Newcastle United v Manchester City : Match preview

Man City Square look ahead to the Manchester City Premier League game away to Newcastle on Tuesday 29 January and try to predict a starting eleven.

Pep Guardiola was keen to stress in his media duties following the Burnley match that Newcastle would prove a very different test for Manchester City. Away to Newcastle on a cold and wet January evening may well be one of those matches where the form book can be put to one side. City fans will hope the game follows the form book but will no doubt fear the conditions may conspire against them.

Pep Guardiola will no doubt be aware of the threat Newcastle pose and will anticipate how they are likely to set up. At the Etihad earlier in the season Newcastle were criticised for the defensive way in which Rafa Benitez had set up his team. Accordingly I expect Newcastle will try and bring more of the game to City, putting us under pressing high up the pitch and trying to force players into making mistakes.

I suspect Newcastle may target some of our players with high pressing. A couple of seasons ago we saw individual targeting of Mangala when on the ball by Liverpool which resulted in them quickly notching up some goals. Newcastle may well target our full backs and defensive midfielder with a similar approach.

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Guardiola is unlikely to have Vincent Kompany and Benjamin Mendy available for the match due to injury but otherwise there is a fairly full roster of players. Whether he chooses to give Kevin De Bruyne further time on the pitch just a few days after the Burnley victory or rests him for he Arsenal game will be one of the difficult judgement calls Guardiola will have to make.

Ederson will start in goal and I would expect Danilo at right back and perhaps Delph operating at left back. The Central defensive partnership is always difficult to call but my preference would be to see Aymeric Laporte and John Stones resume their pairing. Guardiola may well feel a more physical presence is needed against Newcastle so could plump for Otamendi.

Midfield will most likely revolve around Fernandinho. I hope we will see Bernardo and Kevin De Bruyne making up the central three. Though we could just as easily see Gundogan and David Silva undertaking those duties. The attacking three will be built around Sergio Aguero who has an excellent scoring record against Newcastle. I hope we will see Leroy Sane and Raheem Sterling on the flanks as I believe our pace and precision will likely cause Newcastle problems regardless of how they set up.

This should be a difficult and demanding game. The hope is that City race into enough of a lead to rotate as many players as possible to give them rest for Arsenal at home at the weekend.

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Man City Square Predicted Starting Eleven

Goalkeeper

Ederson

Defence

Danilo, Stones, Laporte, Delph

Midfield

Fernandinho, De Bruyne, Bernardo

Attack

Sane, Aguero, Sterling