Manchester City vs. Newcastle EPL Preview and Prediction
Only 12 games remain before the 2025/26 Premier League champions are crowned, with Arsenal still in the driver’s seat. A top-five finish (potentially top six) for any English club is crucial, as it automatically qualifies the team for next year’s UEFA Champions League.
This Saturday afternoon features an intense matchup between two quality teams, Manchester City and Newcastle, both of which are still in the Champions League tournament. City still hunts down first place after winning the Premier League consecutively from 2020/21 to 2023/24, and are completely capable of doing so if they don’t drop any points and Arsenal does. Newcastle would be lucky to finish in the top five, but it’s possible if they win out, which makes this bout a mighty crucial one.
Manchester City vs. Newcastle EPL Odds and Betting Trends
Newcastle have only won and drawn City once in their last five meetings, dating back to February 2025. The two sides have met in the EFL Cup twice this year, the Premier League once, and are set to meet in the FA Cup Round of 16, with their last match ending 3-1 in City’s favour, allowing the Sky Blues to progress to a hectic EFL Cup Final against Arsenal. This matchup hasn’t ended scoreless for the last 20 years.
City is closing in at +150 odds to win the EPL after Arsenal’s two-point stumble on Wednesday, and they defend their home Etihad Stadium as -210 favourites on the EPL odds. Newcastle are +450 visiting underdogs, less likely to win than draw (+400), with the Under 3.5 favoured at -145 compared to the Over at +110.
Newcastle
Sitting at 10th place is far from bad for the Magpies, and despite winning just one of their last five Premier League games, the team has juggled the FA Cup, the EFL Cup (knocked out in semis), the EPL, and the UCL brilliantly. They won their last FA Cup game against Aston Villa on Saturday, before blowing out Qarabag FK 6-1 in the Champions League to enter a three-game winning streak in all competitions. However, they’ve allowed at least one goal a game for their last eight straight games, and considering they head to the Etihad once again after a recent 3-1 loss just over two weeks ago, this one may be Newcastle’s most arduous matchup yet.
The Magpies midfielder Nick Woltemade makes way as the team’s most-likely goalscorer at +300 after netting one goal against Villa in the FA Cup last Saturday, with seven Premier League goals this season. Don’t count out Anthony Gordon (+400), as the midfielder tallied four goals in the first half of their last game against Qarabag. If he gets support from Yoane Wissa (+300) and Harvey Barnes (+360), the Magpies could have a chance of outplaying their Manchester opponents this weekend, but keeping proper defensive shape will be a main factor.
Manchester City
Second-place Manchester City is doing everything in its power to take back the title this season after a rough start. They are Round of 16 Champions League participants, EFL Cup finalists, and made it to the FA Cup fifth round last Saturday, while defeating Liverpool and Fulham in their most recent EPL matchups. Losing or drawing is not an option to win the title at this point, and the Sky Blues are completely capable after now leading the EPL in goals-for (54) and closing in on Arsenal with the second-lowest goals-allowed count (24).
Erling Haaland (-150 to score) is the one to watch out for as always, with 22 goals on the season already. Antoine Semenyo (+120) has fit into the team perfectly as well, after scoring his 13th league goal in City’s last Premier League game. City has so much offensive depth to their squad that even players like Omar Marmoush (+170), Phil Foden (+235), Tijani Reijnders (+390), and Jeremy Doku (+425) all pose massive threats up front and in the midfield, and will surely give Newcastle a headache.
EPL Prediction: Who Will Win Man City vs. Newcastle?
The EFL Cup two-legged Semifinal saw Newcastle tuck away just one goal to City’s five. City won 3-1 at home, and haven’t failed to score fewer than two goals at the Etihad since January 7.
Newcastle is just managing to balance its squad throughout many tournaments and league play this year, and is surely getting tired-legged with less depth to its bench.
Just considering City’s spectrum of options on the bench compared to Newcastle’s, while having an entire week’s rest, while playing at home, I’d expect at least a 2-1 win for City.