Man City Prepare for Tough Newcastle Test as Pundits Share Their Bold Predictions
Manchester City head to the North East this Saturday to take on Newcastle United in what promises to be a thrilling Premier League showdown. Pep Guardiola’s men are aiming to extend their lead at the top of the table after a hard-fought 2-2 draw against Arsenal last weekend, which kept them one point clear of Liverpool in second place.
Following a midweek 2-1 victory over Watford in the Carabao Cup, City remain unbeaten this season. However, they’ll face Newcastle without the services of key midfielder Rodri, who’s sidelined with a knee ligament injury. His absence could pose a challenge as City look to keep their momentum going.
Newcastle, on the other hand, missed their chance to match City’s points tally after a disappointing 3-1 defeat to Fulham last weekend. Despite some entertaining encounters between the two sides in recent seasons—including a thrilling 3-2 victory for City last year—Newcastle will need to up their game if they hope to keep pace.
As the big match approaches, several high-profile pundits have weighed in with their predictions. Here’s what they had to say:
Paul Merson
Paul Merson expects a comfortable victory for City at St. James’ Park, suggesting that Rodri’s absence won’t be felt in the short term, but could become a bigger issue as the season progresses.
“This is a massive game for Newcastle, especially after that poor result at Fulham,” Merson told SportsKeeda. “Before that, you’d have thought Newcastle were in a good place, but they were well beaten by Fulham. If they play like that against Manchester City, they’ll get destroyed.”
Merson is confident City will handle Newcastle easily: “Rodri is the glue for City, but his absence won’t be a problem here. Over the course of the season, it might catch up with them, but for now, they’ll be fine.”
Prediction: Newcastle 0-3 Man City
Chris Sutton
Chris Sutton, known for his straightforward analysis, doesn’t believe Newcastle’s recent struggles will make for a close contest. He sees City cruising to victory despite Rodri’s injury.
“Newcastle haven’t been at their best all season, even though they’ve picked up some results,” Sutton told BBC Sport. “They could have topped the table last week if they hadn’t lost to Fulham, but their form has been shaky.”
He added: “City will miss Rodri, but they’ve got enough quality to get the job done. I don’t think this game will be as close as it has been in previous years.”
Prediction: Newcastle 1-3 Man City
Mark Lawrenson
Mark Lawrenson shares a similar view, believing that despite City’s injury woes, Newcastle’s lackluster showing against Fulham makes a home victory unlikely.
“I really enjoyed the City vs. Arsenal game last week for all sorts of reasons,” Lawrenson told Paddy Power. “Rodri and Kevin De Bruyne being out is a blow for City, but Newcastle were poor at Fulham. I don’t think City have a great record at St. James’ Park, but I still fancy them to win.”
Prediction: Newcastle 0-2 Man City
As the experts have suggested, Manchester City seem poised for another big win, even without some of their star players. Newcastle will need to bounce back from their Fulham defeat if they want to have any hope of disrupting City’s unbeaten run.
