Manchester City should have a very big win and I think that they will easily exceed a 2 goal handicap.
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Pep Guardiola demanded a response from his table-toppers following the 4-3 loss to Liverpool last Sunday that ended their unbeaten start to the league season.
The Argentine has 13 goals in the Premier League this season, with this number being second to only Raheem Sterling. He has scored eight goals past Newcastle in their last two league visits to the Etihad Stadium.
It was City’s first domestic defeat since an FA Cup semi-final against Arsenal on April 23.
Fernandinho, who has won a Premier League title and two League Cups since being at City, has provided the steel in midfield which has had Guardiola purring that if every side had “three Fernandinho’s they would be champions”.
However, Benitez said: “I’m not anxious by the criticism”. It is still to be done.
Arsenal remain outside the top four but heartened manager Wenger said: We played our real game in the first half, real pace and real combination..
“Football is an unpredictable game. I don’t know what is going to happen (in the rest of the season) but I don’t have to be convinced of the incredible players we have”.
For the second time in a month, he parked the bus against City.
Once the ball is won out of the air, Liverpool had to rush forward and give the citizens no time to recover.
For the majority of the half, the home side found a resilient Newcastle hard to break down despite enjoying 82 % possession during which they camped for large periods of the game in their opponents half.
“We lost against a fantastic Liverpool team”.
As for second placed Manchester United, they have an awkward trip to Burnley tomorrow, just three weeks after the clubs met in the Premier League at Old Trafford. Newcastle have more problems here too with right back Jesus Gamez, central defenders Chancel Mbemba and Florian Lejuene plus striker Aleksandar Mitrovic all out with injuries at the moment. “Don’t look at our contenders behind; look what we have to achieve”.
“We decide players on how they can improve the squad”.
“We’re really happy with the victory – we needed it after last week”, said Sergio.
“When you lose against Liverpool, you can shake hands with Jurgen Klopp and move on”.
“It is important to show the team is still there”. In games with a lot on the line, changes must be made in order to secure a win. I said to them that until fixture 24 we are the best team.
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It is a scoreline that – even with Pep Guardiola’s men still 12 points clear of their closest rivals – should bring some intrigue back into the competition, at least until we see whether it has any lasting effects. “There is no alternative against City”.
