Rafael Benitez still "optimistic" despite Newcastle slipping into the bottom three

The Magpies conceded goals to Raheem Sterling and Kyle Walker at the Etihad, and while DeAndre Yedlin briefly gave the visitors hope as he equalised on the half-hour mark, Benitez’s side have now picked up just one point from their opening four games.

They have faced an extremely tough schedule, with today’s game having followed matches against Tottenham and Chelsea, and Benitez insists he has seen enough from his players not to be too concerned about their position close to the foot of the table.

Benitez said: “You have to be optimistic because the team was doing well in the last four games, three against three of the best teams in England and we were close.

“I don’t say we deserved more or less, but we were close. And against Cardiff with ten players, we missed a penalty when we could have got three points.

“You have to be optimistic, but at the same time, realistic. We knew it could be difficult at the beginning, so we have to carry on. The positive thing is you could see the players working really hard for each other.

“The negative thing is that we have to improve on the ball to be sure that we can score some goals and get better results.”

Newcastle enjoyed just 22 per cent possession against City, but while the hosts were always in the ascendancy, Benitez’s side never looked like finishing on the wrong end of a hiding.

Their work-rate and organisation enabled them to remain competitive throughout, and Benitez’s decision to stick with a five-man defence was justified as City grew increasingly frustrated before Walker’s long-range winner.

Benitez said: “I was pleased with some things, but disappointed in the end because you want to get a result. The team effort was there and the mentality, you could see the players were fighting for each other.

“I was really pleased with that, but disappointed because still we have a short blanket and we have to manage that better if we want to get a result here.”