Manchester City vs. Newcastle United: EPL Match Preview, Odds & Prediction

In a fascinating top-four showdown at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday afternoon, fifth-place Manchester City will host sixth-place Newcastle United.

Previous Matches and Head-to-head

Man City's demoralizing collapse in the Champions League continued on Tuesday. They lost 3-2 at home to ruthless holders Real Madrid in the first leg of their playoff tie. This came three days after limping past Leyton Orient in the fourth round of the FA Cup. Man City had a one-goal lead with just five minutes remaining.

While Real is famous for its signature smash-and-grab heroics on the biggest stage in Europe, Man City has a bad habit of giving up late leads. They've lost five games this season where they had a lead—that's more than they lost in the previous four campaigns combined.

Pep Guardiola's aging squad lost the match due to frustrating mistakes. Before they try to turn things around in next week's second leg at Santiago Bernabeu, the Citizens must return to Premier League play and fight for a top-four finish. With just five wins and seven losses from 24 league matches this season, this is becoming an increasingly difficult task.

After suffering a crushing 5-1 loss to Arsenal in their most recent Premier League match two weeks ago, Manchester City dropped to sixth position, 18 points behind league leaders Liverpool. In addition to being two points behind Chelsea in fourth place, they have drawn level on points with Newcastle in sixth place and share a goal differential with them.

Just three teams in Premier League history have a longer winning streak against the same opponent. Everton had a 22-game run from 1961 to 2018, Sheffield United had a 16-game run from 1903 to 1921, and Man United had a 16-game streak against Luton that began in 1955 and continues until 2023. So, at least Citizens supporters can take solace in the fact that Guardiola's side has won 15 of their last 16 home games against the Magpies.

Newcastle hasn't won a Premier League away game against Manchester City since September 2000 (1-0) at Maine Road. Since then, the Magpies have gone on a miserable 20-game winless road streak (D2 L18), and none of their previous five trips to the Etihad have resulted in a goal.

On Saturday, though, they'll be taking their winning streak into Manchester United, where they've won their last four Premier League away games (2-0 against Man Utd, 2-1 against Tottenham, and 2-0 against Arsenal). The last time Newcastle won five in a row was in October 1994, which was also their only previous occurrence in the division.

Joe Willock scored twice, and Callum Wilson scored once as the Magpies defeated Birmingham City 3-2 in last weekend's fourth-round FA Cup encounter, extending their winning streak away from home to six matches across all categories. Birmingham City were the leaders of League One.

After advancing to next month's EFL Cup final with a 4-0 aggregate victory against Arsenal in the semi-finals, Newcastle won at St. Andrews only three days later. Both ending their 70-year title drought and ensuring that they play in the Champions League next season are top priorities for Eddie Howe's squad.

The Magpies' chances of finishing in the top four will be severely challenged over the next two weeks as they take on Man City, Nottingham Forest, and Liverpool in the Premier League. They also still have Aston Villa, Chelsea, and Arsenal to play through this season. However, they have gained 11 points from their matches against these six teams, so they should look forward to these major events with anticipation.

Manchester City vs. Newcastle United Team News

Jack Grealish and Manuel Akanji, two key concerns for Man City due to midweek muscle problems, are on the mend. Additionally, Nico Gonzalez and Oscar Bobb will be evaluated, although Rodri has been out for quite some time.

Guardiola may start Rico Lewis or Matheus Nunes at right back in place of the injured Akanji, who began at right back against Real Madrid. Nathan Ake may be ready to start again after playing for an hour in defense on Tuesday, his comeback from an injury.

Jeremy Doku, who has recently returned from an injury, Savinho, Omar Marmoush, and Phil Foden will compete for starting spots on the flanks. At the same time, Guardiola is considering starting either Gonzalez (if fit), Mateo Kovacic, Ilkay Gundogan, or Bernardo Silva in the middle of the pitch.

For Newcastle, Jamaal Lascelles is out with a knee injury, Harvey Barnes is out with a muscle injury, Anthony Gordon is questionable with a thigh injury, Joelinton is questionable with a knee injury, Sven Botman is questionable with a knee injury, and Dan Burn is questionable with a groin injury.

Last time out, custodian Nick Pope was back in the starting lineup; thus, Howe had to decide whether to remain with Pope or bring back Martin Dubravka.

The following players are expected to be called up after making FA Cup substitute appearances: Fabian Schar, Lewis Hall, Sandro Tonali, Jacob Murphy, and Alexander Isak. Isak has scored 10 of his 17 Premier League goals away from home this season, but he has failed to score in three trips to the Etihad.

Our Predictions

Full time a draw and Both teams are to score @ 4.20 on Sky247.ng

The more hushed the discussion of Newcastle's away record versus Man City is, the better. Nevertheless, the Magpies have cause for optimism as they prepare for Saturday's match, which offers a rare opportunity to defeat a mentally and physically vulnerable Citizens team.

A draw is possible because both teams are capable of scoring. Still, the hosts have scored in their last 32 Premier League matches against Newcastle, so Guardiola's men will have trouble scoring against a settled and well-organized Magpies side.

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