Manchester City vs Newcastle: Premier League preview, predictions and bet builder tips

• Ladbrokes previews Manchester City vs Newcastle in the Premier League

• Omar Marmoush is predicted to score with Sandro Tonali picking up a yellow card

• Man City are tipped to get a crucial win with over 2.5 total goals

Manchester City can close the gap behind Arsenal in the Premier League title race to just two points if they can beat Newcastle at home on Saturday evening.

The Gunners' shock late 2-2 draw with bottom-side Wolves has blown the title race wide open, with Man City now able to crank up even more pressure on their title rivals ahead of their North London derby against Tottenham a day later.

They come up against a Newcastle side they have just beaten 5-1 over two legs in the Carabao Cup semi-finals, although the Magpies did claim a 2-1 victory in the reverse fixture in the Premier League in November.

Check out our in-depth preview for a game which could have huge implications on the Premier League season, including lineups, predictions and tips for your Man City vs Newcastle bet builder.

• Fixture: Manchester City vs Newcastle

• Date: Saturday, February 21, 2026

• Kick-off: 20:00 GMT

• Venue: Etihad Stadium

Our prediction: Man City 3-1 Newcastle

Manchester City

Our predicted XI (4-3-3): Donnarumma / Nunes, Dias, Guehi, Ait-Nouri / Rodri, Bernardo, O'Reilly / Cherki, Marmoush, Semenyo

Newcastle

Our predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Pope / Trippier, Thiaw, Burn, Hall / Tonali, Willock / Elanga, Woltemade, Barnes / Gordon

Omar Marmoush is enjoying something of a resurgence in Man City's side after spending much of the first half of the season on the bench and with Erling Haaland a potential doubt, the Egyptian should assume the central striker role.

The forward has a superb record against the Toon, scoring five goals in just three previous appearances including two in their 3-1 win in the second leg at the Etihad just a few weeks ago. Having also netted a hat-trick in this fixture last season, we think Marmoush will be in confident mood to extend his impressive record.

A few yellow cards feel likely for this encounter, particularly on Newcastle's side as they look to disrupt their rhythm in the centre of the park.

With Bruno Guimaraes still out and Joelinton potentially not ready to slot straight back into Eddie Howe's XI, Sandro Tonali feels a prime candidate to get himself into the referee's book with a tactical foul or two.

Manchester City have seen an average of three goals per game in total this season with Newcastle slightly below on 2.8 and we are expecting that trend to continue here.

Guardiola's men are the league's top scorers with 54 goals and hit three in their last home league game against Fulham, while Newcastle are finding their shooting boots with 11 goals across their last three games against Spurs, Aston Villa and Qarabag. As a result, backing at least three total goals feels like a smart choice.

Our final pick is for Man City to close the gap behind Arsenal to just two points with a victory over Newcastle on Saturday, which will massively pile the pressure on the Gunners ahead of the North London derby.

City's record at home against the Toon is pretty flawless, winning each of the last 12 meetings between these two at the Etihad as well as 18 of the last 19, while they haven't taken a point at the Etihad since 2006. With so much on the line for City, it's hard to see that record changing here.

You can bet on each of these markets individually, or combine them to create a Manchester City vs Newcastle Bet Builder.

With Bet Builder+, you can combine your bet with selections not only with other Premier League matches, but also with different sports.

View the latest football odds here.

All odds and markets are correct as of the date of publication.