We take on the Magpies with a 17:30 (UK) kick-off at St James’ Park.
Ederson, Kyle Walker, Nathan Ake, Rodrigo, Bernardo Silva and Jeremy Doku return to the side while Stefan Ortega Moreno, Manuel Akanji, Sergio Gomez, Rico Lewis, Oscar Bobb and Jack Grealish drop out of the first XI.
Erling Haaland, Akanji and John Stones all miss out through injury but winger Grealish, a doubt pre-match because of illness, has recovered to take his place on the bench.
Kevin De Bruyne, who made a return to action as a second half substitute in the 5-0 FA Cup win over Huddersfield Town, is on the bench again and provides the manager with a welcome option this evening.
Taking on Newcastle in their own backyard is always one of the toughest assignments of the season although City’s record against the Magpies is impressive.
City have more wins (30), goals (98) and clean sheets (22) against Newcastle than any other side in the Premier League.
Let’s hope we can keep that up tonight.
TEAMS
NEWCASTLE XI: Dubravka, Trippier (C), Schar, Botman, Burn, Guimaraes, Longstaff, Miley, Almiron, Gordon, Isak
Subs: Karius, Gillespie, Dummett, Lascelles, Ritchie, Krafth, Hall, A. Murphy, Parkinson
CITY XI: Ederson, Walker (C), Dias, Ake, Gvardiol, Rodrigo, Kovacic, Bernardo, Foden, Doku, Alvarez
Subs: Ortega Moreno, Phillips, Grealish, De Bruyne, Gomez, Nunes, Bobb, Susoho, Lewis
TACTICS
Ederson will be between the posts and supported by a four-man defence of Kyle Walker, Ruben Dias, Nathan Ake and Josko Gvardiol.
Rodrigo and Mateo Kovacic will anchor the midfield with Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden and Jeremy Doku supporting Julian Alvarez in attack.
FODEN THE KEY MAN?
Phil Foden is in fine form at present – and has a strong record against tonight’s opponents, Newcastle United, too.
Foden has had a hand in seven goals in his last ten Premier League appearances - four goals and three assists for City.
In fact, since Christmas, Foden has created the most chances, nine, in open play in the Premier League of any player.
The 23-year-old has also been involved in three goals in his last four league games against Newcastle - two goals and one assist.
Pep Guardiola will be hoping for more of the same tonight from Foden, who he says is playing some of his very best football.
The boss told the pre-match press conference: “I think Phil is playing one of the best moments I’ve ever seen since we are together.
“He loves to play football and he has been decisive in terms of goals, assists, rhythms.”
Here’s to more of the same tonight against the Magpies.
MATCH STATS
Newcastle have won just one of their last 32 Premier League games against City (D5 L26), beating us 2-1 at St James’ Park in January 2019.
City have scored in each of our last 30 Premier League games against Newcastle, the longest scoring streak one side has had against another in the competition’s history. The last side to score in more consecutive top-flight games against another was Chelsea against Newcastle (37 between 1933 and 1969).
Newcastle beat City 1-0 at St. James’ Park in the EFL Cup earlier this season – they’ve not beaten us twice in the same campaign since 1983/84.
Newcastle have lost six of their last nine Premier League matches (W3), only one fewer than in their previous 44 games combined (W24 D13 L7). The Magpies are looking to avoid losing four consecutive league games for the first time since a run of five in January 2021.
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City have conceded the first goal in six of our last eight away Premier League matches (W3 L3), doing so in their last two but coming back to win in both. Only three teams have conceded first and won three away games in a row: Leeds United in October 1999, Tottenham Hotspur in December 2013 and Man Utd in December 2020 (a run of six).
Newcastle United have won 24 points in home Premier League games this season (P10 W8 L2), with only Aston Villa (28) and Liverpool (26) winning more. They did, however, lose their most recent home game against Nottingham Forest and have never suffered consecutive home defeats under Eddie Howe.
City have won our first league game of the year in 16 of the last 17 calendar years, including each of the last 11 years since a 1-0 loss to Sunderland on New Year’s Day in 2012.
City have lost just one of our previous 11 Premier League games (W6 D4), winning three of their last four (D1).
Having won our previous two away league games, City could record three such wins in a row for the first time since their opening three games of 2023/24.
City have lost just one of our last 12 Premier League games kicking off at 17:30 on a Saturday, winning six of our last seven such matches (D1) since a 2-3 loss to Spurs in February 2022.
