Newcastle vs Manchester City Odds: Three selections including a 32/1 bet builder

Newcastle welcome Premier League leaders Manchester City to the North East on Sunday afternoon, as they look to give their fans a ‘Merry Christmas’ and drag themselves closer to safety.

At the time of writing this is one of only five top flight games scheduled to go ahead this weekend, as the Coronavirus continues to wreak havoc on sporting calendars across the globe, and the visitors will be hoping to extend their lead at the summit before Liverpool’s game with Tottenham in the afternoon.

City have been sensational. In the same week that all-time top scorer Sergio Aguero retired from the game, the Citizens put SEVEN past a hapless Leeds side at the Etihad to register their seventh consecutive Premier League win.

They were simply magical in that win, barely giving The Lilywhites chance to settle into the game before they were 2-0 up through Phil Foden and Jack Grealish. Kevin De Bruyne (2) and Riyad Mahrez put the game well beyond reach, before centre-backs John Stones and Nathan Ake got in on the fun.

Newcastle, meanwhile, compounded their reputation as the worst away side in the league - falling to a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool at Anfield. Whilst the scoreline wasn’t necessarily terrible, the manner of the defeat certainly was.

The Magpies battled hard but were comfortably outclassed by The Reds, allowing them to rain down 23 shots at Martin Dubravka’s goal, failing to register a shot on target in a turgid second half.

They’re fair to feel hard done by with Liverpool’s opener though, with midfielder Isaac Hayden down with an apparent head injury long before Diogo Jota scored from his own rebound. Mike Dean’s decision not to stop the game (I can only assume he thought Hayden was exaggerating) will be one that’s questioned on Tyneside for the rest of the week.

As poor as they’ve been on the road, Eddie Howe’s side have been much better within the confines of St James’ Park, though that could be by virtue of hosting the sides around them in the table.

Newcastle are unbeaten when welcoming teams currently outside of the top 10 (W1 D4), but have conceded 10 and lost all three of their games against sides in the top half. That phenomenon is the same on the road too - unbeaten in three (D3) away from home against poor sides but beaten in all six against the top 10.

Bad news for them then, as Manchester City are top of the pops. Pep Guardiola’s side have scored 13 times in the past four editions of this fixture, losing just once the last 20 times these two have met in the Premier League.

I don’t understand this price.

Joao Cancelo has had a shot on target in eight of his last nine Premier League games, taking 12 in that time, including four straight heading into Sunday’s encounter.

No Manchester City player has attempted more shots or managed more shots on target in the league this season than the Portuguese full-back, who had two attempts on goal (15/2) the last time these sides met.

Manquillo looks likely to draw the short straw of having to keep Jack Grealish quiet down City’s left flank.

The £100m-man has been fouled 34 times in 12 starts this season (3.15 per 90) and has spent the entirety of his Premier League career causing opposition defenders problems.

Manquillo has already earned himself four bookings in six starts at right-back when starting in a four and could find himself in trouble against Grealish if Eddie Howe opts for it.

A player I’ve backed for a card a couple of times this season is Manquillo’s ‘compatriot’ Aymeric Laporte.

He’s picked up five bookings and a red in his 13 starts this season and he’s certainly at risk of being caught out by the likes of Callum Wilson and Allan Saint-Maximin on the counter.

The Spaniard picked up a card in his only Premier League visit to St. James’ Park back in 2019, and this is a nice price for the pair of them to find themselves in Martin Atkinson’s elusive book.