes under Roberto Mancini and he hasn't done it tonight either as Samir Nasri takes his place.

HOW HAVE THEY MISSED?! It should be four. A delightful ball is clipped over the top and FOUR city shirts beat the offside trap but all miss it before Krul comes and collects.

BRILLIANT STOP! If it wasn't for Krul, City may be into double figures. He denies Dzeko for the third time with a world-class save down low to his right.

NEWCASTLE SUB: Pardew knows that this game was finished long ago so he brings off his best player - Ben Arfa - for Sammy Ameobi.

Three times Dzeko has been denied by magnificent stops by Krul but this time it's his own fault as he fails to direct a header on target from Silva's corner.

Nasty sight for City fans as Kompany keeps up with Ameobi before sliding in to clear the ball and staying down with what seems to be a groin problem.

CITY SUB: The Belgian looks disconsolate as he walks off, with Javi Garcia taking his place. Centre-back is the one area where City really can't afford any more injuries with Nastasic also out.

Dear oh dear, Newcastle aren't helping themselves here. Debuchy defends simply awfully by letting French teammate Nasri past him and through on goal. The former Arsenal man tucks it away coolly from 12 yards with Krul unable to keep it out this time.

Dzeko with his umpteenth chance of the night as Navas floats a ball to the back post that the Bosnian heads just over. Debuchy put just enough pressure on the number 10 to restrict the power he could put on that.

CITY SUB: Alvaro Negredo makes his debut for the home side as Silva is taken off. That means there's still time for Dzeko to score (I'm saying that because he's in my Fantasy Football team and should have had five tonight).

DISALLOWED GOAL! Negredo taps in from a yard for his debut goal but it's ruled out as the flag goes up on the far side for offside. Replays show that the Spaniard was nowhere near off when Garcia flicked his header towards goal and Krul pushed it out for a tap-in.

@MCFC on Twitter: "There's 46,842 inside the Etihad tonight including 1,514 fans from Newcastle. The majority will go home delighted with what they've seen." Indeed.

One last chance for Dzeko as Nasri plays it to him on the left of the area but it's one of his worst efforts of the night as he tamely hits it straight at Krul.

THREE minutes left of this torture for the Magpies.

What a stroll for City. Newcastle were poor and not helped by the indiscipline of Taylor. His dismissal didn't make much difference though. City have been nigh-on unstoppable at home in the last few years and it looks like that trend will be continuing under Pellegrini.

Thanks for joining SM this evening, stick around on site for analysis and reaction from the Etihad. I'll leave you with Barney's match report. Until next time!