Manchester City will be looking to consolidate their place at the pinnacle of the Premier League table when they take on Newcastle United at St. James’ Park on Saturday afternoon.
The reigning champions travel to Tyneside after punching their ticket to the fourth round of the EFL Cup following a 2-1 victory over Championship side Watford.
Newcastle, meanwhile, will be hoping to avoid back-to-back Premier League defeats after a deflating 3-1 thrashing at the hands of Fulham last weekend.
These two sides delivered a five-goal thriller the last time they locked horns at St. James’ Park, and we’re expecting more of the same this weekend.
There are bound to be fireworks and plenty of drama, so those struggling to purchase tickets to the game can use Seatsnet.com as a secondary marketplace to book their seat in the stands.
Match preview
Newcastle’s strong start to the Premier League campaign hit a rough patch after a 3-1 defeat to Fulham last weekend at Craven Cottage.
Despite accumulating ten points from their opening four matches, Eddie Howe’s side has not always been convincing, and their first defeat of the season has exposed some vulnerabilities.
Fulham established a foothold in the match early on, with goals from Raul Jimenez and Emile Smith Rowe putting the hosts 2-0 up within the first 22 minutes.
Newcastle managed to pull one back immediately after the break, with Harvey Barnes scoring his third goal in as many games.
However, Fulham sealed maximum points in stoppage time, thanks to a goal from Reiss Nelson, ensuring the Magpies returned to Tyneside empty-handed.
After the match, Howe conceded that Newcastle’s performance was subpar, admitting it was “the worst we have played” this season.
Newcastle currently sits sixth in the table, just three points off the top, but the defeat has raised concerns among fans, who are calling for improved performances if the team is to maintain a place near the summit.
The Magpies were scheduled to face League Two side AFC Wimbledon in the third round of the EFL Cup on Tuesday.
However, the match was postponed due to a sinkhole caused by overnight flooding at Wimbledon’s Cherry Red Records Stadium.
The fixture has been rescheduled for October 1 at St James’ Park, with the winner set to face Chelsea in the next round.
The postponed Wimbledon fixture has given Howe enough time to analyse the defeat to Fulham and come up with a plan to stifle the relentless Man City on Saturday.
However, it could be a tall order for the Magpies, considering they’ve only gotten the better of the Cityzens once in their last 33 top-flight meetings.
Man City were forced to take on Watford in the EFL Cup third round just two days after the thrilling 2-2 draw against Premier League title rivals Arsenal.
Faced with the tight turnaround, Pep Guardiola made nine changes to his starting line-up, but his side still managed to secure a 2-1 victory.
First-half goals from Jeremy Doku and Matheus Nunes put the Cityzens in control, although Watford threatened a late comeback after Tom Ince scored a brilliant strike.
Despite the Hornets’ push for a late equaliser, Guardiola’s side held on to progress to the fourth round.
The eight-time EFL Cup champions will now prepare for a mouth-watering fourth-round clash away at Tottenham Hotspur next month.
However, their immediate focus shifts back to the Premier League, where they’ll aim to extend their remarkable unbeaten run in 2024 to 25 matches when they face Newcastle on Saturday.
If they avoid defeat against the Magpies, Man City will match Chelsea’s 2008 record for the longest unbeaten run from the start of a calendar year in the Premier League era (26).
Man City’s record against Newcastle gives them plenty of confidence heading into the weekend.
The Cityzens have won more Premier League matches (31), away games (12), and scored more goals (101) against the Magpies than any other team.
They’ve also scored in each of their last 31 league meetings with Newcastle, marking the longest scoring streak one team has against another in Premier League history.
Despite Newcastle’s ten-game unbeaten run on home turf, Man City will remember they were the last team to beat the Magpies at St James’ Park, securing a dramatic 3-2 win in January.
However, Guardiola’s men did suffer a 1-0 defeat at Newcastle in the EFL Cup third round last season, setting the stage for another potentially riveting encounter between both sides this weekend.
Key stats
Newcastle face a daunting challenge as they prepare to host Man City at St James’ Park in their next Premier League clash.
Despite their impressive home form, Newcastle have struggled historically against Man City, managing just one win in their last 33 Premier League encounters (D5, L27).
That victory came in January 2019, when Rafael Benítez masterminded a 2-1 win. However, Newcastle’s recent home performances offer some hope.
They’re unbeaten in their last ten Premier League games on home turf (W6, D4), and they’ll be hoping to get their vengeance on Man City, who were the last team to come away from St. James’ Park with a win.
Adding to their resilience, Newcastle have found the back of the net in each of their last 21 Premier League home games, the longest ongoing streak in the competition.
Man City, on the other hand, continue to assert their dominance over Newcastle, having scored in each of their last 31 Premier League games against the Magpies.
It’s the longest scoring streak of any side against a single opponent in the Premier League’s history.
Guardiola’s side are also unbeaten in their last 28 league matches (W23, D5).
That incredible streak includes 24 games in 2024, the longest unbeaten streak from the start of a calendar year since Chelsea’s 26-game run in 2008.
Erling Braut Haaland has been central to Man City’s success this season, scoring ten goals in five Premier League games.
It’s the earliest any player has ever reached double figures from the start of the season in any competition.
He’s on track to match Sergio Aguero’s 2019/20 record of scoring in each of the first six games of a Premier League campaign.
Team news & potential line-ups
Howe is expected to ring the changes after the disappointing defeat to Fulham last weekend, but he also has to deal with a couple of injury problems.
Callum Wilson will sit out the game, joining Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles in the treatment room, while Alexander Isak is also a major doubt due to a broken toe.
Man City’s Rodri has been sidelined for the rest of the season with an ACL injury, and Guardiola will also be without Nathan Ake, Oscar Bobb, and Kevin De Bruyne.
Newcastle United potential starting line-up:
(4-3-3): Nick Pope; Kieran Trippier, Fabian Schar, Dan Burn, Lewis Hall; Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes, Joelinton; Jacob Murphy, Anthony Gordon, Harvey Barnes.
Manchester City potential starting line-up:
(3-2-4-1): Ederson; Manuel Akanji, Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol; Rico Lewis, Mateo Kovacic; Savinho, Bernardo Silva, Ilkay Gundogan, Jeremy Doku; Erling Braut Haaland.
