In a situation where Erling Haaland has not yet recovered from his injury, Kevin De Bruyne’s return creates a significant boost in both spirit and playing style for Man City. With his performance in the win over Huddersfield Town in the third round of the FA Cup, the Belgian midfielder showed that he is fully capable of starting from the start when facing Newcastle in round 21 of the Premier League.
Comment on Newcastle vs Man City
Newcastle has made Man City struggle in two confrontations this season. The team led by coach Eddie Howe only lost 0-1 away from home in the first leg of the Premier League before eliminating the defending Champions League champion from the League Cup.
However, the circumstances of this rematch are very different and Newcastle is at a disadvantage. The “storm” of injuries caused the home team to enter this match with a patchwork squad, and at the same time, the absent pillars also went through a period of continuous competition, leading to unstable physical strength and performance.
A thin force, many injuries and constant strain on many fronts are the reasons why Newcastle has declined recently. On the contrary, Man City also suffered losses in terms of force, but as usual, coach Pep Guardiola knows how to adjust his playing style to deal with personnel problems. In addition, Man City has enough high-quality factors to replace.
The timely return of De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku after injury significantly increased the strength of Man City. Rodri also appeared after being absent from the FA Cup match for family reasons. Overall, Man City has many advantages in this match despite having to play away from home. According to Opta’s prediction, Man City’s chance of winning is over 55%.
After a series of 4 consecutive defeats, Newcastle has just rediscovered the feeling of victory in the cup arena. However, it was a 3-0 win against Sunderland – a lower-ranked opponent that was a challenge with much lower difficulty than the Premier League.
Man City’s performance is completely opposite to their opponents. They won the last 5 matches in a row and only conceded one goal in the victory against Everton.