Three reasons to watch Manchester City vs Newcastle - live on BT Sport!

Manchester City host Newcastle on Saturday hoping to close the gap to Premier League leaders Arsenal to two points.

The Gunners can pull clear again if they beat Bournemouth in their 3pm kick-off, but City will see this as an opportunity to put pressure on their title rivals.

Here are three reasons to watch Newcastle’s visit to the Etihad, live on BT Sport 1.

New money vs even newer money

There are certainly parallels between Man City’s takeover by the Abu Dhabi United Group in 2008 and Newcastle’s takeover in 2021 by a Saudi-led consortium.

Both clubs are now state-owned and immensely rich, although City are far further ahead in their development than Newcastle.

The latter have perhaps not spent as lavishly as many expected but their investment in the transfer market has been shrewd and Eddie Howe has got the best out of a team still hoping for a top four finish.

City, meanwhile, are now very much one of Europe’s superclubs and are targeting a third successive Premier League title under Pep Guardiola.

It’s an interesting clash for many reasons but particularly because City are essentially the blueprint for Newcastle. This could be a fixture that becomes a significant one at the top of the division in the years to come.

And it’s already an important one, with the Magpies hoping to break into the top four and City in need of three points to keep up with Arsenal.

Premier League's best attack faces the best defence

Howe has built strong foundations at Newcastle, prioritising defensive stability and reaping the rewards.

They have let in just 15 goals in 23 Premier League games so far this season, by far the best record in the division.

At the other end of the pitch, no one has scored more goals than City’s 64, with Erling Haaland of course partly responsible for that.

It will be fascinating to see how Pep Guardiola’s side go about breaking down the visitors, then. Equally interesting will be Newcastle’s approach; they managed a goalless draw at the Emirates in January and a repeat of that dogged display will likely be the aim on Saturday.

Newcastle have conceded four goals in their last two games, though, losing 2-0 to Liverpool before their League Cup final loss to Manchester United at Wembley.

With Nick Pope back in goal after his suspension, Howe will hope his team can frustrate a City side in formidable goal scoring form.

Foden rediscovering best form

It’s been a tricky few months for Phil Foden, who has found starts hard to come by since the World Cup.

The impressive form of Jack Grealish and Riyad Mahrez has left Foden on the periphery in recent weeks, but there are signs that he could be starting to force his way back into the team.

He scored a brace in City’s 3-0 FA Cup win at Bristol City in midweek and was on target in the 4-1 win over Bournemouth last weekend.

There’s no doubt that the 22-year-old is one of the most fluid, aesthetically-pleasing players to watch in the Premier League when at his best.

And we could be treated to a Foden masterclass if he features against Newcastle, a strong possibility given his recent displays.

With so many fixtures still to play and rotation a necessity, this could be the England international’s chance to force his way back into the starting XI.