Manchester City vs Newcastle: Premier League – team news, start, lineups

Manchester City can trim Arsenal’s lead at the top of the Premier League to three points and crank up the pressure ahead of Sunday’s north London derby if they defeat Newcastle United at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, 21 February (kick-off 20:00 GMT).

Pep Guardiola’s side have seized on the Gunners’ recent wobble—two wins in seven league outings—to move within five points of the summit, and with a game in hand still to come against the leaders in April, the champions sense another late-season surge. City are unbeaten in seven matches across all competitions and share the division’s best home record, a statistic that looms large over a Newcastle side that has lost on each of its last 12 visits to east Manchester.

The Magpies, tenth in the table, arrive buoyed by a 6-1 demolition of Qarabag in the Champions League and a 2-1 league win over Tottenham that ended a four-match winless run. Yet Eddie Howe’s men know Etihad demons must be exorcised if they are to ignite a European push. “Each painful defeat we suffer here we try to grow from,” Howe said on Friday. “We’ve made mistakes big enough to cost us the game; we need to bridge that gap.”

City’s medical room remains busy. Erling Haaland, who missed the FA Cup victory against Salford after picking up a knock versus Fulham, is a doubt, while Josko Gvardiol, Mateo Kovacic, Savinho and possibly Jeremy Doku (calf) and Max Alleyne remain sidelined. Newcastle’s task is harder still without Bruno Guimaraes, set for two months out with a hamstring issue, and fellow absentees Tino Livramento, Lewis Miley, Fabian Schar and Emil Krafth. Yoane Wissa is unlikely to feature after a heavy training knock, though Sven Botman could return.

The clubs have already met three times this term: City cruised through the League Cup semi-finals 5-1 on aggregate, but Newcastle prevailed 2-1 in the league at St James’ Park in November. Overall, City have won 81 of the 197 meetings, Newcastle 74, with 42 draws dating back to an 1893 Division Two clash.

Probable line-ups: Manchester City: Donnarumma; Ait-Nouri, Guehi, Dias, Nunes; O’Reilly, Rodri; Semenyo, Silva, Cherki; Haaland (if fit). Newcastle: Pope; Trippier, Thiaw, Burn, Hall; Joelinton, Tonali; Murphy, Woltemade, Barnes; Gordon.