Premier League: City Looking to Give Newcastle the Christmas Blues

Newcastle United vs Manchester City

Reigning Premier League champions Manchester City are looking to close out 2021 on a strong note as they’ll face two bottom-half sides in their next three league matches.

One of them will be against Newcastle United this weekend who are currently placed 19^th at the table with only 10 points and are fresh from a stinging defeat against Liverpool.

City may have found their way back on top but they cannot afford any slip-ups since Liverpool and Chelsea are right behind their tail. The Sky Blues have 41 points while the Reds have 40 and the Blues have 37 points.

So there’s some pressure for Pep Guardiola’s men, but they’ll come into this game on a high following their magnificent performance against Leeds United to where they’ve blasted them with a scoreline of 7-0.

The pre-match SBOTOP betting odds don’t give Newcastle United any hope of winning this game, so it’s an understatement to say that a victory by the Magpies is a monumental upset.

Talking Points

Manchester City’s depth is off the charts

City’s emphatic win over Leeds on Tuesday featured six different goalscorers, which just goes to show their scary firepower.

After ekeing out a 1-0 victory against Wolves six days ago, City ran riot as Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Riyad Mahrez, John Stones, and Nathan Ake all netted while captain Kevin De Bruyne listed a brace vs. Leeds.

Pep Guardiola rotated his squad masterfully in these past few games as he is able to keep his side fresh despite their congested schedule.

Kevin De Bruyne may have admitted that he’s still adapting to the lasting effects of the coronavirus, but it doesn’t look like it and he should continue to get better.

Bernardo Silva remains in superb form this season as he was named Manchester City Player of the Month for the third straight time – the first to do so in club history.

Other than those two, they still have the likes of Gabriel Jesus, Jack Grealish, Raheem Sterling, Riyad Mahrez, Phil Foden, and Ilkay Gundogan – who are all capable of creating Premier League 2021 highlights.

Compared to other teams that are coping with COVID-19, City are fortunate to not have much health issues these past few days and we expect more of the same performance from them against an embattled Newcastle group.

Missed opportunities for Newcastle United

Newcastle, on the other hand, are in a different situation to their opponents and their 31-point gap to City perfectly describes their disparity.

The Magpies have only won once so far this term, although they took everyone by surprise when they drew first blood against Liverpool yesterday.

Jonjo Shelvey had given them a shock seventh minute lead, but it didn’t last long much to Eddie Howe’s dismay.

When the ball was crossed into the penalty area during the 21^st minute, midfielder Isaac Hayden fell to the ground with an apparent head injury but referee Mike Dean didn’t call for a stoppage of play, leading to a score by Diogo Jota.

That sequence proved to be crucial as it gave the Reds momentum. Eventually, Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold put the game away with their goals.

These unfortunate instances have been a recurring theme for Newcastle all season. Nonetheless, they must dig deep and will their way out of the relegation zone.

History

Manchester City love to face Newcastle United in the Premier League. In their 42 previous meetings, the Sky Blues have won 26 times while the Magpies have won in eight along with eight draws.

Their previous encounter took place in May where City came out 4-3 winners as Ferran Torres had a hat-trick and Joao Cancelo netted once, while Emil Krafth, Joelinton, and Joe Willock all scored for Newcastle.

Newcastle United recorded their first Premier League victory of the season in their last home game when they defeated Burnley 1-0. However, they’ve yet to win back-to-back home games since 2019.

Betting Tip

	Newcastle United vs Manchester City	Manchester City Asian Handicap -2.00 @ 1.92
	December 22, 22:15 (GMT+8)

City are the overwhelming favourites in the Premier League 2021 odds. They’re tipped to win at 1.18, while Newcastle are installed at 14.50 and chances for a draw are at 6.60 in the 1X2 market.

Although getting maximum points is the aim for Manchester City, this could be the perfect time for Pep Guardiola to continue to rotate his lineup and give opportunities to those who haven’t played much this season.

With the Sky Blues banging in form, they should rout the Magpies and it’s just a matter of how many goals will they score against them.

 

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