Manchester City will look to get back to winning ways against Newcastle on Saturday, with Sergio Aguero hoping to continue his fine scoring record against the Magpies.
Aguero has scored 14 times in 11 games against the Tynesiders, including eight goals in his last two home games against them.
MAN CITY INJURIES
Kevin De Bruyne misses out with a knee injury, while Danilo is still out with an ankle problem.
Claudio Bravo (Achilles) faces a long spell on the sidelines.
MAN CITY SUSPENSIONS
City have no suspensions but Newcastle's Isaac Hayden will serve the second game of a three-match ban.
MAN CITY POTENTIAL STARTING LINE-UP
Pep Guardiola has picked three different-looking teams for the first three games of the season and it is becoming impossible to predict his starting XIs.
However, his selection this weekend could resemble the team he picked to face Huddersfield a fortnight ago, when he expected to face a deep-lying defence.
Gabriel Jesus partnered Sergio Aguero up front that day, although as ever Guardiola does have several options available to him in the forward line, and while Raheem Sterling, Leroy Sane and Riyad Mahrez all missed out against the Terriers, at least one of them could easily come back in.
Guardiola elected to use techincal players who are more comfortable in tight areas, and decided not to use a recognised right-back either.
But while he is likely to expect a similarly defensive display from Newcastle, he is just as likely to come up with a different way of trying to break them down.
John Stones dropped to the bench at Wolves last weekend but his use of the ball could be needed on Saturday, and after Vincent Kompany endured a shaky performance at Molineux it could be time to reintroduce Nicolas Otamendi.
NEWCASTLE TEAM NEWS
Jonjo Shelvey and Jamaal Lascelles missed Newcastle's defeat to Chelsea last weekend amid reports that they had clashed with Rafa Benitez in training, though the Spaniard insists they were injured.
Shelvey (thigh) is set to miss out again, although Lascelles (ankle) has returned to training and could play in the defence.
Spanish right-back Javier Manquillo also missed the Chelsea game but he too has returned to training. Matt Ritchie has been nursing a knee injury but is expected to play.
As well as the suspended Hayden, Newcastle will also be without former City man Florian Lejeune (knee).
OPTA MATCH FACTS
- Man City are unbeaten in their last 21 top-flight games against Newcastle (W18 D3). It’s their longest ever unbeaten run against a specific top-flight opponent, as well as being Newcastle’s longest such winless run.
- Newcastle have lost each of their last nine away league matches at the Etihad, conceding 32 goals and scoring just six in reply.
- Man City have won their last nine Premier League home games against Newcastle – only against Wolves (10 between 1900 and 1937) have they had a longer winning run in the top-flight.
- Manchester City have won all seven of their Premier League matches in September under Pep Guardiola, scoring 26 goals and conceding just twice; Guardiola hasn’t lost a match in all competitions as a manager in September since September 2010 (Barcelona 0-2 Hercules) and is unbeaten in 41 games since (W35 D6).
- Sergio Aguero has scored 12 goals in just seven home Premier League appearances in 2018 – the same number scored at home by Chelsea as a team this calendar year.
- Man City striker Sergio Aguero has scored 14 goals in his 11 Premier League appearances against Newcastle. Eight of these goals have come in his last two home
games against them (5 in October 2015 and 3 in January 2018).
- Sergio Aguero’s 14 Premier League goals against Newcastle for Manchester City is a record for goals scored against an opponent for a single club.
TV COVERAGE & KICK-OFF TIME
Kick off is 17:30 GMT (12:30 ET) on Saturday, and will be shown on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom. It will be shown on NBC in the United States, and on various channels around the world.
