Newcastle United are travelling to the Etihad Stadium for the Premier League fixture against Manchester City on Saturday. The Magpies have the toughest fixtures in their last 15 games among the bottom three and this is just the start of the gruelling process.
The January transfer window has not been kind to them so far with a number of transfer possibilities failing to materialise. Owner Mike Ashley has been very reluctant to provide financial support to Rafael Benitez and this has placed the club in a tight spot.
With a season of highs and lows, Newcastle have stayed clear of the relegation zone in recent times but not impressive enough to put the worry completely on the backboard. They are coming off a 1-1 draw against a struggling Swansea City last weekend and Benitez’s men lacked the motivation to push for the win in the final minutes. The Spaniard has done an impressive job to provide the team with some structure but a lack of precision from the attacking third seems to be costing them crucial points.
Even though Manchester City are entering this fixture after a hard loss, Benitez will have a mammoth task to stop the clearly dominant side from running rampant over the United defence.
He is expected to field his men in the 4-2-3-1 formation.
Defence
Karl Darlow is the predicted starter in between the sticks with Rob Elliot serving a spell on the sidelines.
Jamaal Lascelles is expected to pair up with Ciaran Clark in the centre-back positions.
Paul Dummett has returned to the lineup after a spell on the sidelines and has looked really sharp in the last game. He should feature in the starting XI from the right-back with DeAndre Yedlin on the right.
Midfield
Jonjo Shelvey was mediocre against his former employers last weekend but is still a crucial part of the team from the heart of the park. He should find himself fielded alongside Mohamed Diame in the holding midfield role. Ayoze Perez has been the best attacking threat for the Magpies in recent times and is always a handful for the opposition defence. With him in the shadow striker role or at the attacking midfield role, United can hope to launch the quick counter attacks. The flanks might be occupied by Christian Atsu and Matt Ritchie on the flanks with the later featured on the right.
Attack
Dwight Gayle needs to improve upon his 3 goal tally for the season having played the majority of the games under Benitez. He can run behind the Highline Pep Guardiola implements and look for a clear break on goal.
