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Newcastle United are set to host Manchester City tomorrow

By Durim Halimi

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 01: Deandre Yedlin of Newcastle United is challenged by Raheem Sterling of Manchester City during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Newcastle United at Etihad Stadium on September 1, 2018 in Manchester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 01: Deandre Yedlin of Newcastle United is challenged by Raheem Sterling of Manchester City during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Newcastle United at Etihad Stadium on September 1, 2018 in Manchester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images) /
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Newcastle United will host the defending Premier League champions tomorrow for what should be a difficult match for the home side.

After an impressive 3-0 victory over Cardiff City, Newcastle United are now hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst against Manchester City. The Magpies will aim to steal any unexpected points during this relegation battle, while the defending Premier League champions are playing angry football at the moment as they try to close the gap with league leaders, Liverpool.

Newcastle have struggled against Manchester City as they have failed to win in 22 attempts. The best results Newcastle have claimed against tomorrow’s visitors are three draws. Rafa Benitez’s men are major underdogs heading into this match, so earning a draw after 90 minutes will be considered a big upset.

Fight for a Draw

Newcastle have only managed to score two goals in their last five matches against Manchester City and that statistic shows just how difficult it will be for the Magpies to win tomorrow. It is worth mentioning that those two goals came from unlikely scorers – Jacob Murphy (last season) and DeAndre Yedlin (this season).

A point against Pep Guardiola’s side would be a major result and it could fuel Newcastle’s confidence ahead of their match against an injury-plagued Tottenham side on February 2nd. Newcastle and Manchester City both competed in the FA Cup this weekend and this gives both sides little time to prepare for one another, however, both managers rested and protected their key players.

All eyes will be on Salomon Rondon tomorrow as he can make the difference with one attempt pm goal. His touches on the ball will surely be limited with Manchester City most likely dominating possession, but if Newcastle can counter properly, it only takes one strong header from the Venezuelan to change the game. The last meeting between these two teams was much closer than everyone had initially anticipated, but the defending champs were able to handle business.

What we learned about Newcastle in the FA Cup. dark. Next

In order for the Magpies to earn a shocking positive result tomorrow, the back-line must play as close to a perfect game as possible. Parking the bus will invite City’s attack, so Newcastle’s defenders must switch off players in time and be aware of their surroundings for 90 minutes. Offensively, players like Rondon, Matt Ritchie and Ayoze Perez must make the most of the limited chances they get.