MANCHESTER CITY return to Premier League action today and they’ll be hoping to put their Real Madrid nightmare behind them.
Two late Rodrygo goals and Benzema’s coolly dispatched penalty in extra time was enough for Los Blancos to send City crashing out of club footballs biggest competition.
But today they welcome Newcastle to the Etihad, as Pep’s men look to capitalise on Liverpool’s draw with Tottenham on Saturday by going top of the table.
- Start time: 4.30pm BST
- TV/Live stream: Sky Sports Premier League
- Man City XI: Ederson, Cancelo, Dias, Laporte, Zinchenko, Rodrigo, De Bruyne, Gundogan, Grealish, Sterling, Jesus
- Newcastle XI: Dubravka, Kraftth, Lascelles, Burn, Targett, Longstaff, Bruno Guimaraes, Joelinton, Almiron, Saint-Maximin, Wood
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Man City 1-0 Newcastle
35. Longstaff tries to thread a ball behind the City backline but the ball is too heavily hit.
This is met by wolf-whistles by the City fans.
Newcastle are being caught offside all too often.
Man City 1-0 Newcastle
33. City are still looking dominant here.
Newcastle are huffing and puffing but really do not seem to have the lung capacity to blow the City house down.
Zinchenko gets down the byline and cuts the ball back but no one can get a telling touch on it.
Man City 1-0 Newcastle
31. Grealish is smashed up in the air by Guimarães.
The referee plays advantage as City are in possession.
Jack Grealish continues to roll around on the ground like he has stood in a bear-trap.
Amazingly, when he realises no free-kick is coming the City attacker leaps to his feet like the Grandad springing out of bed in Willy Wonka.
Man City 1-0 Newcastle
29. Newcastle need to get their front three working more.
It is easier said than done with this attacking City team.
When The Magpies can do this it does cause City problems.
Man City 1-0 Newcastle
27. Let off for City with that chalked off Newcastle goal.
It should The Magpies some confidence however.
City continue to stroke the ball around.
Man City 1-0 Newcastle
25. Chris Wood has put the ball into the back of the net for Newcastle.
It is disallowed as the initial header struck Guimarães on the line before Wood stroked it home.
Guimarães was in an offside position.
Man City 1-0 Newcastle
23. A deep cross to the back post for Newcastle.
Zinchenko tries to control the ball but it goes for a corner.
Chance for Newcastle to try and prosper in City territory.
Man City 1-0 Newcastle
21. A difficult task has become even more so for The Magpies.
You cannot give this City side chances like that and expect to still be on level terms.
City deservedly in front.
Man City 1-0 Newcastle
19. The ball reaches Cancelo on the back post.
He heads it across the box looking for Sterling.
The England midfielder strokes the ball into the net.
Goal – Raheem Sterling (Man City)
Man City 0-0 Newcastle
17. City are starting to knock on the door.
Newcastle are allowing them too many opportunities.
It won’t be long before they take one of these.
Man City 0-0 Newcastle – Cancelo chance!
15. The ball is drifted to the back post by Grealish where Cancelo meets it on the half volley.
He too is completely unmarked.
Cancelo’s half-volley goes dramatically wide also.
Man City 0-0 Newcastle
13. In reality this game should already be 1-1.
Both teams have missed gilt-edged chances.
Newcastle will have to be far more clinical if they plan breaking their Etihad Stadium jinx.
Man City 0-0 Newcastle – Rodri chance!
11. Corner comes into the box and ball drops at the feet of Rodri in the middle of the goal completely unmarked.
On the edge of the six-yard box he strikes it on the half-volley.
How that has gone over the bar is leaving most in the ground still scratching their heads.
Big chance for City.
Man City 0-0 Newcastle – Wood chance!
9. Saint-Maximin does well down the right wing and delivers a cross into the box.
Wood and Joelinton are queueing up at the back post unmarked.
Chris Wood heads a tame header straight at the keeper.
Should have done better.
Man City 0-0 Newcastle
7. City have started on a positive note.
Running the ball at their opponents and try to get some balls into the box .
Newcastle have stood firm so far with Dubravka with little to do so far.
Man City 0-0 Newcastle
5. De Bruyne bursts through the centre with no Newcastle player able to keep up with him.
Longstaff is penalised for a foul by Guimarães on the edge of the box.
The free-kick goes harmlessly wide of the post.
Man City 0-0 Newcastle
3. In these early stages City are seeing a lot of possession as you would expect.
They are stretching Newcastle by spreading the ball from flank to flank,
Newcastle trying to pass the ball around to slow the pace of the City game early doors.
Man City 0-0 Newcastle
1. Guardiola will have hammered into his team after their midweek adventures of the importance of putting teams away when dominating.
It is what cost them in Europe and Newcastle may pay the price as a backlash today.
Kick-off: Man City vs Newcastle
We are underway at The Etihad Stadium.
Newcastle get the game started in the Manchester sunshine.
City bring out limited edition jersey
Man City have unveiled a special jersey to celebrate Sergio Aguero’s goal vs QPR.
Aguero netted an iconic last-gasp winner to crown City champions back in 2012.
The jersey features images of Aguero’s late goal along with the timestamp of it.
Pep breaking records for right reasons
City have scored 789 goals in 359 Premier League matches at the Etihad Stadium, an average of 2.2 per game – the best ratio any side has at a particular home venue in the competition’s history.
Guardiola’s men have no issues finding the net in the Premier League, having scored 16 times in their last 5 outings.
City have also scored 17 times in their last five league encounters against The Magpies.
Goals not a problem for City
Kevin De Bruyne has been involved in 15 goals in his last 16 league appearances, scoring 9 and assisting 6.
Rodri has scored five goals in 29 Premier League appearances this term, equalling his combined total in his two previous seasons across 69 games.
Riyad Mahrez has scored in each of his last five league starts at the Etihad Stadium.
Pep talk seemed to do trick
Man City failed to win four of their opening ten league matches this season (D2, L2).
Since then, they have only dropped points in four of their following 24 Premier League fixtures (D3, L1).
The reigning champions have scored 18 goals from set-pieces in the Premier League this season (excluding penalties), the most of any side.
Reasons to want to perform
Defeat today would be the 100th Premier League loss of Eddie Howe’s managerial career in what will be his 215th game.
Howe has lost all 11 Premier League games with Man City.
That is the longest 100% losing record a manager has recorded against a single opponent.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
