Manchester City vs Newcastle United promises to be a cracker of a match because both teams are playing the best football in the league at the moment.
The 2022/23 treble winners and the fast-rising St James Park outfit are set to do battle during the curtain closer of the Saturday round of fixtures of matchday 2 of the 2023/24 Premier League season.
Both teams walloped their opening day opponents. Man City thrashed newcomers Burnley 3-0 at Turf Moor while Newcastle were bad hosts to Aston Villa, sending them home empty handed after a 5-1 defeat.
Both teams are in the top 3 of the relatively new league after one matchday and both will hope to bag a very tough three points against each other.
This match will be even more important for Eddie Howe, who is making a case for the Premier League’s latest challenger. He is looking to take Arsenal’s space this new season and make a beeline straight for the Premier League title.
For Pep Guardiola, however, it will be a run of the mill match for him. The Spaniard has admitted that no Premier League game is easy. However, having dominated the league for all but two of the seasons he has been at the club, he tends to feel less pressure when taking to a Premier League pitch.
He will even feel less pressure after he led Manchester City to lift the UEFA Super Cup on Wednesday 16 August.
Manchester City, winners of the 2022/23 UEFA Champions League, faced off against Spanish LaLiga club Sevilla, who won the 2022/23 UEFA Europa League in the 2023 UEFA Super Cup. City fought back to take the game to extra time and then penalties, where they beat the Europa League champions to take the Super Cup.
That made up for their loss to Arsenal in the FA Community Shield on Sunday 6 August.
The team may be tired due to the congestion of fixtures but they will be buoyed by the fact that they have added another trophy to their collection. That feeling will stay with them until they meet Newcastle United on 19 March for what promises to be a very entertaining tie.
Pep Guardiola vs Eddie Howe is a tactical battle that many are excited to witness in today’s Premier League. This match promises to be a prologue to a season where these two will likely go head-to-head for the Premier League title – look away, Arsenal fans!
The match will take place at the Etihad, home of Manchester 3, on Saturday 19 August, 2023, at 8 PM.
It is the last game of the Saturday round of fixtures for matchday 2, as stated earlier. It will be broadcast on Sky Sports and on all other Premier League broadcast partners around the world.
Manchester City vs Newcastle United tickets are up on both teams websites and are expected to sell out.
Manchester City fans will troop into the Etihad in droves because their team will be returning from their UEFA Super Cup win to present the four trophies that officially marked the end of the 2022/23 football year.
This means that tickets will sell out fast and a lot of City fans with many neutrals will be made to turn to ticket reselling platforms to be able to stand a chance of buying a ticket.
Newcastle United tickets will also sell out because the Magpies have the opportunity to clip the wings of the high-flying Man City on 19 August.
While many will be looking forward to seeing the triumphant Cityzens, many more will be looking forward to a possible upset from Eddie Howe and his new-look team.
A win against the four-trophy Man City at the home of the champions will be one of the biggest underdog stories of the century in English top flight football.
Manchester City will be without the services of Kevin De Bruyne for the next four months.
The Cityzens captain suffered an injury to his hamstring on the first matchday against Burnley and is gearing up for surgery.
The recovery period is four months and City are stuck. However, Pep Guardiola has assured fans that the club is looking at the possibility of replacing De Bruyne before the 2023/24 season will be over.
City are eyeing Jeremy Doku from French Ligue 1 season Rennes and Lucas Paquetta from West Ham United as possible additions to their team.
John Stones and Ruben Dias are also set to return from minor injuries they sustained against Burnley.
Newcastle United, meanwhile, are still linked to a number of players. This, it is believed, is now due to their affiliation with the Saudi PIF.
The Saudi organization is seen as able to spend money, which has also benefited them in the past. Their latest best guy is Italian midfielder Sandro Tonali. He was immense against Aston Villa and will be in line to face Manchester City.
Howe, meanwhile, is happy about the attacking threat in his team even though he is still in the market for more. He said: “They’re dilemmas that are needed because we’re going to need the strongest squad possible, and the players who missed out today will play loads of games this season.
“That’s just a fact because we’re in so many different competitions, we’re going to be stretched and we’ll also be needing their quality as well.”
De Bruyne’s injury changed a lot for Manchester City. He will be forced to dig deep and play with what he has. However, he has a depleted squad with limited options to choose from at the moment. He will put out a competitive team, however, and Howe will not find it easy against him.
Manchester City: Ederson; Walker, Aké, Akanji, Lewis; Kovačić, Silva, Rodri; Foden; Haaland, Álvarez
Howe is looking for an upset especially with De Bruyne out and Manchester City dealing with a little fatigue thanks to their schedule. Harvey Barnes is likely going to start from the bench again and Howe will count on him to do damage from the bench. Alexander Isak will lead the line once again and the big Swede will hope to outplay his fellow Scandinavian Erling Haaland who will be attempting to put the ball in the opposing net.
Newcastle United: Pope; Trippier, Schär, Burn, Botman; Almirón, Guimarães, Tonali, Joelinton; Isak, Gordon
Manchester City are tired and this match will be a tough one for them to face. Newcastle’s endless running will prove to be a problem for Pep Guardiola’s side to keep up with but they will find a way to create quality chances that will put them in control for most of the game. The best outcome, however, is a draw for both sides thanks to the quality and fatigue that will be on display.
Manchester City 2-2 Newcastle United.
The Premier League run-in, the backend of the title race for Manchester City sees them…
Everton is having a bad season so far, from their poor form in the league…
Communication is the heartbeat of any successful soccer team. On the field, amidst the flurry…
In the annals of football history, few names evoke as much reverence and admiration as…
Are you new to the world of football betting and would you like to take…
If you are into sports betting, staying ahead of the game is crucial. One way…