Having lost the EFL Cup final to Manchester United last weekend, Newcastle United will be eager to reignite their season when they face Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola’s side will be looking to keep pace with Arsenal in the race for the Premier League title.
As it stands, second-placed Man City find themselves 14 points clear of fifth-placed Newcastle, with the Magpies sitting four points outside the Champions League places.
Manchester City head into Saturday’s showdown on the back of a 3-0 FA Cup victory over Bristol City, with Phil Foden bagging a brace in midweek.
The Cityzens have now won seven of their previous 10 outings across all competitions, with a 4-1 victory over Bournemouth preceding Tuesday’s FA Cup triumph.
Not only have Guardiola’s men won each of their last five home games in all competitions, but they have also avoided defeat in all of their previous seven.
Better still, City are the top scorers in the Premier League with 64 goals. Averaging 2.56 goals per game this season, the defending champions are expected to score more than once against Newcastle.
As for the Magpies, Sunday’s EFL Cup final defeat means that they have failed to win any of their last four encounters in all competitions.
Following back-to-back Premier League draws with West Ham United and Bournemouth, Newcastle lost to Liverpool before falling to Man Utd.
Still, it is worth remembering that Newcastle have only lost two of their 23 Premier League matches this season – picking up 10 wins and 11 draws in the process.
Eddie Howe’s side also boast the best defensive record in the division, so they will fancy their chances of frustrating the champions on Saturday.
Head-to-head: Newcastle and Man City played out a thrilling 3-3 draw in the reverse fixture at St. James’ Park back in August.
That means Man City have scored over 1.5 goals in each of their previous eight matches against the Magpies, so Guardiola’s men are likely to find the back of the net this weekend.
Team news: Man City defender Aymeric Laporte is a doubt for Saturday’s clash due to illness, while John Stones remains sidelined through injury.
Newcastle goalkeeper Nick Pope will return from suspension this weekend after missing the EFL Cup final, although Bruno Guimaraes is an injury doubt.
It is no secret that Man City are seriously strong on home soil, but Newcastle have proved to be stubborn opponents throughout the campaign.
For that reason, Forebet predicts that Newcastle will hold Man City to a draw on Saturday, with both teams scoring over 1.5 goals.