Manchester City vs Newcastle United
Manchester City and Newcastle United are on top of the Premier League table following their resounding victories during the opening matchday of the 2023-24 campaign.
The Sky Blues kicked off their title defence with a 3-0 win against newly promoted Burnley, with Erling Haaland recording a brace and Rodri adding another late goal for good measure.
Meanwhile, the Magpies defeated Aston Villa at home with a scoreline of 5-1, with four different scorers on board for Eddie Howe’s side.
With that said, only one of them can stay on top of the English top-flight table when they square off at the Etihad this Saturday night.
Normally, the pre-game SBOTOP betting odds would favour Manchester City, but injuries in their ranks would make this game against Newcastle United trickier than usual.
Talking Points
Manchester City facing fitness questions
Pep Guardiola has some tough decisions to make since this is a busy week, as prior to the Newcastle United game, they’ll take on Sevilla in the UEFA Super Cup tomorrow.
Against Burnley, there were some noticeable absences on his roster, namely Kevin De Bruyne, Ruben Dias, and John Stones.
De Bruyne is feared to be out until the New Year after hurting his hamstring, which was already diagnosed with a Grade 3 tear a few months ago. He is not expected to play against Sevilla and Newcastle United, which will leave a gaping hole in their midfield.
Ruben Dias, on the other hand, might play against the Magpies should he clear concussion protocol ahead of this weekend. The Portuguese international suffered the blow during practice before the Burnley match, and Guardiola said that he wouldn’t be available against Sevilla.
The same goes to John Stones, who sustained an adductor injury and will also not play against Sevilla. Guardiola has also given him a questionable tag for Saturday.
Manchester City looked alright against Burnley, as Nathan Ake, Manuel Akanji, Rico Lewis, and Mateo Kovacic deputised well for the injured trio.
Summer signing Josko Gvardiol came off the bench against Burnley, and we won’t be surprised if he gets his first Sky Blues start either tomorrow or on Saturday.
Tonali lets his game do the talking
Sandro Tonali was a key talking point in the Premier League 2023 news last weekend, much to Newcastle United fans’ delight, as he recorded the fastest goal by an Italian on his Premier League debut.
Other than his goal in the 6th minute, Tonali also recorded 66 touches with a passing accuracy of 89-per cent, delivered three crosses, won three duels, and recorded one tackle and one interception.
Prior to his debut, Tonali had doubters, but he must have turned them into believers now because of his stellar performance.
The 23-year-old joined the Magpies from AC Milan earlier this summer on a £60 million deal, and if he keeps producing the way he did on Sunday, then Newcastle United have themselves a bargain.
History
Manchester City have won their last 14 Premier League home games against Newcastle United, scoring 48 goals while conceding seven on the other end. It’s both the Sky Blues’ longest winning home streak and the Magpies’ longest losing away run in their league histories.
Overall, the Sky Blues have lost just one of their last 31 Premier League matches against the Magpies (W25, D5), with their last loss being a 2-1 result at St. James Park in January 2019.
Newcastle United haven’t won a single Premier League game against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium. In fact, their last league away win was in September 2000, when the Sky Blues were still playing at Maine Road.
Their most recent meeting was a 2-0 win for Manchester City in March, as Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva found the back of the net. Prior to that, these two sides figured in a 3-3 draw last August.
Betting Tip
The Premier League 2023 odds like Manchester City’s chances of winning since they’re priced at 1.61, while Newcastle United are at 4.60, and a draw is at 3.80 in the 1X2 market.
But with a depleted roster, Newcastle United can take advantage of Manchester City. Overall, this game is a tough call, and if the Sky Blues win this one, it won’t be as easy as compared to before.
Other than the Asian Handicap bet mentioned above, you won’t go wrong going for either Over 2.50 at 1.73, Total Goal 2-3 at 1.97, or even 4-6 at 3.10 as your alternative bets considering the trend in their recent head-to-heads.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT))
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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