Will Maxwell’s selections for Saturday’s clash at St James’ Park include a win for Pep Guardiola’s side with goals at both ends.
Both Newcastle and Man City saw impressive runs come to an end last week and both will be desperate to bounce back in Saturday’s early kick-off.
Defeat at Fulham last Saturday saw the Magpies unbeaten run this season grind to a halt, while champions City dropped their first points of the campaign with a 2-2 against Arsenal.
There were a couple of tight encounters between the sides at St James’ Park last term and it could be a similar story this weekend.
Best bets
Man City to win and both teams to score
9/5
11+ shots on target
21/20
Bernardo Silva to score
12/5
City can bounce back on the Toon
Despite a last-gasp equaliser last Sunday, there was a bit of criticism for the way Man City struggled to break down 10-man Arsenal in the second half.
On top of that, the champions lost midfield lynchpin Rodri due to injury and the Spanish star is now facing a long spell on the sidelines.
When you also consider the 0-0 home Champions League draw with Inter Milan, there are a few questions for City to answer and that’s when they are normally at their most dangerous.
Having lost at St James’ Park in the EFL Cup last season, they then returned to Tyneside in January to win a crucial league game 3-2.
Pep Guardiola’s men won three of the four meetings with the Magpies last season, winning at the Etihad in both the Premier League and FA Cup.
It’s also worth noting there have been plenty of goals in the last four league meetings at Newcastle, with 2-3, 3-3, 0-4 and 3-4 scorelines since 2021.
Shots could rain by the Tyne
With an average of 5.5 goals per game in this fixture in the last four seasons, efforts on goal look like the order of the day.
There were no fewer than 16 shots on target in Newcastle’s 3-1 defeat at Fulham, while the Magpies’ 2-1 success at Wolves saw 11 shots hitting the target.
There were 14 on-target efforts in City’s fascinating draw with Arsenal last Sunday, while their 2-1 home success over Brentford saw the teams rack up 12 shots on target between them.
In last season’s five-goal thriller, there were 16 shots on target with five for Eddie Howe’s men and 11 from the visitors.
Bernardo enjoys Newcastle fixtures
Considering his recent run of form, Erling Haaland is a short price option in the anytime goalscorer market so it’s worth looking elsewhere.
One man who has had a lot of success against Newcastle in recent seasons is Bernardo Silva, who may play in a more attacking role if Kevin de Bruyne is not fit to start.
The Portuguese star scored both goals in City’s 2-0 FA Cup win over the Magpies last season, as well as bagging the opener in the 3-2 league win at St James’.
Bernardo has scored five goals in the last six meetings with Newcastle, in all competitions, with two of those strikes coming on Tyneside.
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