Manchester City Starting XI: We predict Pep Guardiola’s starting team as they travel to Newcastle United in a FA Cup quarter final clash

Manchester City Starting XI: We predict Pep Guardiola’s starting team as they travel to Newcastle United in a FA Cup quarter final clash.

It was a bitterly disappointing night for City midweek as their 2-1 loss resulted in Liverpool winning their first ever Premier League title.

Despite conceding the league to their cross-city rivals, City still have a lot to play for with a treble still on the cards this season.

Beating Newcastle United this afternoon will put the Citizens in the FA Cup semi finals and just two games away from their second trophy of the season.

So which players will be tasked with the challenge of overcoming the magpies today? Here we predict Guardiola’s XI…

Goalkeeper: Ederson will keep his place in the team, his incredible talents with the ball at his feet has been rightly praised since the return of football.

Defenders: We expect Guardiola to again start with a flat back four, because he rarely does anything else with his defence. His side put a lot in to Thursday’s game so we expect changes.  we expect Pep to name Aymeric Laporte, John Stones, Joao Cancelo and Oleksandr Zinchenko.

Midfielders: Phil Foden will be likely to get a start in this game following his two-goal display last week. We also believe David Silva will get a start. That leaves, Germany international Ilkay Gundogan should be the other midfield player who returns to the starting XI.

Forwards: It feels as though Pep doesn’t even know who he is going to start upfront from game to game. However, with Sergio Aguero injured we think Gabriel Jesus will get the start, with Leroy Sane deployed from the left and Ryiad Mahrez

Predicted XI: Ederson, Cancelo, Laporte, Stones, Zinchenko, Foden, Silva, Gundogan, Mahrez, Sane, Jesus