Tuesday night will mark one of Newcastle United’s biggest games of the season: the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-finals against Manchester City at St James’ Park.
We beat Pep Guardiola’s side here back in November in one of our standout performances of the season, and we’ll be hoping to see a similarly strong display from the lads in the upcoming tie.
But we, like City themselves, have been wrought by injuries, and Tuesday’s opponents have a simply fantastic record against us.
If we’ve shown anything this season however, it’s when we’re under the lights at St James’ Park where we’re at our most dangerous, something Guardiola recognises, and the Spaniard has revealed that he doesn’t plan to underestimate us at all.
Speaking to the media ahead of tonight’s semi-final first leg, Pep Guardiola was full of praise for Eddie Howe’s Newcastle and the atmosphere his Man City side will face at St James’ Park.
Pep joked that he “didn’t sleep” thinking up his genius plan to stop a Newcastle side he lost to in November, talking up the impact of the crowd, our ability to rally late in games and the “special” atmosphere on Tyneside, believing Newcastle will be “as difficult” as fellow semi-finalists Arsenal and Chelsea.
“I didn’t sleep tonight thinking how my genius can create something for Eddie Howe.
“For many years since Eddie Howe took over, look how many games won in the last minutes. The pride is there, the crowd pushes.
“It has always been like that in this stadium. The stadium is special.
“But it is a semi-final and if we have to play against Arsenal or Chelsea it would be as difficult. I would say it should not be different.”
“In that stadium, it is special.”
Pep Guardiola is anticipating a tough night at St James’ Park in the Carabao Cup semi-final. pic.twitter.com/MEMPFZxGFp
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) January 12, 2026
In the last five meetings between ourselves and Man City at St James’ Park, we’ve won twice and drawn twice, including a 1-0 win in this very competition back in 2023 courtesy of a goal from Alexander Isak.
Besides a spell where Steve Bruce was our manager, Newcastle isn’t a happy hunting ground for the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss!
On paper, Tuesday’s game should be a high scoring affair. Partly down to the quality of attacking talent who will start, but also partly down to the patched together defences we both have.
Where we only have four senior defenders fit and available to play, with Burn, Schar and Livramento all out, Man City will be without centre-backs Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol and John Stones due to injury.
It’s a crisis that has forced Guardiola to even recall Max Alleyne from his loan spell at Watford, and the youngster started against Exeter City in the FA Cup this past weekend.
The quartet of Alleyne, Abdukodir Khusanov, Nathan Ake and Rico Lewis started on Saturday afternoon, but we should perhaps be anticipating more of Guardiola’s starters on Tuesday: Nico O’Reilly has been excellent at left back, and Matheus Nunes is looking much-improved as well, and will pose a tough task for our likely winger duo of Harvey Barnes and Anthony Gordon.