Manchester City will hope to move on from Sunday’s disappointment by securing their spot in the Carabao Cup final on Wednesday night.
The Cityzens were coasting at half-time against a sorry Tottenham Hotspur side in north London, and seemingly well on their way to cutting Arsenal’s lead at the top of the Premier League table back down to four points. Again, though, City collapsed after the restart and allowed an improved Spurs to share the spoils.
Pep Guardiola’s side continue to act unlike title winners, so their best chance of silverware this season may be the domestic cups. A 2–0 victory over Newcastle United at St. James’ Park means City have one foot in the Carabao Cup final, but they must complete the job on home soil.
Stagnation has crept in under Eddie Howe in the North East, with Newcastle struggling in mid-table and continuing to suffer on their travels. They offered little resistance after going ahead at Anfield on Saturday, succumbing to a 4–1 defeat, and now the Magpies must win at the Etihad for the first time since 2014 to have any chance of returning to Wembley.
Goals from Antoine Semenyo and Rayan Cherki leaves the Cityzens in a comfortable position.
Here’s Sports Illustrated’s preview of Wednesday’s second leg.
What Time Does Man City vs. Newcastle Kick Off?
- Location: Manchester, England
- Stadium: Etihad Stadium
- Date: Wednesday, Feb. 4
- Kick-off Time: 8 p.m. GMT / 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT
- Referee: Tony Harrington
- VAR: Paul Howard
Man City vs. Newcastle Head-to-Head Record (Last Five Games)
- Man City: 3 wins
- Newcastle: 1 win
- Draws: 1
- Last meeting: Newcastle 0–2 Man City (Jan. 13, 2025)—Carabao Cup
Current Form (All Competitions)
| Man City (DWWLL) | Newcastle (WDLWD) |
|---|---|
| Tottenham 2–2 Man City | Liverpool 4–1 Newcastle |
| Man City 2–0 Galatasaray | PSG 1–1 Newcastle |
| Man City 2–0 Wolves | Newcastle 0–2 Aston Villa |
| Bodø/Glimt 3–1 Man City | Newcastle 3–0 PSV Eindhoven |
| Man Utd 2–0 Man City | Wolves 0–0 Newcastle |
How to Watch Man City vs. Newcastle on TV, Live Stream
| Country | TV Channel/Live Stream |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Sky Go UK, NOW, SKY GO Extra, Sky Ultra HD, Sky Sports Main Event |
| United States | Paramount+ |
| Canada | DAZN Canada, fuboTV Canada |
| Mexico | ESPN2 Mexico, Disney+ Premium Mexico |
Man City Team News
Man City have received a big defensive boost ahead of Wednesday’s second leg, with Guardiola confirming that Rúben Dias, who’s spent a month on the sidelines with a hamstring injury, returned to training on Monday.
While Dias is unlikely to come back into the starting XI right away, he could be included in the matchday squad. Marc Guéhi is ineligible as he didn’t sign for the club until after the first leg, so Nathan Aké should come in to partner Abdukodir Khusanov.
Rayan Cherki’s fitness will be monitored after he picked up a knock in Sunday’s draw, while Jérémy Doku remains out of action for the hosts. Joško Gvardiol, John Stones, Savinho and Mateo Kovačić are also sidelined.
Man City Predicted Lineup vs. Newcastle
Man City predicted lineup vs. Newcastle (4-2-2-2): Trafford; Lewis, Khusanov, Aké, O’Reilly; González, Bernardo; Cherki, Foden; Haaland, Semenyo.
Newcastle Team News
Sandro Tonali was the subject of transfer speculation on Deadline Day, with the Italian’s agent reportedly ’offering’ his client to Arsenal and then denying it. However, Tonali didn’t actually come close to leaving Tyneside, and Eddie Howe has insisted his midfielder is happy at Newcastle.
Tonali should remain in the team in Manchester, but Howe has admitted that Bruno Guimarães and Lewis Miley are both unlikely to feature.
Dan Burn’s recent struggles at Anfield should see Sven Botman return to the Magpies defence, with Fabian Schär out for the long haul. Full backs Tino Livramento and Emil Krafth are also out injured, while Jamaal Lascelles has joined Leicester City.
Howe has constantly tinkered with his frontline in recent outings, as summer arrivals Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa have failed to fire. Anthony Gordon was used up top on Saturday, scoring the opening goal before things went south, and he could retain that place on Wednesday night.
Newcastle Predicted Lineup vs. Man City
Newcastle predicted lineup vs. Man City (4-3-3): Pope; Trippier, Thiaw, Botman, Hall; Tonali, Willock, Ramsey; Elanga, Gordon, Barnes.
Man City vs. Newcastle Score Prediction
Howe must take of the handbrake for Newcastle to have any chance of staging a dramatic revival. Their record at the Etihad is wretched, and, given that they’re 2–0 behind, what have the visitors got to lose?
Newcastle’s speed in transition could hurt a City team that’s far more direct and vertical compared to previous iterations. Guardiola may be concerned that his side won’t be able to see this one out serenely, especially after Sunday’s second-half showing, but it would take something quite special for the Magpies to stun the hosts on Wednesday night.
Midfield injuries will undoubtedly hinder the visitors, who could be chasing shadows for much of the contest.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Man City vs. Newcastle: Preview, Predictions and Lineups.
