Newcastle United v Manchester City – Head to Head

Round three of the Premier League sees Manchester City head north to take on Newcastle United at St James’s Park, where victory should take the blues back to the top of the Premier League. City have won their opening two fixtures and have a great record at the home of the Magpies. However, it hasn’t always been plain sailing on Tyneside as the stats will now show.

An incredible history between the two

This fixture is possibly one of the longest running in the history of both clubs. The first time they met in the north east was as far back as 1894, when the blues lost 2-1. Following that loss, City visited Newcastle another 15 times, drawing four and losing 11. Their first victory on Tyneside came in February 1913, followed by another win 11 months later, with both matches ending 1-0 to the blues.

City then went another 11 matches without a win, drawing just two and losing seven successive matches, ending that run with another 1-0 win in April 1931. The blues then won just four from their next 22 visits, until 1968, when City clinched the first division title with a 4-3 win. City’s next league win wouldn’t arrive until February 2001, 1-0 again, although they won an FA Cup tie in 1977 and a League Cup match in 1994.

However, City’s recent good run started in March 2007. The blues won 1-0 when Emile Mpenza’s 80^th minute winner gave Stuart Pearce’s the points. Now, just one defeat in 16 visits to St James’s Park put City as firm favourites to walk away on Sunday with another three points on Sunday.

Losing run’s galore…but now blues on a winning streak

City’s longest losing streak is seven defeats, which Newcastle have inflicted on us twice. The first came between April 1922 and March 1929, while the second occurred between September 1949 and April 1956. The longest winless run City have encountered is 16 matches, between January 1894 and September 1911.

City’s longest winning run is six straight matches, between December 2010 and December 2017, while the longest unbeaten run sits at 11 matches, from March 2007 to December 2017.

We’ll always have goals

The last time either team failed to score in this fixture was 1995. That was the last of just six goalless draws these two teams have played out in 95 matches in all competitions. City have kept 24 clean sheets, but have failed to score on 32 occasions. However, the blues have not failed to score at St James’s Park since a 1-0 loss in September 1995.

In total, City have scored 108 goals in all competitions on Tyneside, but have conceded 167. That’s due largely in part to conceding five goals on three occasions and four goals in seven different matches.

Newcastle’s biggest win against the blues is 5-0 in October 1983, while City’s 4-0 win on Tyneside last season is their biggest. There have been four 4-3 scorelines, with both City and Newcastle getting two wins apiece by this score. This is not, however, the highest-scoring match. That honour came in their second ever meeting in the north east when nine goals were scored as Newcastle ran out 5-4 winners.

Feeling superstitious?

This part was supposed to show the numerous times that City have won at St James’s Park in August from their 95 visits, but no. City visited Newcastle for the first and only time on 17^th August 2017 and ran out 2-0 winners.

Still, that’s a good omen, right?