Manchester City welcome Newcastle United to the Etihad Stadium in a huge match in the Premier League title race.
City know that victory over the Magpies will move them level on games and just two points behind leaders Arsenal, who face arch rivals Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
This comes after Arsenal have gained just two points in two games in the league since City beat Fulham 3-0 last weekend, allowing Pep Guardiola’s side a route back into the title race.
But Newcastle will be no pushovers. They have
won their last three games – all on the road – and Eddie Howe’s men will be determined to win at the Etihad for the first ever time in the league, and the first time away to City in nearly 26 years.
Here are five things to look out for as City host the Toon Army:
Who joins Haaland and Semenyo in attack?
Erling Haaland – assuming he’s fit – and Antoine Semenyo seem fairly nailed on to start against Newcastle.
Haaland has missed the last game and a half with injury, though was pictured in training ahead of Newcastle’s visit to the Etihad.
He and Semenyo both scored in City’s last Premier League game against Fulham, the latter of whom was also unfortunate not to score in a brief cameo appearance against Salford City last Saturday.
It seems likely that Bernardo Silva, Rodri and Nico O’Reilly will play in midfield, leaving one space left in the team – probably for a number ten who plays right wing out of possession based on the recent system.
Rayan Cherki, Phil Foden and Tijjani Reijnders are the prime candidates, but all three were very poor against Salford.
Semenyo could play there if Omar Marmoush comes into the front line, but the Egyptian also wasn’t great against the Ammies.
Savinho and Jeremy Doku could be fit, but whether they’d be rushed back into the side straight away remains to be seen.
If I had to plump for one it’d be Cherki based on his performances this season on the whole, but ultimately I wouldn’t mind any of the other names starting there.
Fatigue in the Newcastle ranks
It’s been a long, but successful, week for Newcastle.
They started it in Birmingham on Saturday evening, where they ran out 3-1 winners against Aston Villa to progress to the round of 16 of the FA Cup, where they’ll face City at St James’s Park.
Howe’s side then faced the longest European away trip any English team has had, travelling to Baku in Azerbaijan to face Qarabag.
They smashed their opponents 6-1 to effectively secure their place in the UEFA Champions League round of 16, but their trip to the Etihad will be the toughest challenge yet.
The players will be exhausted from travelling alone, never mind having to play two full high intensity matches in a hostile atmosphere.
City, meanwhile, had a home game last week and a rest in midweek having already qualified for the last 16 of the Champions League, and will be fresher than the Magpies heading into this one.
O’Reilly continuing in midfield
As mentioned above, I expect to see O’Reilly start in midfield.
The 20-year-old broke into the first team approximately this time last year as a left back, and fought off competition from new signing Rayan Ait-Nouri at the start of the season to keep his spot.
Now that he’s returned from AFCON, Ait-Nouri has gathered a bit of form after a run in the team, meaning O’Reilly has moved into his more natural position of midfield.
He’s impressed with his technicality and physicality, as well as his box crashing presence, chipping in with a goal last time out against Fulham in the Premier League.
Along with Rodri and Bernardo, he’s forming part of a settled midfield trio that are moving City up the table.
Guehi x Dias at centre back
As much as Abdukodir Khusanov stepped up during City’s injury crisis at centre back, it’s clear to me that Guardiola will move forward with Ruben Dias and Marc Guehi as his preferred centre back partnership.
Dias has been injured since the 1-1 draw with Chelsea – the same game where Josko Gvardiol broke his leg – but started against Fulham and came on against Liverpool, so can be considered ready and raring to go again.
Guehi, meanwhile, has been a revelation since joining for £20 million from Crystal Palace in January.
The England international is extremely comfortable on the ball, is good at nipping in ahead of attackers to win the ball and even grabbed his first goal for the club last week against Salford.
Khusanov offers pace that neither Dias or Guehi can, but I expect Guardiola to lean more heavily on the experience, leadership and well roundedness that a Dias/Guehi centre back partnership can provide.
A buoyant Etihad atmosphere?
Saturday 8pm is an odd kickoff time, but could prove to produce an electric atmosphere.
Lunchtime games can often be a bit sleepy, whereas underneath the Etihad lights with people having the full day to build up to the game will undoubtedly lead to more stadium noise.
There’s always the question of empty seats and opposition fans in the home end, as more and more proper Blues abandon going to games due to poor ticketing policies and rising prices.
But Arsenal’s midweek result will surely encourage anyone in doubt to turn up and back the team in one of their most important games of the season to date.
