Manchester City have a chance to boost their Premier League title ambitions against Newcastle United.
Victory would move City to within two points of league leaders; Arsenal, whilst Newcastle can go eighth with a win if Bournemouth slip up at West Ham in the teatime kick-off.
Team News
Erling Haaland is set to return for Man City after he sat out their FA Cup victory at home over Salford due to a knee injury.
Max Alleyne suffered a knock during that match but is too set to be available for selection.
Savinho (calf) could return but Jeremy Doku (muscle), Josko Gvardiol (leg) and Mateo Kovacic (foot) remain sidelined.
Newcastle could welcome defender, Sven Botman back from a back injury subject to a late fitness check.
Yoane Wissa (knock), Emil Krafth, Lewis Miley (both knee), Bruno Guimaraes, Tino Livramento (both hamstring) and Fabian Schar (ankle) remain absent.
When is Kick-Off?
Man City host Newcastle at Etihad Stadium on Saturday 21 February at 8pm GMT, live on TNT Sports 1 in the UK.
Stat Attack
- Man City have dropped just five points in their last six league meetings against Newcastle (W4, D1, L1).
- Newcastle are winless in their last 21 Premier League visits to Man City dating back to August 2002 (D2, L19).
- City have kept a single clean sheet in their last four league meetings against Newcastle (W2, D1, L1), which came in a 4-0 win at home last season; coincidentally played in the month of February.
- Victory would see Newcastle achieve a first league double over Man City since 1983-84 season in the Old Division Two.
- Antoine Semenyo has scored two goals and created one assist in his two league matches at home as a City player.
- No Newcastle player has produced more shots in the league this season than Harvey Barnes (43).
Prediction
After their dominant 8-0 FA Cup third-round display against Salford last season, it was surprising to see City last week grind out a 2-0 win over them despite another one-sided performance but Haaland is back for this game which is a big chance to cut their title deficit if can be clinical again.
Newcastle meanwhile have a poor record at the Etihad Stadium so I would of expected Eddie Howe to put a weak side out, and focus on their Champions League Knockout Play-Off tie against Qarabag but they absolutely blitzed the first leg of that match-up.
With that in mind, I now expect Howe to go for a stronger line-up than anticipated here because if they play with the intensity that they showed in Baku, they can certainly give Man City a good battle if they have shaken off any jetlag but they can’t be as wasteful as they were here in the Carabao Cup earlier this month.
On that note, I can see this being closer than I certainly had in mind prior to that away victory at Qarabag but City though should have enough quality to get the win.
Prediction: Man City 2-1 Newcastle
Result: Man City 2-1 Newcastle
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