Starting their 2023-24 Premier League campaign on a winning note, champions Manchester City and Newcastle United will square off against each other at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.
After one round of Premier League fixtures, Newcastle United sit at the top with a goal difference of positive four. They would be eager to make it two in two and sneak some points from the opposition’s den.
Another busy Manchester City season has just started and Pep Guardiola will have to shuffle his side to avoid injuries and fatigue concerns. Their Premier League campaign has started on a high note with a 3-0 win over their opponents away from home. They would like to replicate their resounding success at their home.
Current Form
Manchester City started the month of August with a heartbreaking loss to Arsenal in the FA Community Shield final in penalties. Cole Palmer provided the Cityzens with the breakthrough in the 77th minute after latching on to a pass from Kevin de Bruyne.
Just when it seemed City would lift the trophy, Leandro Trossard found the net in the 11th minute of additional time in the second half. The contest went into penalties where City came second best after Rodri and de Bruyne missed their penalties.
A 3-0 win over Burnley at Turf Moor lifted their moods the next week. Erling Haaland bulged the net after waiting for Rodri to lay him a headed pass in the 4th minute. Thirty minutes later, Haaland made it two-nil for City as he curled his shot into the top corner with a little help from the woodwork. Rodri put the icing on the cake in the 75th minute after the opposition defenders failed to clear the lines off a free-kick.
Riding high on the momentum of the win, City completed a comeback from behind to beat Sevilla on penalties in the UEFA Super Cup final. It was Cole Palmer who found the net in the 63rd minute to level things up as the match finished 1-1 at full-time. Haaland, Julian Alvarez, Mateo Kovacic, Jack Grealish, and Kyle Walker didn’t make any mistakes as City won the shootout 5-4 on Thursday.
Newcastle started the month of August with consecutive wins over Fiorentina and Villarreal in pre-season friendlies.
It was followed by a 5-1 win over Aston Villa in the Premier League. Sandro Tonali opened the floodgates in the 6th minute before their opponents equalised five minutes later. However, Aleksander Isak restored the one-goal cushion in the 16th minute before extending it to two in the 58th minute. Callum Wilson and Harvey Barnes put salt to Villa’s wounds by scoring in the 77th and 90th minute respectively.
Head to Head Record
The two teams have squared off 45 times in the past with City leading the head-to-head count 30 to 8 while seven matches have ended in a draw.
Pep Guardiola’s side are unbeaten against Newcastle United in the last six fixtures, having gained the upper hand five times. Moreover, in the last three fixtures at Etihad, Newcastle has been unable to find the net resulting in City keeping consecutive clean sheets. The Magpies have a shameful record of losing all last of their 14 visits to the Etihad.
In March 2023, Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva found the net as City dominated the game in a 2-0 win. In August 2022, the match ended in a 3-3 draw with Gundogan, Erling Haaland, and Bernardo Silva finding the net for City. For Newcastle, it was Miguel Almiron, Callum Wilson, and Kieran Trippier scoring the goals.
Team News
de Bruyne will miss three months of PL action as he suffered an injury in the last outing
Kevin de Bruyne limped off the field in the last Premier League fixture and Guardiola confirmed in the pre-match press conference against Sevilla that he will be out for at least three months. Bernardo Silva is set to make a return after his injury layoff and might feature in the starting line-up.
Newcastle has injury concerns of their own as the trio of Joe Willock, Emil Krafth, and Javier Manquillo are unable for the fixture at the Etihad. While Willock will return in mid-September, there are no timelines for Krafth’s ACL recovery. Although Manquillo has suffered only a groin injury, it looks like it is serious as he is out of action for more than two weeks.
Predicted Starting XIs
Manchester City (4-2-3-1): Ederson; Rico Lewis, Nathan Ake, Manuel Akanji, Kyle Walker; Rodri, Mateo Kovacic; Phil Foden, Julian Alvarez, Bernardo Silva; Erling Haaland.
Newcastle United (4-3-3): Nick Pope; Kieran Trippier, Fabian Schar, Sven Botman, Dan Burn; Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes, Joelinton; Miguel Almiron, Alexander Isak, Anthony Gordon.
Prediction
Manchester City’s impeccable record at home against Newcastle United makes them the firm favorites. Kevin de Bruyne’s injury will dampen their plans but with plenty of options available in the substitute list, it should not be a concern.