History of the fixture: Manchester City visit Newcastle

Manchester City have the chance to go fifteen points clear of second place Manchester United Wednesday evening. Taking on Newcastle, at St James Park, is never an easy task, and Pep will be well aware of the task in hand.

Historically the sides are evenly matched, but heading into Wednesdays game the sides are in completely different forms. Newcastle are just halfway through their first season back in the top flight, 15th in the league with only their first win on Saturday since 21st October.

A procrastinated takeover has stifled the early season promise of the Toon Army. In a way they remind me a little of us, in the early 2000’s. A big, well supported club who couldn’t get a break, and would bob along the bottom of the Premier League, or dominate the lower tier.

But where else are there similarities between these two sides?