You BetManchester teams can open Premier League gap

With Chelsea on a leave of absence from the English Premier League, the two Manchester leviathans are presented with the opportunity to open an even more significant gap on their nearest pursuers this weekend.

City are first to play, away to Newcastle, as they seek to bounce back from last week's home defeat by United. That was City's first loss of the season and their record against bottom-half teams this season (six wins and a draw from seven games) suggests they should get back on track.

Under Roberto Mancini, City have won all four matches against Newcastle home and away, including the high-pressure 2-0 victory at St James' Park in their penultimate game of last season. On current form, today's visit does not look anywhere near as difficult for City.

Alan Pardew is experiencing the first mini-crisis of his reign at Newcastle, who have fallen from the dizzy heights of last season's fifth place to a current 14th, only two points clear of the relegation zone.

The primary reason for the slump appears to be the team's involvement in the Europa League, compounded by a long injury list. Injuries alone can't be the cause of the difficulty, because Pardew's side maintained their impressive momentum last season even in the absence of key players such as Fabricio Coloccini.

This season Newcastle have not coped so well, losing five of the nine league games in which Coloccini was absent, and the extra demands of the Europa League have been a burden. Five of their seven league defeats have followed European games.