Kidd: City proved title credentials

Assistant Brian Kidd believes Manchester City proved they have the substance to challenge for the title after they beat Newcastle 2-1. City were below their best but were able to claim a victory that moved them up to second in the table after substitute Adam Johnson scored the winner after 75 minutes."I think that sums us up, if you want to win in the Premier League you have to dig results out," Kidd told ESPN."I think you saw bits of everything today."We knew we weren't really at it in the first half. But that was the pleasing thing, because the players responded."We've gone second in the league now. Over 38 games you get games like that, that are not for the purists."What is pleasing is that the players have shown that there is substance in the result. You know you've got a chance when you've got that in the squad."Carlos Tevez had earlier given City the lead with an 18th-minute penalty before Jonas Gutierrez equalised six minutes later.The match looked set to remain deadlocked until Johnson scored three minutes after coming on, and Kidd believes manager Roberto Mancini deserved the credit for his side's success."Tactically he changed it two or three times," he added."Credit must go to the boss - he went for it. I think his substitutions and tactics proved that."Newcastle boss Chris Hughton believed his side were denied a point after claiming "two horrendous" decisions went against the Magpies.Hughton disputed Manchester City's early penalty, when Mike Williamson was penalised, before complaining that Shola Ameobi was denied a spot-kick late on when he went down under pressure from Joleon Lescott."We come here knowing it is going to be hard enough," he said."But two horrendous decisions went against us."My first view was that Mike Williamson played the ball and that the initial contact is outside the penalty box."Speaking about the second incident he said: "Absolutely (it is a penalty). We've already seen it. Lescott loses his footing and of course - absolute penalty."It's a tough enough place to go."

Source: Team_Talk