Newcastle United will take on Manchester City in the Premier League at the weekend, and they will look to pick up a morale-boosting win at home.
Newcastle United are coming into this game vs Manchester City on the back of four wins from their last six matches in all competitions. The Magpies are 14th in the Premier League table, and they will look to climb back into the top half. Eddie Howe’s men need to raise their performance levels if they want to finish in a respectable position.
Meanwhile, Manchester City are in impressive form. They have picked up five wins from their last six matches in the Premier League. Pep Guardiola’s men are coming into this game on the back of a victory over Liverpool, and they will be full of confidence.
The Citizens will certainly look to grind out all three points here. Manchester City are very much in the title race, and they will look to close the gap with Arsenal with a victory here. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Newcastle United
Valentino Livramento is closing in on returning from a knee injury, but Saturday’s game has come too soon for him. Yoane Wissa has been ruled out as well, Harrison Ashby has a hamstring issue, and William Osula is dealing with an ankle problem. Meanwhile, Dan Burn is suspended after already picking up five yellow cards in the Premier League this term.
Newcastle United will shape up in a 4-3-3 formation vs Manchester City, with Nick Pope in goal. Kieran Trippier and Lewis Hall will start as the full-backs. They will look to help out at both ends of the pitch. Sven Botman and Malick Thiaw will pair up at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Bruno Guimaraes will start in the centre of the park alongside Sandro Tonali and Joelinton. Guimaraes will look to add creativity and control, while Tonali looks to provide defensive cover and physicality. Joelinton will add drive and workrate to the side.
Finally, Nick Woltemade will lead the line for Newcastle United vs Manchester City, with Jacob Murphy and Harvey Barnes on either side of him. So, Anthony Gordon will be a backup option on the bench for the home side.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Pope; Trippier, Thiaw, Botman, Hall; Bruno Guimaraes, Tonali, Joelinton; Murphy, Woltemade, Barnes
Manchester City
Rodri (hamstring) and Mateo Kovacic (ankle) remain sidelined for the away side due to their recent fitness issues. Manchester City will shape up in their usual 4-1-4-1 formation vs Newcastle United, with Gianluigi Donnarumma taking his customary place in goal.
Matheus Nunes and Nico O’Reilly will start as the full-backs. They will help out at both ends of the pitch. Meanwhile, Ruben Dias will start alongside Josko Gvardiol at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Nico Gonzalez will start in the middle of the park, and he will look to dictate the tempo of the game from the deep. Tijjani Reijnders and Phil Foden will start as the advanced midfielders. They will add creativity to the side.
Savinho and Jeremy Doku will add pace, flair and goals from the flanks, with Erling Haaland leading the line for Manchester City vs Newcastle United on Saturday evening.
Probable Lineup (4-1-4-1): Donnarumma; Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly; Gonzalez; Doku, Reijnders, Foden, Savinho; Haaland
Key Stats
- Manchester City have picked up four wins from the last six matches vs Newcastle United.
- 15 goals have been scored in the last six matches between these two teams.
- Manchester City have picked up five wins from their last six Premier League matches.
- Newcastle United have lost four of the last six Premier League matches.
- Eddie Howe has won none of his 18 Premier League meetings with Manchester City (D2 L16). It is the most a manager has faced an opponent in the competition without ever winning.
Player to Watch
Nick Woltemade
The Newcastle United striker has done quite well joining the club, and he is our key player to watch out for. The Tyneside outfit will be desperate for all three points, and they need him to step up and deliver.
The German international is more than just a goalscorer. He will look to create opportunities for his teammates and find the back of the net. He is an expert when it comes to holding up the ball and bringing others into the game.
Meanwhile, All three of Woltemade’s non-penalty goals for Newcastle United this season have been from first time shots. Only Jean-Philippe Mateta (4) has scored more, with 100% of them coming from first time shots. Newcastle United will need his skill set in order to breach the Manchester City defence. It remains to be seen whether he can make a defining impact.
Prediction
Newcastle United 1-2 Manchester City
Both teams will be fighting for a victory here, and this will be a close contest. Neither side are defensive in their approach, and this is likely to be an open game with a fair few chances. However, Manchester City have been quite impressive in the attack, and Newcastle United have looked vulnerable at the back.
The home side’s defensive vulnerabilities could let them down here. Both teams are likely to get on the score sheet, but Manchester City have enough quality and depth to edge this one. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Pep Guardiola and his charges.