Newcastle vs Manchester City EPL Battle Odds, Preview
Champions League Clubs Face Off in Premier League
De Bruyne Back for Manchester City
Kevin De Bruyne made his long awaited return last weekend as Manchester City destroyed Huddersfield in the FA Cup, 5-0. De Bruyne will undoubtedly help City’s title push but it’ll take some time for him to get back to his best.
On Saturday, he should play a role as Man City head on the road to Newcastle United in the Premier League. Injury-riddled Newcastle have lost three EPL games in a row and should be motivated to break their streak vs one of the league’s best teams. Ahead of this Newcastle vs Manchester City EPL battle, we’ll check out the team news and run through the latest odds.
Newcastle vs Manchester City
Day/Time:
Location: St. James’ Park, Newcastle, England
Head-to-Head:
This is set to be the second Newcastle vs Manchester City EPL battle of the season. Man City won the reverse fixture 1-0 back in August as Julian Alvarez scored the game’s only goal. The Premier League odds priced Man City as -145 favorites for the game.
Newcastle managed to knock out Man City from September’s EFL Cup third round as Alexander Isak scored the game’s only goal. Man City have lost just one of their last 11 matches vs Newcastle.
Newcastle Going Through Rough Spell
Newcastle ended their four game winless run, in all competitions, with a 3-0 win over bitter rivals Sunderland in the third round of the FA Cup. All of Newcastle’s goals came on individual errors by Sunderland players. Nevertheless, Alexander Isak got on the scoresheet twice and he’s scored four goals in his last three matches. Still, Newcastle are going through quite a rough patch, with just two wins in their last nine games.
They’re on a three game losing streak in the Premier League and have dropped to ninth place in the EPL table . Newcastle have compiled just a 9-2-9 record in the league so far and injuries and a congested fixture schedule have hurt them. With Callum Wilson out with a calf injury, expect Isak to lead the line for the Magpies once again. Starting goalkeeper Nick Pope is also out until April and Martin Dubravka will continue to fill in in the meantime. Sandro Tonali is out for the season with a suspension and Joe Willock, Jacob Murphy, Matt Targett, Elliot Anderson and Harvey Barnes remain injured.
Eddie Howe has done an excellent job as Newcastle manager on the whole but this is by far the most difficult period he’s faced. The January schedule isn’t exactly easy as well, with games vs Man City and Aston Villa in the EPL. Still, with Isak, Anthony Gordon and Miguel Almiron, Newcastle do have a potent attack. Meanwhile, teenage midfielder Lewis Miley has stepped in and done an excellent job given the absences.
Man City Missing Haaland
Manchester City had no problems vs Huddersfield in the FA Cup third round on Sunday. Phil Foden scored twice and was a constant threat and Kevin De Bruyne marked his return to action by assisting Jeremy Doku. De Bruyne was only on the pitch for 17 minutes before providing an assist in the 5-0 win. De Bruyne’s return is much-needed as the Cityzens have sometimes lacked a creative spark this season. Man City are five points behind Liverpool in the title race at the moment but do have a game in hand.
City’s soccer betting lines are worth considering for the rest of the season as they tend to save their best form for later on. They have won their last five matches, in all competitions, following a mini rough patch. In December, Man City defeated Urawa Red Diamonds and Fluminense to win their first-ever FIFA Club World Cup title. Unfortunately, Erling Haaland is out with a foot injury, which means Julian Alvarez will continue to lead the line.
Alvarez scored in the match vs Huddersfield and has scored six goals and provided five assists in the Premier League this season. Rodri also missed the FA Cup match but he’ll be back in time for Saturday’s game and is a key cog in Manchester City’s midfield. Even without Haaland, City have averaged over three goals per game over their last five.
Match Analysis & Odds
Manchester City have won three of their last four road matches vs Newcastle United. For this Newcastle vs Manchester City EPL battle, City are -175 favorites. Currently, Newcastle +1 comes in at -115 odds, while bettors can take City -1 at -105. Newcastle are also +455 underdogs for this one and they’ve conceded seven goals in their last two Premier League games alone.
In Newcastle’s last EPL match, Liverpool set a league record for most expected goals in a match. Liverpool may have only won 4-2 but they posted 7.27 expected goals in the match, which speaks to recent defensive problems for Newcastle. Still, under three goals show -120 odds for the match as Haaland is likely to miss this match for Man City.
A draw would be a solid result for Newcastle, given the circumstances, and one sits at +340 odds. Two of the last four Premier League meetings between these teams at St. James’ Park have finished all square.
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