Manchester City Vs Newcastle MATCH PREVIEW – Premier League 2025/26 | OneFootball

St James’ Park will bristle with noise and nervous energy on Saturday, 22 November 2025, as Newcastle United host Manchester City in the Premier League’s late kickoff. For City, now second and rediscovering their ominous rhythm, this is another stride in their pursuit of Arsenal. For Newcastle, mired in inconsistency and teetering above the relegation zone, it represents a test of resilience and identity. The fixture has grown increasingly dramatic in recent years, shaped by furious tempo, high technical quality, and moments that lurch between brilliance and chaos.

Both teams arrive from sharply contrasting moods: City buoyed by a statement win over Liverpool before the international break, Newcastle nursing wounds from consecutive league defeats. Yet under the lights in the Northeast, expectation has a habit of shifting – this is a ground where even the most dominant sides have occasionally stuttered, and where home energy can turn fragile confidence into defiant momentum.

: Manchester City Vs Newcastle MATCH PREVIEW – Premier League 2025/26

Current Form

Newcastle United (last 5 matches in all competitions): L-W-L-W-W

Newcastle’s season has been defined by volatility. Their form guide tells the story:

1-3 vs Brentford (L)

2-0 vs Athletic Bilbao (W, Europe)

1-3 vs West Ham (L)

2-0 vs Tottenham (W)

2-1 vs Fulham (W)

Five home wins on the spin in all competitions demonstrate that St James’ Park is still a fortress. Yet their 3-1 defeats at West Ham and Brentford exposed structural fragilities – slow midfield transitions, gaps in defensive rest defence, and lapses in concentration at key moments. The attacking output remains encouraging, with eight goals scored in their last five, but the concession of seven reveals a side torn between ambition and caution.

Manchester City (last 5 matches in all competitions): W-W-W-W-L

City look every bit the side awakening from a slow start. Their last five include:

3-0 vs Liverpool (W)

4-1 vs Borussia Dortmund (W)

3-1 vs Bournemouth (W)

3-1 vs Swansea (W)

0-1 vs Aston Villa (L)

Thirteen goals scored across five matches reflect a restored sharpness in possession and a greater ruthlessness in the final third. Their only defeat came at Villa Park, but they responded with authority, producing dominant, controlled performances before and after the break. Guardiola’s men appear to once again have the rhythm and clarity of a title-chasing side.

Manchester City 3–0 Liverpool: Player Ratings as Pep’s 1000th Delivers a Masterpiece!: Manchester City Vs Newcastle MATCH PREVIEW – Premier League 2025/26

Head-to-Head Record

City: 3 wins Newcastle: 1 win Draws: 1

City have scored 10 goals to Newcastle’s 4 in this period. Historically, City’s dominance is stark: just one Newcastle win in their last 35 league meetings. Their scoring streak against the Magpies now stretches to 33 Premier League matches, one of the longest such runs in top-flight history.

Newcastle United vs Arsenal Player Ratings: Premier League Drama AS Gabriel Delivers Late Blow!: Manchester City Vs Newcastle MATCH PREVIEW – Premier League 2025/26

Injury News & Suspensions

NEWCASTLE UNITED

MANCHESTER CITY

Manager Quotes

Eddie Howe: ‘Nick Pope has trained, and there’s no problems there.’

‘Anthony Gordon is very close. He’s worked well during the break, and he’s touch and go for the game. We’ll make a very late decision.

‘Sandro [Tonali] is fine. Nick [Woltemade] is fine; there are no problems there.

‘Will Osula we haven’t seen back in training yet, but his injury hasn’t been totally plain sailing. He may be going to see a specialist on Monday. We won’t see him back for the next couple of games, I don’t think.

Pep Guardiola: ‘Rodri is making good steps; it’s almost three weeks since the last step back. He knows that he has to take the time to recover mentally and especially physically with the problems that he’s had, to be consistent from now until the end.’

Newcastle United vs Liverpool Match Review: Theatre, Fury, Heartbreak – 16-Year-Old Ngumoha Writes Liverpool Folklore at Newcastle!: Manchester City Vs Newcastle MATCH PREVIEW – Premier League 2025/26

Predicted Lineups

Tactical Preview & Key Battles

Newcastle’s tactical identity has been split this season—not between possession and counter-play, but between control and emotional volatility. Howe’s side can press ferociously and attack in waves at home, yet they can unravel quickly when forced into extended defensive phases. Against City, both tendencies will be exposed.

Newcastle United’s Approach

Newcastle must defend compactly, especially without Burn’s aerial presence. Howe is likely to deploy a narrow 4-3-3, funnelling play into midfield where Tonali and Joelinton can challenge City’s metronomes. The major threat lies in transition:

Elanga attacking the channel behind Gvardiol,

Barnes isolating Nunes,

Woltemade holding up play with his improved physicality.

City’s high line always offers space, but Newcastle must be efficient—something that cost them dearly against West Ham and Brentford. The Magpies cannot afford their typical slow starts; City have scored early in three of their last four wins.

Manchester City’s Approach

City’s new-look full-backs Nunes and O’Reilly invert aggressively, helping overload the central spaces. Newcastle’s midfield three could be pinned back, creating lanes for Foden between the lines. The absence of Rodri places responsibility on Nico Gonzalez, whose composure and positional IQ have been consistently impressive.

In attack, Jeremy Doku represents the chaos agent. His dribbling forced Liverpool into survival mode at times, and Trippier – who has rediscovered some attacking thrust – must balance caution with ambition. The duel may decide Newcastle’s ability to escape their half.

And then there is Erling Haaland, hunting his 100th Premier League goal. His battle with Sven Botman offers the physical confrontation of the afternoon. Haaland rarely loses duels, but Botman’s recovery pace and positioning are among the few in the league capable of disrupting him. Still, City’s supply line is relentless: crosses, cutbacks, switches, disguised passes. Haaland will not be short of service.

Key Battles

Botman & Thiaw vs Haaland – a heavyweight duel that dictates City’s attacking ceiling.

Trippier vs Doku – experience versus explosive unpredictability.

Woltemade vs Dias – Newcastle’s focal point against City’s most athletic defender.

The midfield contest may determine control, but the wide duels will likely decide the scoreline.

Predicted Scoreline

Newcastle can summon formidable performances at St James’ Park, but City arrive sharper, more coherent, and carrying momentum from their dismantling of Liverpool. The Magpies will compete, and they may even score first, but City’s rhythm, depth, and attacking precision should be enough to edge a hard-fought, fast-paced encounter.

Where to Watch