Newcastle United will take on Manchester City in the Premier League at the weekend, and they will look to pick up a morale-boosting win at home.
Newcastle are coming into this game on the back of four wins from the last six matches in all competitions.
They are 14th in the league table, and they will look to climb back into the top half. They need to raise their performance levels if they want to finish in a respectable position.
Meanwhile, Manchester City are in impressive form. They have picked up five wins from the last six matches in the league. They are coming into this game on the back of a victory over Liverpool, and they will be full of confidence. They will certainly look to grind out all three points here. They are very much in the title race, and they will look to close the gap with Arsenal with a victory here.
Team News & Tactics
Newcastle United
Valentino Livramento picked up a knee injury recently, Yoane Wissa has been ruled out as well, Harrison Ashby has a hamstring issue, and William Osula has an ankle problem. Dan Burn is suspended.
Newcastle United will shape up in a 4-3-3 formation, with Nick Pope in goal.
Kieran Trippier and Lewis Hall will start as the full-backs. They will look to help out at both ends of the pitch. Sven Botman and Malick Thiaw will start in the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Bruno Guimaraes will start in the centre of the park alongside Sandro Tonali and Joelinton. Guimaraes will look to add creativity and control, while Tonali looks to provide defensive cover and physicality. Joelinton will add drive and workrate to the side.
Nick Woltemade will lead the line for Newcastle United, with Jacob Murphy and Harvey Barnes on either side of him.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Pope; Trippier, Thiaw, Botman, Hall; Bruno Guimaraes, Tonali, Joelinton; Murphy, Woltemade, Barnes
Manchester City
Rodri and Mateo Kovacic remain sidelined for the away side due to an ankle injury.
Manchester City will shape up in their usual 4-1-4-1 formation, with Gianluigi Donnarumma taking his customary place in goal.
Matheus Nunes and Nico O’Reilly will start as the full-backs. They will help out at both ends of the pitch. Meanwhile, Ruben Dias will start alongside Josko Gvardiol at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Nico Gonzalez will start in the middle of the park, and he will look to dictate the tempo of the game from the deep. Tijjani Reijnders and Phil Foden will start as the advanced midfielders. They will add creativity to the side.
Savinho and Jeremy Doku will add pace, flair and goals from the flanks, with Erling Haaland leading the line for Manchester City.
Probable Lineup (4-1-4-1): Donnarumma; Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly; Gonzalez; Doku, Reijnders, Foden, Savinho; Haaland
Key Stats
Manchester City have picked up four wins from the last six matches against Newcastle.
15 goals have been scored in the last six matches between these two teams.
Manchester City have picked up five wins from the last six Premier League matches.
Newcastle have lost four of the last six Premier League matches.
Player to watch out for
Nick Woltemade
The Newcastle United striker has done quite well joining the club, and he is our key player to watch out for. Newcastle will be desperate for all three points, and they need him to step up and deliver.
The German international is more than just a goal scorer. He will look to create opportunities for his teammates and find the back of the net. He is an expert when it comes to holding up the ball and bringing others into the game. Newcastle will need his skill set in order to breach the Manchester City defence. It remains to be seen whether he can make a defining impact.
Prediction
Newcastle 1-2 Manchester City
Both teams will be fighting for a victory here, and this will be a close contest. Neither side are defensive in their approach, and this is likely to be an open game with a fair few chances. However, Manchester City have been quite impressive in the attack, and Newcastle have looked vulnerable at the back. Their defensive performance could let them down here. Both teams are likely to get on the score sheet, but Manchester City have enough quality and depth to edge this one.