Man City v Newcastle Tips: Peter Galindo has a strong selection in the cards market

Are Champions League hopes fading away for Newcastle United, who are winless in their last four Premier League matches and suffered a devastating defeat in last week’s Carabao Cup final?

The Magpies will try to rebound from their Wembley loss when they face Manchester City, who are experiencing some patchy form themselves, in Saturday’s early kick-off.

Numb Newcastle

Newcastle have only won one of their last six games in all competitions - a 2-1 win over Southampton in the FA Cup - and, with a four-point gap between themselves and the top four, victory here is vital to stay alive in the Champions League race.

Bruno Guimaraes’ potential absence could be a blow to that mission. The Brazilian midfielder suffered an ankle injury in the Carabao Cup final and is doubtful to play on Saturday.

Luckily for the Magpies, Nick Pope returns from his one-game ban. Pope is one of the Premier League’s leaders in goals saved above expected this season, which might come in handy against one of the league’s most potent sides.

Keeping rivals out is one thing, but scoring is another and Newcastle’s attack is struggling. The Toon have recorded multiple goals in a Premier League game on just one occasion since November, and Eddie Howe’s side might need to break that duck given Man City have netted at least twice in their last eight matches against Newcastle.

Home cooking

The Champions League knockout stage might not have started well for Manchester City and they are currently five points adrift of Arsenal, but they still have one major advantage: their home form. 

City have only lost four of their last 37 Premier League matches, but they are conceding more goals as of late. Their FA Cup win over Bristol City was the Citizens’ first clean sheet since January 22. 

Newcastle’s attack might have dried up over the past two months, but the counter-attacking opportunities through Allan Saint-Maximin and Miguel Almiron could present some quality scoring chances. Plus, Ederson is one of the league’s worst goalkeepers in terms of goals saved above expected. All the more reason to be wary.

Rhythmic tempo

Newcastle have received two or fewer bookings in four of their last five matches in all competitions, while Man City hold the best disciplinary record in the league. There shouldn’t be too many cards in this game, which is hopefully conducive to a flowing and entertaining match.

As well as backing ‘No’ in the ‘both teams to receive a card’ market, it’s wise to select ‘Both teams to score’ and ‘Over 2.5 goals’ given the lack of defensive nous from these two teams in recent weeks.

Manchester City v Newcastle Tips

Both teams to score and Over 2.5 goals @ 2.28
Both teams to receive a card – No @ 2.98