Premier League preview: Man City v Newcastle
After one set of black and whites, here comes another.
City played out a 1-1 draw with Juventus in the Europa League in midweek amid a somewhat strangely subdued atmosphere at Eastlands, and so rustiness won’t be a problem as they prepare for the visit of Newcastle in a competition that – judging by the attendance for the clash with the Italian giants – City’s fans are taking far more seriously than European combat.
Roberto Mancini’s men were okay against Juve but nothing more, and there remains a sense that City missed a chance to make a real statement against one of the European elite on Thursday night. The Geordies may wear the same colours as the Italians, but they are regarded with nowhere near the same sense of wonder, and so surely the fear factor won’t come into the equation here, not that one member of the squad is scared of anything.
“I just want to stay in the team,” said Adam Johnson, who scored City’s equaliser against Juventus, “I have learned a lot about the game since I signed and I will carry on doing that.
“I have been playing well since the start of the season with England then against Liverpool and Blackburn, but it was good to get a goal at the stadium. It has been a while coming. Hopefully it will be the start of many more. It was brilliant to score against Juventus.”
The goal came after a period which has seen Johnson have to get used to life on the fringes of the team, but as one of the few members of Mancini’s squad who can actually beat a man, he should start to get more regular appearances as the season goes on, perhaps starting here.
He’ll be eager to impress, as he and others know just how difficult it is to nail down a place in City’s team.
“I don’t envy Man City's players,” said Sunday’s opposing captain Kevin Nolan, “it's not somewhere I’d want to be.
“I think they’ve got 50 players in the squad and players who would get in most teams can’t get in their team. And that’s tough for them.
“But it happens. The amount of money that’s being spent there and what’s happened over the last few years is absolutely ridiculous, but the fella at the head of it all is going to want success soon and, with all the money he’s spent, he deserves it.”
The extent of the spending by that “fella” was laid bare this week, with City posting a £121million loss and a wage bill bigger than their overall income since Sheikh Mansour arrived at the club. Success, like talk, isn’t cheap, and so the need for the hosts to win this game – and build upon their victory over Chelsea last week – should be obvious.
They’ll be without defender Pablo Zabaleta, who picked up an injury against Juventus, while whether or not Emmanuel Adebayor will keep his place after an ineffectual display against the Italians is up for debate. Newcastle are likely be unchanged from last week’s defeat at home to Stoke.
That was a damaging result from a game that they would have expected to take points from, and so going to City now assumes an added importance.
They are likely to be unsuccessful though. This particular set of black and whites won’t be leaving with anything.
Prediction: Manchester City 2 Newcastle 0
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