Newcastle v Manchester City: Line-ups, stats and preview

Preview the match

Manchester City will be hoping to pile pressure on Arsenal in the title race as they return from the international break to face Newcastle United, who are looking to return to winning ways after a recent decline in Premier League fortunes.

City is four points behind leaders Arsenal before Saturday’s match at St James’ Park. However, with the north London derby between Arsenal and Tottenham taking place on Sunday, Pep Guardiola’s men have a chance to close the gap to one point.

The visitors have an excellent record against Newcastle, having won 12 away games in the Premier League against Newcastle, the most on the road against a single opponent in the competition (12 also against Everton).

However, they have only won one of their last four matches on Tyneside in all competitions, drawing the other two in the league and being beaten in the EFL Cup.

Their previous win in January 2024 required a 90th-minute winner from Oscar Pope, and after recent poor results in their travels, Newcastle will be desperate to upend expectations in what most expect to be another convincing encounter.

City’s biggest advantage is undoubtedly the form of Erling Haaland, who has already scored 19 goals in all competitions for the club this season and recently finished Norway’s successful World Cup qualifying campaign with 16 goals to his name.

A goal in this match would see Haaland reach 100 Premier League goals in record time, although Newcastle have traditionally proven a surprisingly difficult opponent for City’s talisman. – Haaland scored only once against Newcastle during his career.

While Newcastle are in an excellent position to advance to the Champions League knockout stages and qualify for the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup as they bid to defend that trophy, successive 3-1 away defeats to West Ham and Brentford have left them in a lowly 14th place in the Premier League, just two points off the bottom three.

But Liverpool and Arsenal are the only Premier League teams to have won at St James’ Park this season, with both needing a thrilling late win, and Howe will be hoping to return home with a much better performance.

He told BBC Newcastle this week: “We are looking for a big response at the moment, which we will need because we have game after game; our schedule for the next two months is relentless. We cannot allow any kind of negative trend to continue. It is a really important few weeks for us.”

“[Getting a result against City] It will be the perfect start to this period. But we know that we are facing, for me, the best team in the Premier League, consistently over the last five years, maybe the last 10 years. They were excellent, so there is no bigger game for me than Manchester City, in terms of the test.

“We hope this shows the best in us. We will definitely be ready for the game. We have spent a long time reflecting on our recent performance and hope to see a reaction.”

Speaking to Sky Sports, he added: “It’s a very difficult game. They are the defending champions in this division. They have changed a lot over the years, as any Pep Guardiola team does. It’s a new challenge for us, but hopefully we can rise to it. Coming home is important for us.”

“I think we rise to the challenge. We have to go into every game with a fresh outlook, but the Brentford game is still fresh in our memories and we have to respond. We have to motivate ourselves and use those games to come out fighting and play as hard as we can.”

Team news for the Newcastle vs. Manchester City match

There is optimism that Anthony Gordon will be available after a thigh injury ruled him out of Newcastle’s loss to Brentford and England in recent World Cup qualifiers.

Nick Pope has cleared concussion protocols, although the game came too soon for long-term absentees Tino Livramento and Yoani Wisa (both knee). But both are close to making a comeback.

Joelinton (leg) should be fit to play after the injury that forced him off in the first half against Brentford, but recent poor form could see him lose his place in the midfield. Will Osula still has an ankle issue.

City have fewer injury problems, although midfielder Mateo Kovacic (ankle) is set to miss again.

Guardiola continues to manage Rodri’s fitness and it remains to be seen if he will be available for the trip to St James’ Park.

The expected lineup for the Newcastle vs. Manchester City match

Newcastle: pope; Trippier, Thiaw, Putman, Hall; Tonali, Guimarães, Ramsay; Murphy, Walthamd, Barnes.

Manchester City: Donnarumma. Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly; Bernardo, Gonzalez; Cherki, Foden, Doku; Haaland