The Magpies achieved a record-breaking 8-0 victory against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane, their home ground, marking the first time in Premier League history that eight different players scored.
Newcastle United showed no mercy to the Blades with their ruthless attacking approach, securing their third league win of the season. As a result, they now sit in the 8th spot on the league table with 9 points from 6 games.
Meanwhile, Manchester City is entering the tie following a 2-0 home victory over Nottingham Forest at the Etihad over the weekend in the Premier League. The defending champions have managed to maintain their first-place position on the table with 18 points from 6 league games.
Following Rodri’s red card, the Sky Blues were down to 10 men in the 2nd half, nonetheless, they successfully held off the away side to secure all three points and continue their winning start to the season.
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Two Champions League teams will compete for qualification to the next round of the domestic cup under the lights at St James’ Park.
When and Where?
Where: St James’ Park, Newcastle
When: Wednesday, 27 September, 2023.
Time: 8 PM BST
Match Official
Referee: Chris Kavanagh.
Assistants: Ian Hussin & Matthew Wilkes.
Fourth official: Sam Allison.
Team news
The hosts will be without the services of Harvey Barnes, who was forced off early due to an injury sustained in their historic win over Sheffield United on Sunday.
Barnes joins Joe Willock, Joelinton, and Emil Krafth on Newcastle’s injury list. However, Martin Dubravka has fully recovered from an illness. In the recent match against the Blades, substitutes included Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali, Alexander Isak, Lewis Hall, and Tino Livramento.
In the Man City camp, Spaniard Rodri is set to miss the upcoming matches due to a three-match suspension following his red card against Forrest.
However, Kevin De Bruyne, Mateo Kovacic, John Stones, Bernardo Silva, and Zack Steffen are all sidelined with injuries. Jack Grealish, who came off the bench against Forest last weekend after recovering from hamstring issues, is available.
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Match Analysis
Newcastle’s long wait for silverware ended at the hands of Man United after losing in the EFL Cup final last season at Wembley, London. Nonetheless, Eddie Howe’s side finished the season with a top-four position, securing a Champions League spot after a two-decade wait.
They had a flying start to the season with a 4-0 win over Aston Villa, but since then, they lost three consecutive games. However, they have now returned to their winning ways in the last three matches. Meanwhile, Newcastle also made their return to the Champions League and faced AC Milan in the opening game on Tuesday.
Eddie Howe is expected to go with the usual 4-3-3 attacking formation, featuring the same backline, a three-man midfield of Longstaff alongside Bruno Guimaraes and Tonali, and a front three of Murphy, Isak, and Gordon.
Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City is renowned for its winning culture, excelling in both domestic league and international competitions. Guardiola guided the Citizens to a historic treble-winning season. Furthermore, Man City has an outstanding record in this competition, having won six of the last ten EFL Cup tournaments.
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City have won all their matches this season across all competitions, with six wins in six games, placing them at the top of the table. However, for this fixture, the 52-year-old Spanish boss might refrain from fielding his best eleven, as he surely won’t risk Kyle Walker and Ruben Dias, especially given that key players like De Bruyne, John Stones, Kovacic, and Bernardo Silva are already sidelined.
Pep Guardiola is expected to line up in their familiar 4-2-3-1 formation, with a change in the backline, featuring the defensive pair of Akanji and Ake, along with Gomes and Lewis as fullbacks. Due to Rodri’s suspension, Kelvin Phillips could get a rare start in the double pivotal role alongside Nunes. Doku could be replaced by Jack Grealish, while the rest of the lineup is expected to remain the same as against Forrest.”
Key Players
Sean Longstaff
For the home side, Longstaff could play a key role in the midfield against Man City, as his recent outings have been quite impressive. The 25-year-old has made a significant impact since his return to the first eleven, and Newcastle United has remained unbeaten during this period.
Newcastle United has won 3 games, scored 9 goals, and drew against AC Milan in the Champions League opener. The midfielder also netted a goal in the historic 8-0 win over the Blades.
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Erling Haaland
The 23-year-old goal machine has picked up right where he left off in last season’s record-breaking campaign, clinching the Golden Boot with a total of 60 goal contributions.
The Norwegian international has started in every game for Man City this season and has been involved in 10 goals in just 9 games, scoring 8 goals and providing 2 assists. The striker will be eager to add a couple more to his tally against Newcastle.
