Newcastle United vs Manchester City (Premier League): Match Preview, Team News, Head to Head, How to Watch

The Premier League champions take on Newcastle United on Saturday evening, as they look to continue their improved run of form into the new calendar year.

City welcomed Championship side Huddersfield Town to the Etihad Stadium for the third round of the FA Cup last weekend, looking to start their cup defence with victory and progression into the fourth round.

Pep Guardiola’s side would not just defeat the Terriers however, as they thrashed them courtesy of a 5-0 scoreline, and advancing into the fourth round where they will now face Tottenham Hotspur away from home later this month.

Phil Foden opened the scoring against Huddersfield, before Julian Alvarez guided the ball past a diving Lee Nicholls to double the current holders’ lead. A deflected ball off the chest of Ben Jackson would gift Manchester City their third, before Foden would find the back of the net once again.

Jeremy Doku would end Manchester City’s scoring charge on the day with a storming goal off of an assist from Kevin De Bruyne, who made his long awaited return following an aggravated hamstring injury during the opening week of the season.

On the other side of Saturday’s ticket sit Newcastle United, who come into the match against Manchester City off the back of victory in a Tyne-Wear derby in the third round of the FA Cup. Alexander Isak recorded a brace against Sunderland, while an own goal by Daniel Ballard handed the Magpies a clean victory over their rivals.

When it comes to the English top flight, Eddie Howe’s side have had a rough time of late, dropping fixtures to Liverpool, Nottingham Forest, and Luton Town, which has seen them drop to ninth in the table.

Fixture Details

The match between Newcastle United and Manchester City will take place on Saturday 13th January, with kick-off at St. James’ Park scheduled for 17:30 BST.

Team News

Pep Guardiola confirmed that he will be without Erling Haaland and John Stones on Saturday evening, with the Norwegian sustaining a setback in his recovery from a foot problem, while the Three Lions man will be out due to an injury he sustained against Everton.

Jack Grealish could also be unavailable on Saturday afternoon, as the English winger is suffering from an illness, according to Pep Guardiola. However, Grealish did return to training on Friday evening in a positive step towards fitness.

Kevin De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku could make their return to the top flight following appearances against Huddersfield last weekend, with the Sky Blues coach praising his recent form in training.

“I saw him (Kevin De Bruyne) yesterday and he feels good and dynamic. He played well, better than the sessions before Huddersfield. He’s getting better,” explained Pep Guardiola.

Manuel Akanji becomes the latest player to succumb to injury however, after the Swiss international was ruled out by Pep Guardiola until the end of the month at a minimum following an injury against Huddersfield.

Head to Head

Newcastle United and Manchester City have met a total of 190 times in their respective histories, with the latter coming out on top in 76 of those contests, scoring 295 goals with an overall +30 goal difference across the meetings.

Eddie Howe’s side came out on top in their last clash, knocking Manchester City out of the Carabao Cup in the third round of the competition through a 1-0 scoreline, while Pep Guardiola’s players won 1-0 in the Premier League meeting at the Etihad last August.

How to Watch

For viewers in the United Kingdom, you can view Saturday’s match on TNT Sports 1.

For viewers in the United States, you can view the match on Peacock, with kick-off scheduled for 12:30 p.m. EST.

City Xtra will also have full coverage available across our social channels and during our live watchalong on YouTube!