Pep Guardiola‘s side suffered their first league defeat of the season last time out as they came out on the wrong side of a seven-goal thriller with Liverpool at Anfield.
Pep Guardiola’s men will be desperate to make a statement after a 4-3 defeat at Liverpool, a result which slightly flattered them. The last time they lost a game, going down 2-1 in a dead Champions League rubber at Shakhtar Donetsk, they put in one of the performances of the season by winning at Old Trafford. The Toon Army will be fearful of similar repercussions, especially as they’ve conceded 11 goals on their last two visits to the Etihad. Getting anything out of this game will be a tall order for Newcastle, though they’re unbeaten in four since the City defeat, and you’ve got to take every positive you can. Hey, here’s another: City have only kept four clean sheets at home this season. God speed, Newcastle.
Although their dreams of an unbeaten campaign have been broken, the runaway leaders will still have a cushion of at least nine points by kickoff at the Etihad Stadium. Newcastle are on their own unbeaten run of four games in all competitions, and yet could be dragged to within one point of the relegation zone by this afternoon’s results.
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HEAD TO HEAD: Newcastle’s only win over City in their last 22 encounters was a 2-0 win at the Etihad in the EFL Cup in 2015. David Silva and Fernandinho are the only survivors from the City team that day, and Paul Dummett the sole Magpie to play both then and today.