A City side that recently beat them over two legs in the Carabao Cup, and who can really put the pressure on Arsenal by earning all three points, thereby bringing themselves to within two of the Gunners (who don't play until Sunday in the North London derby).
Vital three points for both sides
Pep Guardiola's outfit are unbeaten in their last four league games, whilst Newcastle's 2-1 victory over Tottenham ended their four-match winless streak.
The Magpies have both scored and conceded 37 goals in their 26 Premier League games in the 2025/26 season, which might be entertaining for the neutral, but exasperating for Howe and his backroom staff.
It also leaves them eight points behind Chelsea in the race for a top-five finish.
The visitors will look to their win over City at St. James' Park in November for the blueprint on how to beat a side that always comes good in the last dozen games of a league season.
City have won last 16 at home vs Newcastle
However, they have a tough ask on their hands, given that City have won 10, drawn two and lost just one of their home league fixtures this season.
Newcastle, by contrast, have earned just 13 points from 39 available on the road, have won just one league game in their last five, and they also have an awful record at the Etihad.
City are unbeaten in their last 21 Premier League home games against the Magpies, and have won all of the last 16, which is the second-longest such run in English football history.
With 20 matches between the teams played at Saturday's venue, it's the most a visiting team has played anywhere without ever winning in Premier League history.
Woltemade and Haaland the dangermen
Were Newcastle to spring a surprise, however, it would mean that they had completed their first league double over City since 1983/84 and their first in the top-flight since 1955/56.
Harvey Barnes was the hero in the November game, scoring both goals, but no Newcastle player has scored home and away against the Cityzens in the same campaign since Alan Shearer managed the feat in the 2004/05 season.
With eight headed goals being the fourth most in the division, the visitors will represent a huge problem if City aren't up for it aerially, with 6ft 6in Nick Woltemade expected to win the majority of balls played into the box.
No team has made more open play crosses into the box this season, and aside from Newcastle's players rattling the woodwork 14 times this season, the German marksman already has seven goals to his name, so there's a clear pattern to their play that has emerged.
Gordon in the groove
Bruno Guimaraes has nine goals this season, but the Brazilian is one of several Newcastle players ruled out of this match.
Emil Krafth, Fabian Schar and Tino Livramento are definitely out, with Yoane Wissa, Sven Botman and Lewis Miley all facing late fitness tests.
Much is likely to be expected of Anthony Gordon too, after his incredible four-goal midweek salvo, which saw him set a number of records in a superb individual performance.
Erling Haaland could do with some accuracy from City's wide men too, given that with 22 goals - 11 of which have been the opening goal in a game - no other player has more in the league in 2025/26.
City could profit in final quarter hour
That said, the Norwegian also faces a late fitness test to ensure his participation in the game, along with Savinho and Max Alleyne. Guardiola is definitely still without Jeremy Doku, Josko Gvardiol and Mateo Kovacic.
In terms of when goals might be expected, the Magpies haven't conceded at all in the opening quarter-hour in the league this season.
However, with 14 goals conceded in the final 15 minutes of matches, they are ranked as the Premier League's worst team during that period.
City's goalscoring prowess is evenly spread throughout games, and they could find rich pickings as the game draws to a conclusion, thanks to that epic midweek round trip, which is bound to see Newcastle's players start to tire.
Defensive set up from Howe?
Whilst playing more defensively will be the antithesis to everything that Howe holds dear, taking into account the strength of opposition and Newcastle's sojourn to Azerbaijan, doing so might just give the visitors the best chance of coming away with at least a point.
Setting up in their usual 4-3-3 formation against a City side that will be more desperate than usual for the three points, will almost certainly play right into Guardiola's hands, and allow the hosts to eventually run riot.
With only 11 games to play after this one, time is running out for Newcastle to claw their way back into European contention too.
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