Manchester City-Newcastle is a match for the twenty-sixth day of the Premier League and is played on Saturday at 13:30: TV, formations, predictions.
Pep Guardiola can be pleased with how things have gone in the five consecutive away games between the various competitions his Manchester City side have been involved in.
Excluding the two draws against Leipzig in the Champions League and Nottingham Forest in the league – the latter of which was decidedly unexpected – the Citizens have always won. After a 1-4 thrashing of Bournemouth in the Premier League, the reigning English champions strolled past Bristol City (0-3) in the FA Cup this week, easily qualifying for the quarter-finals against Burnley. Last Wednesday’s rematch between Arsenal and Everton was also played, with De Bruyne and co. an interested spectator: the Gunners made no missteps this time around, disposing of the Toffees (4-0) with negligible ease and predictably widening the gap on City.
The summit is now further away for the Citizens
The two title contenders have now played the same number of games, with the Londoners five points clearer in the standings despite losing their head-to-head clash less than a month ago.
Saint-Maximin
A gap that can still be closed, considering there are still thirteen days to go until the end of the games, but the Citizens cannot afford to lose any more ground. A lack of continuity is one of the ills that is plaguing the Catalan coach’s team, who are forced to chase. To catch Arsenal again, Manchester City will also have to improve in the non-possession phase. In the last five rounds of the Premier League, in fact, they have never kept their goal unbroken. Guardiola’s men return to the Etihad Stadium in Saturday’s first leg to face Newcastle, fresh from their League Cup final defeat to Manchester’s other club, United. The Magpies did not arrive at Wembley in top form – in the league they have not won for five games – and they paid the price against a team that is instead flying like ten Hag’s. Dropped to fourth place by Tottenham, Newcastle are still in the running for the Champions League having played two games less than Spurs, who have four more points.
The Prediction
Manchester City have won 31 points from 36 in front of their home crowd and have beaten Newcastle in their last 13 matches at the Etihad Stadium. Numbers that tip the scales towards Guardiola’s side. The Citizens should extend their winning streak against an opponent who seem to have lost some of their confidence from a couple of months ago.
The likely Manchester City-Newcastle line-ups
- MANCHESTER CITY (4-3-3): Ederson; Walker, Akanji, Ruben Dias, Aké; De Bruyne, Rodri, Gundogan; Foden, Haaland, Grealish.
- NEWCASTLE (4-2-3-1): Pope; Trippier, Schar, Botman, Burn; Longstaff, Bruno Guimaraes, Joelinton; Almiron, Wilson, Saint-Maximin.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 2-0
