Newcastle vs Manchester City Prediction: 28/9/2024

Newcastle United, currently 6th in the Premier League, has consistently been one of the top contenders in the league over the past few years. Last season, they qualified for the Champions League but finished 4th in their group, which included Paris Saint-Germain, accumulating just 5 points and exiting at the group stage.

For the 2024-25 Premier League season, Newcastle has made a solid start, sitting in 6th place. They won their opener against Southampton (1-0), drew with Bournemouth (1-1), defeated Tottenham (2-1), pulled off a win at Wolverhampton (2-1), but faced a disappointing 3-1 defeat away to Fulham in their fifth match.

Meanwhile, Manchester City, the league leaders, faced Arsenal in what was considered one of the most important early-season matches. It was a dramatic game where Erling Haaland opened the scoring for City early on, putting them ahead in the 9th minute. However, Arsenal equalized through Calafiori 10 minutes later and then took the lead before halftime with a Gabriel header.

Arsenal’s Leandro Trossard was sent off just before halftime, forcing Arsenal to defend with 10 men for the entire second half. City eventually capitalized, equalizing with a last-gasp goal from John Stones in the 95th minute, resulting in a 2-2 draw. Despite the draw, City remains at the top of the Premier League with 13 points.

Newcastle’s transfer window activity saw them retain control of their squad, offloading players like Eliot Anderson (to Nottingham Forest for €42 million) and Yankuba Minteh (to Brighton for €35 million). On the incoming side, they brought in Lewis Hall from Chelsea (€33 million), Kelly from Bournemouth (on a free transfer), and Vlachodimos from Nottingham Forest (€23 million).

However, none of these new arrivals have yet secured a spot in the starting XI. Key players like defender Sven Botman, supersub Callum Wilson, promising midfielder Lewis Miley, and former captain Jamaal Lascelles remain sidelined due to injury. Harvey Barnes has been one of Newcastle’s standout performers, scoring 3 goals in the league, including their only goal in the recent loss to Fulham.

For Manchester City, their summer transfer window was relatively quiet, with their only major signing being Savinho (€35 million). He played a role in setting up Haaland’s opening goal against Arsenal. In terms of departures, notable exits include Julian Alvarez (to Atlético Madrid for €75 million), Joao Cancelo (to Al-Hilal for €23 million), and Kalvin Phillips (on loan to Ipswich). Haaland has already scored 10 goals this season, while Savinho has provided 3 assists.

City continues to deal with injuries, with defender Nathan Aké and winger Oscar Bobb still recovering, while Kevin de Bruyne, absent against Arsenal, is hoped to return soon.

 

Prediction

Over 2.5 goals have been scored in 13 of Manchester City’s last 16 away Premier League matches, and their last seven games overall have followed this trend. Similarly, 12 of Newcastle’s previous 15 home games have seen over 2.5 goals. Given these statistics, another high-scoring game between these two sides is likely.

Prediction: Newcastle 1 – 2 Manchester City