“They have given City a good game at St James’ Park in the past” - Chris Sutton predicts result of Newcastle vs Manchester City

Football pundit Chris Sutton has backed Manchester City to beat Newcastle United in the Premier League on Saturday, September 28. The pundit also talked about how the Magpies have troubled City at St. James Park over the last couple of years.

In his BBC column, Sutton predicted that even though Manchester City would miss Rodri on the pitch, they would still win comfortably. He backed Pep Guardiola's side to win 3-1 at St James Park and wrote:

"Newcastle’s performances have not been there all season but they have been picking up results, most of the time. They could have gone top for a few hours last weekend, had they not lost at Fulham after a disappointing performance.

"They have given Manchester City a good game at St James' Park in the past couple of years but, given their current form and the fact they are yet to click, I am not sure this game will be as close. City are without Rodri but I still think they will win comfortably. Of course they will miss him, but they have players who are capable of stepping in."

Maximo Park singer Paul Smith was with Sutton for his predictions this week and he too backed the Cityzens to win. He predicted a 2-1 win for Manchester City against Newcastle United.

What happened to Manchester City star Rodri?

Rodri suffered an ACL injury in the 2-2 draw with Arsenal on Sunday, September 22. He is expected to miss the entirety of the season and can undergo surgery soon.

Pep Guardiola spoke about the midfielder and how he plans to set up his team without the Spaniard. He said (via OneFootball):

"We are waiting for the last phone calls from him and the doctors for what definitely he has and the type of surgery he has to get. We don’t want it [changing the system without Rodri], but we will have a good season. I expect a lot from my players and I have a duty to find a solution even if Rodri is irreplaceable.

"When a team doesn’t play with the best midfielder in the world for a long, long time, it is a big blow. But it’s football. It happens. And it is my duty to find a solution, be competitive as we have been for many, many years and be there, be a problem for our opponents."

Manchester City are currently on top of the Premier League table and will aim to maintain their spot.