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Two very memorable matches last season when Manchester City came to Tyneside to play Newcastle United.
Despite changing all ten outfield players from the team that thrashed Sheffield United three days earlier, Eddie Howe masterminded a superb win back in September 2023.
A clean sheet and an Alexander Isak second-half goal, saw United knock Manchester City out of the Carabao Cup.
The 13 January 2024 saw the second Manchester City visit to St James’ Park last season, an equally exhilarating game as that September one, but a very painful ending.
The visitors going a goal up, only for Isak and Gordon to score on 35 and 37 minutes to turn it around, then a tiring Newcastle United who at the time were down to the bare bones due to so many unavailable players, were undone by the pure quality that Manchester City could bring off the bench. Goals on 74 minutes and in added time, cruelly delivered defeat to Eddie Howe’s side.
Eight months on though and now four key Manchester City players from that January match, now look set to be missing on Saturday.
Nathan Ake was carried off on a stretcher whilst on international duty earlier this month, so he looks certain to miss the visit to Tyneside. He played the full match in that January win at St James’ Park.
Oscar Bobb came off the bench on 82 minutes and nine minutes later scored a superb winner (see photo above). This was expected to be his real breakthrough season at Manchester City but he suffered a broken leg in pre-season, so definitely won’t be scoring the winner against Newcastle United this time.
If you were watching Sunday’s brilliant Manchester City v Arsenal showdown, you would have all seen what happened to Rodri early in the match. A freak injury leaving arguably Man City’s very best player writhing in agony and forced off. After the 2-2 draw Pep Guardiola looked understandably gutted with losing this key star, the manager commenting ‘Rodri is strong. He leaves the pitch because he felt something, otherwise Rodri stays there. He is the best holding midfielder in the world, He is a potential Ballon d’Or winner, I would love for him to win it.’ Rodri played the full 90 minutes at SJP in January.
The fourth expected missing Manchester City star at St James’ Park, is another huge player for Pep Guardiola. Kevin De Bruyne was injured in midweek against Inter Milan and sat watching yesterday’s Arsenal match from the sidelines. Pep Guardiola has said that he doesn’t believe it is a ‘big’ injury but the fact he wasn’t even named on the bench for Man City’s biggest match of the season, only six days before the Newcastle United game, surely points to it being very unlikely he can play any part at St James’ Park. Kevin De Bruyne came off the bench for Manchester City eight months ago with his team 2-1 down, five minutes later he scored a superb equaliser and then in added time an arguably even better assist led to Bobb scoring that cruel winner.
Obviously, Manchester City have a ‘few’ other decent players but every little helps and especially in the case of Rodri I would say, he basically runs the show for them, everything goes through him.
A very feisty match yesterday and no doubt plenty of you were like me, as Erling Haaland was getting into the thick of it and hoping that Geordie referee Michael Oliver might send the prolific goalscorer off, to make him unavailable for Saturday, sadly not to be.
Newcastle United upcoming match schedule, confirmed to end of November:
Tuesday 24 September 2024 – AFC Wimbledon v Newcastle (7.45pm) Sky Sports+
Saturday 28 September 2024 – Newcastle v Man City (12.30 pm) TNT Sports
Saturday 5 October – Everton v Newcastle (5.30pm) Sky Sports
Saturday 19 October – Newcastle v Brighton (3pm)
Sunday 27 October – Chelsea v Newcastle (2pm) Sky Sports
Saturday 2 November – Newcastle v Arsenal (12.30pm) TNT Sports
Sunday 10 November – Forest v Newcastle (2pm) Sky Sports
Monday 25 November – Newcastle v West Ham (8pm) Sky Sports
Saturday 30 November – Crystal Palace v Newcastle

 
