Manchester City vs Newcastle United
England – Premier League
Date: Saturday, 26 December 2020
Kick-off at 20:00 UK/ 21:00 CET
Venue: Etihad Stadium.
The Citizens have still not kicked into their actual gear yet, and are placed eighth in the table. This is so uncharacteristic of them, and to be frank, Pep Guardiola is slowly experiencing more and more pressure each passing match-day.
The Spanish gaffer needs to get into the top-five at the very least by the next two-three game weeks, or risk facing the wrath of the fans.
Moreover, with the English club hoping to reel in Lionel Messi from Barcelona at the end of the season, a poor finish is absolutely out of the question.
They do have a game in hand, and are just four points away from the second-placed Leicester. On top of that, they are pitted against the out-of-form Magpies this weekend.
Suffice it to say that Guardiola’s men have a huge opportunity coming up, and we can trust them to make it count. Moreover, they also have a terrific h2h record against this opponent over the years.
Manchester City vs Newcastle: Head-to-head (h2h)
- These two had locked horns just four months before, and then Pep’s men registered a massive 5-0 win at home.
- They had also recorded 20 of the preceding 22 overall wins.
- They had scored two or more goals in 21 of the former 25 clashes.
- At this venue, the hosts had won 11 of the preceding 12 encounters.
- The home team had scored a total of 30 goals from the last eight meetings here.
Manchester City vs Newcastle: Prediction
The Citizens recorded a 0-1 win on the road the last match-day, against Southampton. Meanwhile, Steve Bruce’s men were held to a 1-1 draw the past game week at home, Fulham.
Going on, Pep’s men were unbeaten in 18 of their last 19 match-ups, and they were the two-time champions of the league, before Liverpool won the title in 2019-20.
And at home, they have lost just once all through 2020, and the defeat had come against Leicester.
On the other hand, their counterparts were winless in eight of their preceding eleven match-ups, and they had also lost three of their former four away games.
Finally, Guardiola’s men also have a terrific h2h record against this opponent over the past two decades, and in fact have scored a plethora of goals against them in the process – including a 5-0 win just four months back.
As such, expect Manchester City to post a convincing win this Saturday at the Etihad.
Manchester City vs Newcastle: Betting Tips
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Manchester City -1.5, -2 Asian Handicap @ 1.44 (4/9)
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Over 2.5 Match Goals & Manchester City to Win @ 1.44 (4/9).