Manchester City return to the Premier League this weekend with a match against Newcastle United.
After two weeks away from the Premier League due to last weekend's FA Cup action, Manchester City prepare for match-week 25 where they will be taking on Newcastle United.
Man City have faced a mixture of results during this last week: in the FA Cup they claimed a 2-1 victory over Leyton Orient to advance to the next round but in the UEFA Champions League, their first leg playoff saw them face a 3-2 defeat to Real Madrid, meaning they will need to turn this result around or they will be eliminated from the competition.
But right now, their focus will be purely on the Premier League and this match will crucial one that could determine the outcome of their season.
While Man City's chances of reattaining the Premier League title are now over, they must now aim to finish in the top four and secure UCL football for next season.
The Cityzens' struggles have not only seen them fall further and further away from first place, but they have also caused them to be unable to maintain a top-four position - with multiple occasions even ending with Man City on seventh.
Right now, Manchester City are placed on fifth spot with 41 points. But their next opposition, Newcastle, are currently sixth but with equal points as the Sky Blues, 41.
A win for City could either keep them within reach of Chelsea or if the Blues fail to secure three points against Brighton and Hove Albion, then Man City would overtake them. However, if the Magpies get the win, they would go ahead of Manchester City.
For Manchester City, they continue to have uncertain names ahead of this fixture, and manager Pep Guardiola has provided an update on whether or not they will be available for this fixture.
Pep Guardiola's updates
"(Manuel Akanji) I think it is the abductor. He will undergo surgery on Saturday, and will be out 8-10 weeks."
"(Jack Grealish) It's not as apparent right now as tough as Manu has done. But I don't know if he'll be ready for the game. We will see and assess in the next hours."
"(Nico Gonzalez) He arrived with a little pain, especially against Madrid he was not fully fit, but day by day he is getting better. Like I said before with Jack, we'll assess in the next few hours."
Guardiola looks ahead to Newcastle task
"They have a lot of threats and a lot of positive things. They're an experienced and solid team already, of course, congratulations for reaching the Carabao Cup final but playing one game a week, it can be unbelievably dangerous without the Champions League."
"They qualified for it then had it, then didn't qualify. They will be top four or five contender until the end."
"Of course, every time we get a good result the mood is better for everyone. At the same time, we couldn't with how the season has been. We try to get results more often, but when you're in the position the results help us a lot for the next games."
"There are 14 games still left to play and 42 points to be won, so there are a lot of games still to play. It will be the same for every game, not just Newcastle. It happened against Chelsea a few weeks ago - we're similar in terms of points."
“There are 14 games still to play and 42 points to be won, so there are a lot of games still to play."