Newcastle United vs Manchester City Preview: Probable Lineups, Prediction, Tactics, Team News & Key Stats

In their first game back in the UEFA Champions League, Newcastle United battled to a point against AC Milan at San Siro after a valiant victory against Brentford. When preseason projections were made, experts expressed doubts about Newcastle’s capacity to withstand Premier League and Champions League competition.

However, the Magpies displayed their strength in depth and showed no signs of exhaustion as they defeated Sheffield United 8-0 in their own stadium, becoming the first team in Premier League history to have eight different scores in a single game.

Given that Newcastle reached the EFL Cup final and finished in the top four of the Premier League last season, it was a glimpse of what this Newcastle club, which had not really been at its best this season, is capable of. When the defending Premier League champions Manchester City visit Newcastle United in the third round of the Carabao Cup, Newcastle United will feel confident in their abilities.

Only the Sky Blues have a 100 percent winning record in the Premier League so far this year. The Citizens have won six of their first six league contests while also giving up the fewest goals in the division.

When the Premier League’s top team stormed into a 2-0 lead against Forest on Saturday after just 14 minutes, it appeared as though they would cruise to another rout. However, early in the second half, Rodri was sent off for fighting Morgan Gibbs-White. As a result, City played the remainder of the match with ten men, but Guardiola’s team still managed to keep a clean sheet.

The most recent Premier League match between these two teams occurred in August of this year, with Manchester City coming out on top 1-0 thanks to an incredible goal from Julian Alvarez. In preparation for Sunday’s match at St. James’ Park, The Hard Tackle will now evaluate both teams and their current state.

Tactics & Team News

Harvey Barnes, who was forced to leave the game against Sheffield United on Sunday due to a toe injury, might not play today. Apart from that, Eddie Howe, the manager, will not have the injured trio of Joelinton, Joe Willock, and Emil Krafth for this game. Howe might select a well-balanced team to defeat a depleted Manchester City with both rest and trophies in mind.

Nick Pope might be replaced in goal by Martin Dubravka, with Fabian Schar and Sven Botman forming the central defensive pairing in front of the Slovakian goalie. On Sunday against the Blades, Kieran Trippier had a fantastic game and contributed three assists.

The 33-year-old, though, is another player who might not appear in this contest. Valentino Livramento, who has played in two league games as a substitute, might get his first start for the team. Lewis Hall was given the chance to start this game after making his Magpies debut as a substitute against the Blades on Sunday.

Summer signing worth £55 million For the last two league games, Sandro Tonali has been a reserve. Bruno Guimaraes, who has had a busy schedule of games, will be given a break, but he will likely return to the lineup against City along with stalwart Sean Longstaff and prospect Elliot Anderson.

 

There will be adjustments made in the attack as well. Alexander Isak, who scored a cheeky goal against Sheffield United the last time out, will take Callum Wilson’s place as the centre striker. Given that Anthony Gordon offers an attacking threat on the opposing wing, Jacob Murphy should be given another chance versus City after starting last week’s Champions League match against AC Milan.

Dubravka; Livramento; Schar; Botman; Hall; Longstaff; Tonali; Anderson; Murphy; Isak; Gordon; are the likely starters in a (4-3-3) formation.

Manchester City

Pep Guardiola has encountered a number of significant injuries as he continues to function without Kevin De Bruyne and John Stones, while Bernardo Silva and Mateo Kovacic are most likely out for this game. In the summer, he only signed four players while allowing more than twice that number to leave, both on permanent and loan deals.

In the demanding stretch of games ahead, the Manchester City manager has already made it clear that he will prioritize the Premier League and Champions League above the Carabao Cup. He will start a much-weaker team against Newcastle United, including members of the junior team.

Stefan Ortega might replace Ederson between the posts in a rearranged backline, with Rico Lewis, Manuel Akanji, Nathan Ake, and Sergio Gomez making up the back four. Rodri’s three-game suspension for his irrational behavior against Forest may allow Kalvin Phillips to make a rare start in the holding position.

Oscar Bott, a promising Norwegian player who has only played a supporting role this season, might get a start, and Matheus Nunes will keep playing the No. 8 position. Here, Guardiola could control the playing time of his star striker Erling Haaland. Thus, Phil Foden and Jack Grealish would serve as the attacking reinforcements, with Julian Alvarez playing the central striker position.

Ortega, Lewis, Akanji, Ake, Gomez, Nunes, Phillips, Bobb, Foden, Alvarez, and Grealish are the likely starters in a 4-3-3 formation.

Key Figures
In their last nine encounters with Newcastle United, Manchester City has prevailed eight times.
In their most recent six games across all leagues, the Cityzens have triumphed in every one.
In three of their previous four Premier League matches against the Magpies, Guardiola’s team kept a clean sheet.
Newcastle has preserved a clean sheet in each of their past three games in addition to scoring an impressive eight goals away against Sheffield United over the weekend.
In their last four games, Manchester City has netted three or more goals.

Watch Out for Anthony Gordon
Anthony Gordon, who under Eddie Howe has made significant progress at Newcastle United, put up an electrifying performance against Sheffield United after being brought on as a substitute in the 12th minute.

The 22-year-old presented defenders for the Blades with a threat right away for Newcastle. Before scoring his second goal of the season with a flawless curling shot into the corner, he made a fantastic assist on Sean Longstaff’s first goal. Gordon joined Newcastle from Everton in January 2023, but he struggled to make an immediate impact. At St. James’ Park, he is finally starting to come into his own.

This season, he has made five starts and one substitute appearance for Newcastle United in the Premier League. In those games, the number 10 has two goals and two assists. He is already a fan favorite and would be essential for Newcastle to advance to the next round.

Prediction
Manchester City defeats Newcastle United 3–1
At full throttle, this would normally be an absolute cracker. However, both teams’ medical facilities are overcrowded. On paper, Manchester City has much better personal attributes. However, Pep Guardiola has already declared that he will utilise some of the talent from the Academy rather than taking a chance on more experienced players like Kyle Walker, Ruben Dias, and undoubtedly Erling Haaland.

Due to Newcastle United’s own absence of several players, Eddie Howe won’t be able to change his team much. However, the Magpies should start with the majority of their first-team players because of Sunday’s rout of Sheffield United and the boisterous atmosphere at St. James’ Park, which should give them a big advantage.

Tyneside is obsessed with ending their protracted trophy drought, and this is a wonderful opportunity to upset one of the favorites given Guadiola’s public hatred for the sport. If City does start using some of their young players, the Toon might even win this game by a few goals.