Manchester City vs Newcastle LIVE: De Bruyne, Walker and Rodri return for Guardiola’s title-chasers as they look to close the gap to Arsenal… as Lascelles makes his first start since August
Follow Sportsmail’s live blog for the Premier League clash between Manchester City and Newcastle.
Host commentator
6mins: Manchester City have really set the tone for the game. They are playing with real pace and intent. However, they can’t afford to switch off at the back as Newcastle are ready to pounce.
4mins: Another chance and this time it’s for Newcastle! Ake gave away a corner – which was subsequently fired towards the back post for Lascelles. He manages to get a head on the ball after losing Jack Grealish but he couldn’t get it on target.
1mins: Great start from Manchester City. They worked the ball up the pitch extremly quickly with some nice passages of play in the midfield. They then found Haaland on the half-way line. He turned and set De Bruyne off down the flank. The midfield maestro then found Grealish – who crossed it into the box for Gundogan to head. However, he couldn’t quite keep it down.
And.. just like that, we are underway at the Etihad. It is Manchester City who start the proceedings.
Manchester City: Ederson, Walker, Dias, Akanji, Ake, Rodri, De Bruyne, Gundogan, Foden, Grealish, Haaland.
Newcastle United: Pope, Trippier, Botman, Lascelles, Burn, Joelinton, Longstaff, Guimaraes, Gordon, Almiron, Wilson.
Anthony Gordon will make his first start for Newcastle this afternoon. It will also mark his fourth appearance for the club after signing from Everton.
Head to our Matchday Centre for live updates of our game against Newcastle! 📲
Maybe someone will score a better goal than this one today…💭
He said: ‘To be fair I think when we signed him he was scoring goals, but people talk about that is the Premier League. Now that he has confidence, what he was doing from day one was running – he has a lot of energy.
‘He can be running the whole game with pace, it is not easy, and he can make the difference because now he has more confidence. Because he’s left-footed he can go inside and he can do overlaps, he has a lot of assets, so he is doing really well.’
"How are you feeling that it's a three-horse race now with Man Utd back in the game?"
We see you, @rioferdy5… 👀🎣
Pep Guardiola insists it's about time the red side of Manchester was revived. pic.twitter.com/MNdsfzfT56
"I can't put my finger on it, I just feel really confident at the moment, I feel good."
🧠 Life under Pep Guardiola
⚽️ Adapting to Manchester City
💙 Relationship with Erling Haaland
Jack Grealish talks openly about his time in Manchester with @rioferdy5… pic.twitter.com/p2k2rw1Gj7
Saint-Maximin is one to watch this afternoon. His progressive carries per 90 (6.91) far outdo the majority of his team-mates. Therefore, Eddie Howe has been willing to give Saint-Maximin more game-time, including his first full Premier League 90 minutes since picking up a hamstring injury back in August.
Checking in at the Etihad. 👋 pic.twitter.com/aKjPVKV5jh
Home 🏡#ManCity pic.twitter.com/pFuCWHuF4u
‘We didn’t find the space,’ said Guardiola. ‘Saint-Maximin dropped us back. He has that ability to take the ball to use the counterattack to drive the ball.
‘If you cannot win that duel you have to defend 40 metres further back. We are not a team that concedes too many counterattacks. We try to play with proper strikers like Erling [Haaland] or Julian [Alvarez] before sometimes it would be Gabriel who would drop.
‘This game was Saint-Maximin or Almiron or Joelinton – they have players who can run 40 metres with the ball. When that happens, you have to defend. We saw it in the first 10 minutes against Bristol City on our right side.
‘We normally concede because we lose easy balls and in that aspect we have to improve.’
‘We were bruised on Sunday and Monday but, very quickly for me, it turned to Manchester City and return to work on Monday afternoon.’ he said.
‘The passion and the motivation, I didn’t feel, could increase within me but I think it has. We experienced a great occasion to see the Newcastle supporters. The colours, visions and memories that I’ll have and take from that.
‘The passion and love they showed to the team in all moments will stay with me and I think we want to return that and give them future successes, which burn deep inside of me.’
Eddie Howe has made three changes from the team that lost the Carabao Cup final. But, the most surprising change is Jamaal Lascelles. He returns to the starting XI for the first time since August.
Meanwhile, Fabian Schar hasn’t been named in today’s matchday squad. Howe has also selected Nick Pope over Loris Karius now that Pope suspension is over.
Pep Guardiola is no stranger to changing up his team and today is no different. He’s made six changes to the team that beat Bristol City in the FA Cup.
Ederson will return between the sticks for Manchester City, while Kyle Walker will start at right-back. Rodri will also return to the midfield while Kalvin Phillips is benched.
Bernardo Silva, Julian Alvarez and Riyad Mahrez will also occupy the bench this afternoon. While Ilkay Gundogan, Jack Grealish and Erling Haaland will return to the starting XI.
Newcastle starting XI: Pope, Trippier, Botman, Lascelles, Burn, Joelinton, Longstaff, Guimaraes, Gordon, Almiron, Wilson.
Substitutes: Dubravka, Saint-Maximin, Ritchie, Targett, Isak, Manquillo, Murphy, Willock, Anderson.
HOWAY NEWCASTLE! 👊#MCINEW pic.twitter.com/KVBh1PjlP6
Manchester City starting XI: Ederson, Walker, Dias, Akanji, Ake, Rodri, De Bruyne, Gundogan, Foden, Grealish, Haaland.
Substitutes: Ortega, Phillips, Stones, Laporte, Alvarez, Silva, Mahrez, Palmer, Lewis.
🔵 TEAM NEWS 🔵
XI | Ederson, Walker, Akanji, Dias, Ake, Rodrigo, De Bruyne, Gundogan (C), Foden, Grealish, Haaland
SUBS | Ortega Moreno, Phillips, Stones, Laporte, Alvarez, Bernardo, Mahrez, Palmer, Lewis#ManCity | @HaysWorldwide pic.twitter.com/DVUylaQqd1
Meanwhile, Eddie Howe revealed that he had not given much thought to new questions about the links between Newcastle United‘s owners and the Saudi Arabia regime.
Howe said that despite the stories among the press, he was not distracted from the main goal of their fixture with Manchester City and that he had not asked the owners for clarity on the situation.
READ MORE…
A Newcastle fan group has called on the Premier League to take another look at assurances from the club’s Saudi owners over who has control of the club.
As reported by Sportsmail on Thursday, a court document in the United States has raised fresh questions about the level of separation between the Saudi state and the Public Investment Fund (PIF) whose governor Yasir Al Rumayyan is also chairman of the Premier League club.
A brief filed in a court case involving the PGA Tour and LIV Golf describes the PIF as ‘a sovereign instrumentality of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’ and Al Rumayyan as a ‘sitting minister of the Saudi government’.
READ MORE BELOW…
Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola was effusive in his praise of Foden following the England star’s role in Manchester City‘s 3-0 win over Bristol City on Tuesday night in the FA Cup Fifth Round clash at Ashton Gate.
READ MORE BELOW…
Phil Foden claimed that he has been going through one of the lowest periods of his short yet hugely successful career of late at Manchester City.
Speaking to ITV after Tuesday night’s FA Cup action, the 22-year-old revealed that he has been struggling with ‘one of the worst parts’ of his meteoric rise as one of the brightest young talents in the game at City.
The England starlet has spent time out of the side through injury, and has found his place in the starting XI under threat with continued good form from Riyad Mahrez and Jack Grealish.
READ MORE BELOW…
Speaking about Fraser, Eddie Howe said: ‘Ryan’s training with the Under-21s. I made the decision to concentrate on players that are committed to Newcastle. For the benefit of the group, I’ve made that call.’
‘I feel like my form has improved and I feel like I am playing with confidence now.’ said Grealish, ‘The goals and the assists are coming and I am doing it in the big games.
‘I think it is important that I am getting goals and assists in important situations. It is always nice to get goals and assists but to do it in games that mean a lot, like when you are drawing and it puts your team 2-1 up is different to when you are winning 4-0 and you score to make it 5-0.
‘I feel like I am contributing in these big games so hopefully it can continue.’
Eddie Howe is still looking to secure his first win as a manager at the Etihad. As it stands, he has lost all six of his Premier League visits to the Etihad as a manager.
Despite struggling for results recently, Eddie Howe’s side are undefeated in eight Premier League away matches. They have won four and drawn four – which marks Newcastle’s longest unbeaten away run in the top flight for 53 years.
Newcastle are in desperate need of points if they want to close the gap between themselves and Tottenham. That will be require a change in form as the Magpies have gone four games without a win in all competitions, losing their previous two.
Kevin de Bruyne is looking to make history this afternoon. He is currently two assists shy of reaching the 100 make in the Premier League. It seems plausible that he could reach the target today – having provided seven assists against Newcastle, with five of those coming at the Etihad.
However, there is an opportunity for Newcastle to get on the scoresheet. City have struggled to keep a clean sheet at home this season. They have kept just four clean sheets at the Etihad in 12 Premier League games this season.
Manchester City have the advantage heading into this afternoon’s fixture having won 13 consecutive home league games against Newcastle.
City have also won 24 of their 28 home matches since last March, drawing three and losing one in all competitions.
Newcastle will be handed a boost this afternoon as Nike Pope returns to the team after missing the Carabao Cup loss through suspension. Meanwhile, Bruno Guimaraes has recovered from his ankle injury and could feature today. Additionally, Martin Dubravka – who was cup-tied at Wembley – is also available for the Magpies today.
Manchester City will make a late call on whether John Stones and Aymeric Laporte will be fit enough to feature this afternoon. Both players have returned to training following but it remains to be seen as to whether they will be selected today.
Hello and welcome to Sportsmail’s live blog for today’s Premier League clash between Manchester City and Newcastle.
Manchester City will aim to keep their Premier League title hopes alive when they take on Newcastle in today’s lunch-time kick-off.
Pep Guardiola’s side can move to within two points of leaders Arsenal, who play later this afternoon against Bournemouth.
While Newcastle will be looking to pick up three points to close the gap between them and fourth-place Tottenham.
Source: Read Full Article
