Manchester City and Newcastle United will face off in a virtual six-pointer at the Etihad on Saturday as the race to finish in the Premier League top four heats up.
Gameweek 25 of the 2024/25 Premier League season will continue on Saturday, which will witness seven matches. The action on the day will start with the game between Leicester City and Arsenal at the King Power Stadium before continuing with five simultaneous fixtures, including Manchester City vs Newcastle United at the Etihad.
2024/25 has been a rare season to forget for Pep Guardiola. A manager accustomed to winning trophies every term might end the ongoing campaign without silverware while finishing outside the top four in the Premier League (the reigning champions are currently fifth in the standings). Real Madrid’s come-from-behind 3-2 win in the UEFA Champions League was the latest setback for City.
On the other hand, Newcastle United’s latest result was a hard-fought 3-2 win over Birmingham City FC in the FA Cup fourth round. The Magpies have been impressive in the Premier League this season, losing only two of their last nine top-flight outings. The splendid run of results has helped the Tyneside outfit rise from 12th to sixth on the table.
The reverse fixture saw Newcastle United come from a goal down to hold Manchester City to a 1-1 draw. The Hard Tackle looks closer at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Manchester City
Pep Guardiola has new injury concerns hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. The Manchester City manager will be bereft of the services of three first-team players vs Newcastle United on Saturday.
Manuel Akanji and Jack Grealish are the latest absentees, with the duo recovering from the muscle injuries they picked up earlier this week against Real Madrid. Rodri is a long-term absentee, with the Ballon d’Or winner on his comeback trail from a knee issue.
Stefan Ortega should take his spot between the sticks, with Manchester City lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs Newcastle United on Saturday. The backline will likely feature Matheus Nunes, Ruben Dias, Nathan Ake, and Josko Gvardiol.
As for the midfield unit, Mateo Kovacic should line up alongside winter signing Nico Gonzalez in the double pivot. Phil Foden will likely reprise the no. 10 role, with Omar Marmoush, Savinho, and Erling Haaland completing the numbers in the final third.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Ortega; Nunes, Dias, Ake, Gvardiol; Nico Gonzalez, Kovacic; Savinho, Foden, Marmoush; Haaland
Newcastle United
Unlike his counterpart in the Manchester City dugout, Eddie Howe has no new issues to worry about ahead of the trip to the Etihad Stadium. The Newcastle United manager will be without four first-team players on Saturday.
Dan Burn (groin) and Anthony Gordon (hamstring) are fit and available to take on Manchester City. However, Sven Botman (knee), Jamaal Lascelles (knee), Joelinton (knee), and Harvey Barnes (hamstring) remain on the sidelines.
Nick Pope should take his spot between the sticks, with Newcastle United lining up in a 4-3-3 formation in front of him vs Manchester City on Saturday. The backline should feature Valentino Livrament, Fabian Schar, Dan Burn, and Lewis Hall.
As for the midfield unit, Joelinton’s continued absence means Sean Longstaff should line up alongside Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes in the middle of the park. Finally, Alexander Isak will spearhead the Newcastle United attack against Manchester City, with Jacob Murphy and Anthony Gordon being the two wide attackers.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Pope; Livramento, Schar, Burn, Hall; Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes, Longstaff; Murphy, Isak, Gordon
Key Stats
- Manchester City have lost only one of their last 34 Premier League games vs Newcastle United (W27 D6), going down 2-1 at St. James’ Park in January 2019. The Magpies have lost their 15 most recent Premier League away outings against City, failing to score in any of their last five. Overall, they are winless in 20 league matches on the road against the Citizens (D2 L18) since a 1-0 win at Maine Road in September 2000.
- Manchester City have scored in their last 32 Premier League games vs Newcastle United. Only three teams have had a longer scoring streak against an opponent in English top-flight history: Chelsea against Newcastle United (37 from 1933 to 1969), Tottenham Hotspur against Newcastle (35 from 1922 to 1961) and Everton against Blackburn Rovers (34 from 1925 to 1962).
- Newcastle United have won their last four Premier League games on the road.
- Only West Ham United (9) have conceded more goals in the opening 10 minutes of Premier League games this season than Manchester City (7), while they have never done so in three successive games in the competition before.
- Anthony Gordon has scored in his last two Premier League games against Manchester City. The last player to score in three consecutive matches against the reigning champions was Ollie Watkins in December 2021.
Player to Watch
Omar Marmoush
While Erling Haaland and Alexander Isak were viable candidates for this section, we have picked Omar Marmoush as our Player to Watch for Saturday’s game between Manchester City and Newcastle United.
The Egyptian international arrived at the Etihad with a burgeoning reputation after his excellent exploits for Eintracht Frankfurt. While the 25-year-old has yet to get off the mark for Manchester City, he has produced some impressive performances in his cameos thus far. Pep Guardiola will hope Marmoush rediscovers his groove to help Manchester City get a critical win this weekend.
Prediction
Manchester City 2-2 Newcastle United
Pep Guardiola, being as proud as he is, will never concede defeat, even though securing top-four finish is realistically Manchester City’s best chance to qualify for the UEFA Champions League next season. In addition, with Chelsea facing a tricky test against Brighton & Hove Albion on Friday, City might have the opportunity to leapfrog the Blues.
Manchester City’s soft underbelly might come back to haunt them again, and it will not be surprising to see them conceding an early goal. However, Newcastle United’s record vs Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium is sketchy, and a mental block might be in play.
So, there might not be much to separate the two sides, with each team’s issues surfacing. The Hard Tackle predicts a closely contested affair to end in a 2-2 draw, with Anthony Gordon continuing his recent scoring run against Manchester City.
