Man City vs Newcastle: Preview

Man City vs Newcastle: Preview

Pep Guardiola will look to get his side back on track after the surprise draw at Wolves, and Newcastle are possibly the exact team they would have wanted to face.

The Magpies have a shocking record against the Citizens in recent times, and have not won any of their last 21 league meetings, a run included 18 defeats and just three draws.

Benitez has attracted criticism for his defensive methods in the way he set up his team for what proved to be narrow Premier League losses to Tottenham and Chelsea, but he refuses to allow expectation to get in the way of realism as he attempts to turn around Newcastle's faltering start to the season.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said: "Rafa Benitez did the same [use defensive tactics] against us last season, so we have to adapt. Obviously the quality of our play will be important.

"After two minutes, I will know what idea our opponents are using, and we have to train hard to adapt to it.

There are a lot of points to play for and the real season starts after the international break, every week three games, the travelling and no time to prepare for the games.

"We dropped two, or won one point at Wolves. The secret last season was when we did that we won the next game."

Newcastle manager Rafael Benitez said: “When I was at Napoli, I was offensive, attacking all the time. When I am Newcastle United, I have to manage. I have what I have.

"You have to have ambition, but you have to be realistic. The best way for us to get results and to achieve what we want to achieve - and the main thing is to stay in the Premier League at the moment - is to be realistic and manage expectations.

"I can come here and say, 'Oh, we will attack and play three strikers' and everybody will be happy and the fans will say 'fantastic', and afterwards you can lose 6-0. We have to be realistic and manage expectations, and that is the best way for us as a football club to achieve what we want to achieve, and that is to get enough points to stay in the Premier League."

Rafa Benitez confirmed Jonjo Shelvey, Matt Ritchie and Javier Manquillo will not feature. Florian Lejeune is a long-term absentee with an ACL injury.

Central defender Lascelles missed the defeats by Chelsea and Nottingham Forest with an ankle injury amid reports of a training ground bust-up, but is back in the squad for the game at the Etihad Stadium.

City are still without full-back Danilo (ankle), De Bruyne and reserve keeper Claudio Bravo (knee).

Expected line-ups

Manchester City: Ederson; Stones, Kompany, Laporte; Walker, Fernandinho, Mendy; B Silva, D Silva; Aguero, Jesus

Newcastle: Dubravka; Yedlin, Schar, Lascelles, Clark, Dummett; Ritchie, Diame, Ki, Kenedy; Rondon

 

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