Sabasports Match Preview
Carabao Cup: Manchester City vs Newcastle
Kickoff Time: 2026-2-5 4:00 (HKT)
Manchester City drew 2-2 away against Tottenham in their last Premier League match, and this dropped points further widened the gap between them and Arsenal. Currently, Manchester City trails Arsenal by 6 points in the title race, largely due to their tendency to drop points in the second half of matches. This season, City has lost 11 points after leading at halftime. When opponents apply high pressing in the second half, putting pressure on their ball control and wing play, Manchester City’s performance tends to falter. They struggle to cope with this pressure and maintain their leads, allowing opponents to regain control of the match. However, their powerful attack remains a strong point, with the frontline composed of Erling Haaland, Rayan Cherki, and Antoine Semenyo being among the best in the Premier League.
Newcastle, on the other hand, suffered a heavy 1-4 defeat away to Liverpool in their last Premier League match, and they have managed only 1 win, 3 draws, and 3 losses in their last 7 matches, indicating a significant downturn in form. Recently, Newcastle’s defensive quality has noticeably declined, with vulnerabilities in their backline fully exposed. The injuries to core players like Bruno Guimarães, Joelinton, Fabian Schär, and Tino Livramento have severely impacted Newcastle’s aerial and defensive organization capabilities. Furthermore, the absence of Guimarães and Joelinton has significantly weakened Newcastle’s midfield strength, adversely affecting their ability to contest in the midfield battles. Undoubtedly, the injuries to these two pivotal midfielders have seriously hampered Newcastle’s performance on both ends.
In the first leg of the Carabao Cup, Manchester City won 2-0 against Newcastle away, with goals from Semenyo and Cherki. In terms of overall strength and recent form, Manchester City clearly outmatches Newcastle, whose performance without their key players has been drastically different. Considering all factors, it is reasonable to expect that Manchester City, playing at home, will likely achieve another victory over their opponents and advance strongly.
Manchester City‘s Last 5 Games: DWLLL
26-02-02: Tottenham 2 – 2 Manchester City
26-01-29: Manchester City 2 – 0 Galatasaray
26-01-24: Manchester City 2 – 0 Wolves
26-01-21: Bodo Glimt 3 – 1 Manchester City
26-01-17: Manchester United 2 – 0 Manchester City
Newcastle‘s Last 5 Games: LWDDD
26-02-01: Liverpool 4 – 1 Newcastle
26-01-29: Paris Saint-Germain 1 – 1 Newcastle
26-01-25: Newcastle 0 – 2 Aston Villa
26-01-22: Newcastle 3 – 0 PSV Eindhoven
26-01-18: Wolves 0 – 0 Newcastle
Head-To-Head Record
26-01-14: Newcastle 0 – 2 Manchester City
25-11-23: Newcastle 2 – 1 Manchester City
25-02-15: Manchester City 4 – 0 Newcastle
24-09-28: Newcastle 1 – 1 Manchester City
24-03-17: Manchester City 2 – 0 Newcastle
Prediction: Manchester City wins at home