An in-form Newcastle United (NEW) takes on newly-crowned English Premier League (EPL) champions Manchester City (MCI) in the opening fixture of the gameweek 36. Impressive results in the last few games helped Newcastle United stay clear of the relegation zone. The Magpies, who crushed Leicester City 2-4 in their last league fixture, picked up eight points from four matches in April.
Despite losing to Chelsea at home, Manchester City sealed their fifth English Premier League title after second-placed Manchester United lost to Leicester City on Tuesday. Pep Guardiola’s men are unbeaten away from home in the league since the 2-0 defeat over Tottenham Hotspur in London.
Willock’s heroics
Newcastle United will be hugely indebted to Joe Willock. The 21-year-old, on loan from Arsenal, found the target in his last four appearances. He scored the winner against West Ham United and found the net in the dying minutes to grab a point against Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool.
Gritty City
Manchester City became the first team to win the English Premier League trophy after being eighth in the points table on Christmas Day. An incredible 15-game winning run in the league steered the Manchester outfit to yet another title. The Ruben Dias-led defence was outstanding since the turn of the new year, while the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan, Riyad Mahrez, and Raheem Sterling have made telling contributions this season.
Previous meeting: MCI 2-0 NEW (Goalscorers: I Gundogan & F Torres)
Match facts
- Manchester City has scored at least two goals in each of the last four games against Newcastle United in all competitions
- Miguel Almiron made his first English Premier League assist in the 2-2 draw over Manchester City in the 2019-20 season
- Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling has struck four goals and an assist in his last six appearances against Newcastle United
- Newcastle United hasn’t scored a goal in their previous three outings against Manchester City
English Premier League 2020-21 stats
Top Goalscorer: NEW – C Wilson (12 goals); MCI – I Gundogan (12 goals)
Most Assists: NEW – C Wilson (5 assists); MCI – K De Bruyne (11 assists)
Most Clean Sheets: NEW – K Darlow (4 clean sheets); MCI – E Moraes (18 clean sheets)
Injuries/Suspensions
NEW: C Wilson (injured), F Schar (suspended), J Lascelles (injured), I Hayden (injured), R Fraser (injured), K Darlow (injured)
MCI: K De Bruyne (injured)
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Parameswaran Sankaranarayanan
Parameswaran Sankaranarayan is a sports enthusiast who has worked in print, website, and other digital platforms. He was part of the editorial team of first-ever Indian football-based website - IndianFootball.com (now defunct) - and passionately follows the latest happenings in world football. During his time as a journalist, he had the opportunity to interact with some of the iconic personalities in Indian sports and witness some memorable moments in Indian football.
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