On Sky
Time to put cup competitions aside for a few days as City aim to resume their league title charge on Tyneside…
Vital Quotes:
Manuel Pellegrini:
‘We are in a very good moment, but we are just in the middle of the season…it’s very important to have a good finish to the season. We have very important games in the days ahead. All the games are knockout, except the Premier League, but that will be a close fight to the end of the season, with four or five clubs together in a small group. So it’s very important to understand we must continue in the same way.
‘I try to manage the club and the players in the best way I think to play football. There are a lot of different ways to manage and a lot of different ways to play. In my career I chose one, which has always been to have a creative team and normally players like to play as a creative team.’
Alan Pardew:
‘City can turn on the gas and blow you away so we have got to make sure that doesn’t happen. But at the same time, we have to try to hurt them and give them problems too. City have five or six players of Cabaye’s calibre but we have one of our own who can inflict his own damage.
‘We have to attack every game. We’re on the same points total as when we finished fifth from the same amount of games which means we have a chance of Europe. That has got to be what we are aiming for.’
Newcastle United Team News:
OUT:
Fabricio Coloccini
Mathieu Debuchy – Suspended
LATE FITNESS TEST:
Yohan Cabaye
Player to watch: Yohan Cabaye
If passed fit from an achilles injury for this game, Cabaye remains a clear and present danger having successfully returned from a self imposed exile earlier this season. Quick of feet and clever with it, if Newcastle are to get a result against City the French playmaker will be required on full creative power.
Manchester City Team News:
OUT:
Stevan Jovetic
Jack Rodwell
Sergio Aguero
Player to watch: David Silva
Merlin is on fire right now and celebrated his 28th birthday with some wonderful footwork during the League Cup annihilation of West Ham. His ability to guard the ball and make things happen is going to be a paramount weapon in City’s armoury in tandem with the increasingly influential Samir Nasri in the second half of the season. City have players in form coming at opposition sides from all angles but Silva in particular right now is a joy to watch.
Match Facts & Stats
THE NUMBERS GAME:
City took only 4 points from the opening 6 league away matches but have earned 10 points since from a possible 12 on the road.
Treble Confederation of African Football Footballer of the Year and Geordie nemesis Yaya Toure has scored 5 league goals in his last 4 outings against Newcastle, more than against any other club he has faced in England.
Newcastle have not scored a league goal in 190 minutes of football since Papiss Cisse’s penalty on Boxing against Stoke.
HEAD TO HEAD
League: 56 City Wins, 35 Draws, 64 Newcastle Wins
League Cup: 3 City Wins, 1 Draw
FA Cup: 2 City Wins, 2 Draws 1 Newcastle Win
Total: 61 City Wins, 38 Draws, 70 Newcastle Wins
THIS COULD BE THE LAST TIME:
We 30 Oct 2013 Newcastle 0 – 2 Man City LC4
Mo 19 Aug 2013 Man City 4 – 0 Newcastle PL
Sa 30Mar 2013 Man City 4 – 0 Newcastle PL
Sa 15Dec 2012 Newcastle 1 – 3 Man City PL
Betting: Newcastle 9/2 Draw 3 City 8/13 Racing Post Soccerbase
FORM LAST 6 GAMES ALL COMPETITIONS:
Newcastle: DWWLLL
City: WWWWDW
CLICK HERE TO MAKE YOUR PREDICTIONS AND FOLLOW THE GAME LIVE IN THE VMC FORUM
TV COVERAGE: Sky Sports 1 uk / 1HD
LiveOnSat.com
mcfcofficial: NEWCASTLE PREVIEW Pellegrini press conference
Ref Watch:
Mike Jones of Chester
-Last Season: Sa 29Dec 2012 Norwich 3 – 4 Man City, Sa 04May 2013 Swansea 0 – 0 Man City This Season: Sa 28Sep 2013 Aston Villa 3 – 2 Man City -2012/13: 31 Games, 85 Yellows, 3 Reds -2013/2014: 19 Games, 63 Yellows, 2 Reds.
Match Prediction:
Johnny On The Spot:
Manchester City head north east to a stadium that has become a happy hunting ground in recent seasons with the squad’s Premier League mandate remaining the same as it was before this month’s domestic cup commitments: This is another must win game required to maintain the pressure not only on Arsenal, but on all other title contenders…The Blues come into this one on a big roll and the New Year period fortunes of City and hosts Newcastle are polar opposites. City won two games and drew their FA Cup fixture whereas the Geordies lost all three of their fixtures including 2 reverses at home, this coming after a run of positive form that saw Alan Pardew’s men climb the league table…City have picked up tremendous momentum at this time. The stunning 92 goals scored already this season across 4 competitions is a total now only 2 goals away from eclipsing the entirety of last season’s tally. The Blues are building up towards going toe to toe with Barcelona and the growing belief across Planet Blue that this exciting season could realise tremendous success seems to be galvanising Manuel Pellegrini’s squad. There is just so much going for them. I think they’ll have too much for Newcastle at this time and if they score early should secure another vital three points. Newcastle 0 City 2
Next Fixtures:
all times East Manchester GMT
We 15Jan 19h45 Blackburn, The Etihad, FAC3R
Sa 18Jan 15h00 Cardiff City, The Etihad, PL
Tu 21Jan 19h45 West Ham United, Upton Park, LCSF2
Sa/Su 25/26 Jan TBC Watford or Bristol City, The Etihad, FAC4
We 29Jan 19h45 Tottenham Hotspur, White Hart Lane, PL
Mo 03Feb 2014 20h00 Chelsea, The Etihad, PL
Sa 08Feb 15h00 Norwich City, Carrow Road, PL
We 12Feb 19h45 Sunderland, The Etihad, PL
Tu 18Feb 19h45 FC Barcelona, CL
Sa 22Feb 15h00 Stoke City, The Etihad PL
Sa 01Mar 15h00 The Stretfords, the swamp, PL