The England international's sumptuous long-range drive seven minutes into the second half proved decisive as City moved to within two points of leaders Liverpool and Chelsea with their third win of the season.
Raheem Sterling fired City ahead inside eight minutes with a fine strike of his own before the Etihad Stadium was stunned on the half-hour mark by DeAndre Yedlin's equaliser - Newcastle's first league goal away from home this season.
However, despite the visible improvement, Rafa Benitez's men were left to reflect on a third defeat of the season which leaves them in the relegation zone with one point ahead of the international break.
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What's next?
After the first international break of the season, City host Fulham and Newcastle welcome Arsenal to St. James' Park on September 15.
Kyle Walker's brilliant second-half strike preserved Premier League champions Manchester City's unbeaten start to the season as they secured a battling victory over winless Newcastle.
City had seen title rivals Liverpool and Chelsea win earlier on Saturday and had to work hard for three points to keep pace at the top end of the table.
Full-back Walker was the match-winner with his first goal for the club, picking the ball up 30 yards out and drilling a low finish into the far corner of the net.
Pep Guardiola's side were forcing the issue against a Newcastle side set up to defend at Etihad Stadium and took the lead within the opening 10 minutes through Raheem Sterling's curled effort.
But the home side missed clear-cut chances and were punished when striker Salomon Rondon set up DeAndre Yedlin to stroke home the equaliser before half-time.
It proved to be Newcastle's only shot on target in the match, however, and Rafael Benitez's beleaguered side have now collected just one point from their first four games.
Pep talks!
“We felt the game would be like this. We had to attack, but it was important to concede just one. We defended really badly in one action, but we had enough chances. And we were solid. They only had one or two shots. At Wolves they had eight or nine, so we had to improve. Leroy Sane was not named in the squad, it was my decision. We have many attackers. Last season he was an important player for us, and I hope this season he will be an important player for us.”
Rafa speaks!
“Everybody knows how good Manchester City are. We were in the game for a while. We didn’t have too many problems, but they have so many options. We worked hard and scored a goal. It’s a pity, the second half, because it was a great goal. Normally those go in the stand but this one went in the bottom corner. Thinking about the future, it has to be positive for us. It will be tough in the Premier League, not least because our fixture list has been tough early on. But if you have seen us against Tottenham and Chelsea and here, the team was there. We were close to getting something, and that is good for our mentality.”
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