Eddie Howe has the unenviable task of taking his side to the Etihad Stadium this weekend as Newcastle United prepare for a tough away day at treble-winning Manchester City.
Man City, fresh from their UEFA Super Cup penalty shootout victory against Sevilla, only lost one game at home in the Premier League last season, highlighting just how difficult the Magpies’ upcoming task truly is.
In all honesty, a point would be a great result for Howe’s men, but they will allow themselves to dream a little following their 5-1 demolition of Aston Villa on the opening day. The Magpies dismantled Unai Emery’s side and will be brimming with confidence ahead of their trip to Manchester.
Here’s how Newcastle could line up against Man City.
GK: Nick Pope – Bar injury, Pope will probably start every game for Newcastle in the Premier League this season, with Saturday being no different.
RB: Kieran Trippier – The former Man City youth footballer will be eager to keep Phil Foden, Bernardo Silva or Cole Palmer quiet. No matter who he faces he will have to be on high alert.
CB: Fabian Schar – Having returned to fitness just in time for the Villa clash, the Swiss international’s starting berth seems assured.
CB: Sven Botman – Will have to be at his very, very best to keep up with Erling Haaland. Botman and Schar will need to work together to silence the Norwegian colossus.
LB: Dan Burn – Could have his future place jeopardised by Tino Livramento’s arrival from Southampton, although he should start against City. Livramento is traditionally a right-back, but has shown he is comfortable playing on the other flank.
READ THE LATEST NEWCASTLE NEWS, TRANSFER RUMOURS & GOSSIP
RM: Miguel Almiron – Will likely play slightly deeper away at City, but his tireless work ethic and ability to carry the ball up the pitch could prove crucial for the Magpies.
CM: Sandro Tonali – The dream debut last weekend for the Italian following his big-money move to Tyneside, scoring and helping create Newcastle’s second. The clash with Man City will prove a bigger test of his credentials.
CM: Bruno Guimaraes – Consistently wonderful for Newcastle and will hope to dominate the midfield battle against Mateo Kovacic.
CM: Joelinton – Similarly to Guimaraes, his place is never in doubt. Adding Tonali to the equation will only make Newcastle’s midfield trio even more effective.
LM: Anthony Gordon – Played brilliantly against Villa, but his position in the side is under threat due to the arrival of Harvey Barnes. The new summer signing scored off the bench against Villa and will be looking to overtake Gordon in the pecking order.
ST: Alexander Isak – It takes a lot to keep Callum Wilson out of the starting lineup, but the Swede’s performance and brace against Villa surely make him a certainty to start against City.
On this week’s edition of Talking Transfers, part of the 90min podcast network, Scott Saunders is joined by Toby Cudworth, Graeme Bailey and Sean Walsh to discuss Liverpool’s response to losing out on Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia, Harry Maguire’s Man Utd future and more!
If you can’t see this embed, click here to listen to the podcast!
Read More: World News | Entertainment News | Celeb News
