Manchester City vs. Newcastle: Team News, Preview, Live Stream and TV Info

Manchester City face Newcastle United at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday looking to build on their 4-1 win over Stoke City in their last match well over a week ago.

City’s FA Cup exit at the hands of Middlesbrough means they had a free weekend last week, allowing Yaya Toure and new signing Wilfried Bony a chance to recover from their Africa Cup of Nations exertions.

Newcastle arrive under the stewardship of John Carver, who will remain in charge until the end of the season after Alan Pardew’s exit at the turn of the year. The corresponding fixture last season finished 4-0 to City.

Form Guide (last 5 results for both teams)

City

Stoke 1-4 City
City 1-1 Hull City 
Chelsea 1-1 City 
City 0-2 Middlesbrough (FA Cup)
City 0-2 Arsenal

Newcastle

Crystal Palace 1-1 Newcastle
Newcastle 1-1 Stoke
Hull 0-3 Newcastle
Newcastle 1-2 Southampton
Chelsea 2-0 Newcastle

Predicted Formations

City

Toure and Bony are available to Manuel Pellegrini, a huge boost for City as they look to try and cut into Chelsea’s lead at the top of the table. James Milner is out with a knee injury.

"Tomorrow the only player that has a problem is James Milner, he has a problem in his knee and he is not available for tomorrow," Pellegrini said at his pre-match press conference. "All the other players in the squad are fit."

Bleacher Report

Newcastle

Newcastle’s Paul Dummett is out for the rest of the season after suffering an injury in the draw with Crystal Palace. Remy Cabella is a doubt with a knee problem.

Bleacher Report

Players to Watch

City: Wilfried Bony

The Ivorian, signed from Swansea City in the January transfer window for an initial £23 million, is in line to make his City first-team bow on Saturday teatime.

Signed as a replacement for Alvaro Negredo, who left in the summer to join Valencia on loan, Pellegrini will be hoping Bony can form an instant partnership with Sergio Aguero, similar to the one the Argentinian benefited from last season alongside the Spaniard.

Bony is strong and physical, capable of offering City a target and laying on chances for others, but he is also a wonderfully intelligent, subtle player, with excellent technique and footwork.

How quickly he adapts to his new surroundings could go a long way in determining whether City can retain their title.

Newcastle: Moussa Sissoko

Moussa Sissoko has been Newcastle’s most influential player this season. The French midfielder is the man City need to keep quiet to minimise the threat of a Magpies win.

Scott Heppell/Associated Press

Sissoko is a powerful, direct player, capable of moving through the gears and launching attacks. Once seen as being defensive-minded, his remit appears to be much more all-encompassing these days.

He raises the game of those around him and is capable of dominating midfield battles.

He's the star of this Newcastle side, and he is likely to attract interest from bigger clubs this summer.

Key Battle: Vincent Kompany vs. Papiss Cisse

With 10 goals in 16 games this season for Newcastle, Papiss Cisse is by far the most potent attacking threat for the north-east side.

Vincent Kompany, the man most likely to be paying him close attention, has been in poor form since returning from injury in January.

It should be an intriguing battle.

Cisse is the kind of striker who can punish one slip-up, with his pace and eye for a goal his defining attributes. With Kompany's form erratic, underlined by his poor positional play and overeagerness, Cisse may get some joy.

Odds (via Oddschecker)

City: 3/10
Newcastle: 11/2
Draw: 12

TV and Live Stream Listing

The game is available to watch live on Sky Sports 1 at 5.30 p.m. GMT, and it will also be available to stream on Now TV.

Rob Pollard is Bleacher Report's lead Manchester City correspondent and will be following the club from a Manchester base throughout the 2014-15 season. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter: @RobPollard.