'A bad time': Chris Sutton predicts the score on Saturday between Newcastle and Man City

Newcastle United host Manchester City in the late afternoon kick-off on Saturday which will get underway at 5:30pm on TNT Sports.

The Magpies will go into this one with a renewed confidence after an impressively dominant outing against Sunderland last weekend, but Manchester City pose a much bigger threat than our local rivals.

Pep Guardiola could welcome back Erling Haaland and Kevin de Bruyne to the starting lineup which would give Eddie Howe plenty to think about.

The pundits aren't expecting much from Newcastle

Paul Merson made his prediction and he favoured the champions but admitted the game could end in a draw. Would Chris Sutton be any more forgiving?

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In a word: No.

Chris Sutton's prediction for the BBC doesn't give Newcastle much hope at all to be honest.

"I've got a bit of confidence with calling this one.

"Unfortunately for Newcastle, I think this is a bad time to be playing Manchester City. Pep Guardiola's side did all right in the first half of the season, but did not really get going by their standards.

"Now they have got Kevin de Bruyne back - with a new hairstyle too - and I just wonder if we will see a different look about City for the rest of the season.

"Newcastle have lost three in a row in the league but I think the most important game for them recently was their FA Cup win over Sunderland last week - there would have been a bit of heat on their manager Eddie Howe if they had lost to a Championship team and their local rivals.

"We know how the Magpies play, and they will go for it, so I am expecting a few goals, I just think City will score most of them.

"Sutton's prediction: 1-3"

Ouch, Chris. Very ouch.

I don't think we're expecting to win, but seeing that scoreline being predicted isn't very nice.

Newcastle, on our day, can beat Man City, or at least give them a game, and now that the fixture congestion is easing, it's more likely that we'll be in this contest for much longer rather than fizzling out in the final quarter of the game as we have been doing lately.

Haaland and De Bruyne won't be fully fit and we could exploit that. It's not all doom and gloom, we do have a chance here.