Hello all! Another weekend of Premier League action is upon us, but savour it as England's top-flight teams will not be returning for a fortnight due to the international break. There are seven games in total to be played today, but right here, we are focusing on the meeting between Manchester City and Newcastle United at the Etihad.

City blistered through their first five games of the campaign with victories, but they have since suffered a dip having been beaten by West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur. It is odd to think that today's game is a must win for the side who looked like certain title challengers in the first few weeks of the campaign, but three defeats in a row is never good for morale.

Speaking of morale, Newcastle are in much need of a boost as they are yet to taste victory under McClaren in the Premier League. The Magpies have picked up just three points from a possible 21, and they were from draws against Southampton, Manchester United and Chelsea. Given that they have managed to restrict elite teams this season, perhaps Newcastle have a slight change of getting something out of this game.

Before we delve any further, let's check out the team news that has just filtered through at the Etihad. We'll begin with the hosts...

MAN CITY XI: Hart; Zabaleta, Otamendi, Mangala, Kolarov; Fernando, Fernandinho; Silva, Sterling, De Bruyne; Aguero
Subs: Caballero, Demichelis, Sagna, M.Garcia, Navas, Bony, Iheanacho

Right, Pellegrini has made three changes to the side that overcame Borussia Monchengladbach in the Champions League. Pablo Zabaleta, who has recently returned from injury, starts in his normal full-back position, replacing Bacary Sagna. Martin Demichelis makes way for Eliaquim Mangala, who has also recovered from injury woes. The last change involves Fernando entering the midfield as Yaya Toure has been ruled out with a hamstring problem.

Joe Hart resumes his roll in between the sticks after Wily Caballero conceded four against Spurs last weekend. Due to the absence of injury captain Vincent Kompany, Nicolas Otamendi partners Mangala at the back, with Zabaleta and Aleksandar Kolarov on either side. Fernando and Fernandinho occupy the midfield, while David Silva, Kevin De Bruyne and Raheem Sterling sit just ahead to provide service to striker Sergio Aguero.

Someone sure looks relaxed...

The Many Faces of @aguerosergiokun Number 426. #cityvnufc #mcfc pic.twitter.com/b7ZrKMdG0G — Manchester City FC (@MCFC) October 3, 2015

Right, let's see how the visitors Newcastle will be lining up this afternoon...

NEWCASTLE XI: Krul; Janmaat, Mbemba, Coloccini, Mbabu; Sissoko, Anita, Gouffran, Wijnaldum; Perez, Mitrovic
Subs: Elliot, Lascelles, Williamson, Tiote, Thauvin, de Jong, Cisse

Steve McClaren has made just the one change from his side that gained a point against Chelsea last weekend. Jack Colback has had to withdraw due to injury, which has paved the way for Yoan Gouffran to line up in the middle of the park.

As normal, Tim Krul will defend the goal this afternoon, with Daryl Janmaat, Chancel Mbemba, captain Fabricio Coloccini and Kevin Mbabu lining the back four. Moussa Sissoko has been joined in midfield by Vurnon Anita, Gouffran and last weekend's goalscorer Georginio Wijnaldum. Ayoze Perez and Aleksandar Mitrovic have been tasked with trying to get much-needed goals for the Magpies this afternoon.

A lot of people say it, but football really can be an unpredictable game! Before the season started some were questioning whether City would have enough quality to finish inside the top four, and then after five wins on the trot, with Chelsea crumbling around them, they became the outright favourites to win the Premier League crown. Since losing two consecutively there are questions surrounding them once again. Swings and roundabouts eh!

West Ham were the first team to cause City a serious threat as they continued their impressive away form to snatch a 2-1 victory. The following week, City were dominated by Tottenham at White Hart Lane and were forced to travel back to the North West with a 4-1 loss under their belts. Despite losing two on the bounce, there could have been much more pressure on Pellegrini today had they disappointed in Europe in midweek.

The two-time Premier League champions were close to recording their second Champions League defeat when they went 1-0 down to Borussia Monchengladbach in Germany on Wednesday night. The Citizens have not had the best time in Europe given that they are yet to reach the quarter-final stage of the elite tournament. However, on Wednesday they showed great character and spirit to get themselves back into the game with a goal from defender Nicolas Otamendi. Pellegrini's side continued to hunt for victory and their persistence paid off when Sergio Aguero netted the winner from the penalty spot in the 90th minute.

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That victory could play an important part with regards to City's mentality when they enter the pitch this afternoon. If they had lost to Gladbach, there would have been perhaps a sense of desperation among the fans, even though they are playing a side who have scored just five goals in seven games and let a 2-0 lead slip against an out-of-form Chelsea team. No disrespect to Newcastle, but given their current stature, City will probably feel that they can earn a comprehensive win today.

City have been having problems with injuries though. As of today, Gael Clichy, Fabian Delph, Samir Nasri, Vincent Kompany and Yaya Toure are all on the sidelines. One of the biggest blows is Toure's absence as the Ivorian has been in impressive form in the early stages of the season. City have a bit of a predicament where Toure is concerned because it could be a danger to rely on the midfielder so heavily as at 32 years of age, he is more likely to pick up niggles along the way, particularly if he is playing every week.

Recently, when discussing how City should manage Toure, Gary Neville told Sky Sports News: "He cannot play three games a week, that man. He is a fantastic player, but I would leave him for your most important games.

"There is a problem around Yaya Toure. On his day, he's perhaps the best central midfield player in the Premier League, but the idea that you can get three equal performances out of him in a week now is impossible."

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City will be missing their captain for another game as he continues to struggle with a calf injury. Kompany has been ruled out of today's game, but he will travel with his Belgium teammates for next week's Euro 2016 qualifiers, as opposed to remaining at City to continue his recovery.

City do of course have other players to rely on and one player in particular has stood out. Kevin De Bruyne moved to the Etihad from Wolfsburg in the summer with a huge £55m price tag on his back. The pressure was even higher given that he has already had Premier League experience with Chelsea, and failed during his spell there. He has looked like a completely different player this time around though as he has slotted into the City team well and has scored two goals so far this season.

Interestingly though, De Bruyne has claimed that he is not interested in being the main man at City. He was recently quoted as saying: "I don't want to be the star, I just want to play good.

"It is a lot of money, but I am not the only one [at City]. At Wolfsburg, I was the star, but at the end of the day I am not the guy who speaks a lot. I don't want to be a captain. I'm not loud in the dressing room or outside. That is not my style. I just do my stuff on the pitch and help the team."

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Today's visitors @NUFC going through the gears at the Etihad. #cityvnufc #mcfc pic.twitter.com/01bunpQzZ3 — Manchester City FC (@MCFC) October 3, 2015

Let's move on to Newcastle and their dismal start to the season. Hope surrounded St James' Park when McClaren was appointed in the summer following the sacking of interim boss John Carver. In fairness, it was a rather positive opening game for the new boss as his team managed to come from a goal down to take a 2-1 lead over Southampton, but Ronald Koeman's men were able to nick it in the closing stages and the Magpies had to settle for a 2-2 draw.

From then on, the North-East outfit struggled for points and could only pick up one from the next five. Rumours rumbled that McClaren could be sacked just a few months into his reign, but the club's managing director Lee Charnley sent a letter to the supporters seemingly giving his backing to the former England boss.

Charnley said: "Whilst we are all unhappy, we must not panic or make rash decisions. We should not forget we are still relatively early into the season with lots of games to go and points to play for. Whilst you may be tired of hearing this, I believe, as we have said from the start, all of this rebuilding and reshaping isn't something that can happen overnight - it will take time to see the benefit of the changes we made during the summer."

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Things went from bad to worse when the Magpies were knocked out of the Capital One Cup after just two games. The team took on Championship side Sheffield Wednesday at St James' Park, but they succumbed to a 1-0 defeat, which was met by a chorus of boos from the home fans.

However, there seemed to be light at the end of the tunnel when Newcastle took on Chelsea last weekend. As we know, Chelsea have had a torrid start to their campaign having won just twice in seven Premier League games, but McClaren's side impressed in the first half against Jose Mourinho's men. Their shape looked good and they showed glimpses of what they're capable of by going 2-0 up after 60 minutes thanks to goals from Ayoze Perez and Georginio Wijnaldum. The team were unable to maintain their lead for the final half an hour as Ramires and Willian struck to earn Chelsea a 2-2 draw.

Consistency is key for Newcastle and given that they face title challengers this afternoon, it will be no easy task to grab their first win at the Etihad. Should they struggle against City today, they could perhaps be comforted by the fact that they have Norwich City at home after the international break and then they go head to head with arch rivals Sunderland, who themselves are struggling. Newcastle are currently one point above the Black Cats, who reside at the bottom of the table.

In terms of the head-to-head record between the two sides, it is City who come out on top as they have not been beaten by Newcastle in their last 17 Premier League meetings, which is their longest ever run without a loss against a single top-flight side (sorry, Newcastle fans). The Magpies have also struggled for goals as they have not managed to find the back of the net in any of their last five encounters against City in the league.

It's not great reading for Newcastle fans, but City have conceded more goals in their last two top-flight games than they have in their last 11 combined. So, the Magpies will hope to have their shooting boots on today!

PREDICTION: In all honesty, it's hard to see past a convincing City win today. Newcastle have shown against Manchester United and Chelsea that they can perform against the big sides, but City will be on a high from their midweek result in the Champions League and they have the attacking quality to cause the Magpies some serious trouble. It will be interesting to see how Newcastle approach the game as visitors, considering that they are in desperate need of a win, but we back City to return to winning ways with a 3-0 triumph.

Get the views of our Sports Mole panellists in the video below:

We're just a few minutes from kickoff now. The teams will be lining up in the tunnel before emerging onto the pitch at the Etihad. How do you see this one going? Will Man City get back to winning ways or will Newcastle grab their first victory of the season? Not long now until we find out!

KICKOFF! Newcastle get us underway in black and white, while City are in their traditional sky blue. Kevin Friend is the referee for this one.

Perez tries to smuggle the ball through to Mitrovic, who is on his way into the penalty area, but City do enough to snuff out the danger. Otamendi gets the ball, but it's a sloppy pass and the ball goes straight to Sissoko.

A decent move from Newcastle as Janmaat receives the ball off a one-two with Sissoko, but as he charges into the box, the ball gets knocked out for a corner kick, which comes to nothing. Newcastle have had the majority of possession in these early stages.

De Bruyne has move to run and he manages to send the ball out left to Kolarov, who is in acres of space. The full-back sends a low cross into the area and it bobbles across goal, but there is nobody there to pick up the ball.

Nice footwork from Aguero as he plays in Sterling, but the former Liverpool fan is stopped in his tracks as Janmaat dives in for a decent tackle to get the ball away.

CHANCE! Wow, how did City not score there?! A free kick is lofted into the box and Krul dives to his right to save, but the ball falls to Silva's feet and he keeps it alive by knocking it back into the box. Krul is scrambling to get to his feet, but Newcastle get away with it as Fernandinho can't get a touch on the ball just inches from the net. Mitrovic eventually clears. Newcastle fans can breathe!

City are finding their stride now. The home side have been on the attack ever since getting a glimpse of goal. Krul was almost caught out again as he was far off his line and Silva lofted the ball over the top, but it just fell over the crossbar.

CHANCE! Another decent chance for City as Zabaleta, again in acres of space, whips the ball with plenty of pace into the box to find Aguero. The Argentine heads towards goal, but the ball bounces off Mbabu.

Newcastle get some rare time on the ball. Mbabu swings the ball forward into the box after spotting Mitrovic's run, but the striker is unable to stretch far enough to get a a decent touch with his right foot and Hart grabs the ball in the air.

City work it around the box and Sterling plays a one-two with Silva as the former storms towards the byline. As he does, he goes down in the box following pressure from Mbemba, but the Newcastle defender did well and rightfully no penalty is given.

Wow, after all that pressure from City, Newcastle take the lead! Mangala tries to clear the ball after it's whipped into the box, but it only goes as far as Wijnaldum, who crosses to Mitrovic and the forward's strike hammers past Hart and into the back of the net. Well, well, well...

Newcastle search for a second as Janmaat sends the ball forward towards Perez, who is one on one with Hart, but the free kick is given to City after Perez is flagged offside.

Zabaleta storms down the right and whips a cross into the box, but Coloccini reads it well and gets a head to it as the ball loops towards goal. The ball falls back into City's feet, but their attack gets snuffed out. It's a perfect start for Newcastle, but how long can they hold onto their lead? Let's not forget, they let a 2-0 advantage slip against Chelsea last weekend.

City are on the attack again, but they're struggling to find a way through. Zabaleta and Kolarov are getting plenty of joy down the flanks, but at the moment, Newcastle are defending well.

GOAL DISALLOWED! Newcastle get the ball in the back of the net once again as Mitrovic taps it in at the near post, but it's ruled out as Janmaat was offside when the ball was played in. City look a bit stunned at the moment.

SAVE! That's a huge stop from Hart! Newcastle open up the City defence as the ball is played in the box towards Mitrovic. The forward is on side as he receives the ball and he unleashes a strike with his right foot, but Hart makes his body big in front of the goal and makes the save.

Janmaat seems to be having a bit of trouble as he seeks medical treatment. It would be a massive blow to Newcastle to lose him, but he seems fit enough to continue.

Janmaat and Mbemba have been excellent in defence so far. Despite Janmaat seeming to be injured a few minutes ago, the Newcastle man holds off Sterling's strength as the City star tries to take the ball to the byline. He does just enough to muscle him out.

It's been a frustrating spell for City. They need to be quicker in the final third because every time they try to play the ball across the box, it gives Newcastle time to get back into shape and defend their area.

De Bruyne is under pressure on the flank and he ends up giving away a throw-in after bouncing the ball off his own foot and behind the line - that pretty much sums up City in the last few minutes.

CHANCE! Aguero is inches away from equalising for City. The Argentine receives the ball on the edge of the box, and instead of playing it out left to Sterling, he goes for a goal with a clean strike from his left boot, but the ball bobbles wide.

BOOKING! It's a nervy moment for Anita as he lunges into Zabaleta. Both feet are off the ground and when the City full-back goes down, the home fans chant, "off, off!", but Friend issues a yellow instead of a red.

De Bruyne sends a brilliant ball into the box from a free kick, and as it's whipped in, Newcastle header it behind the byline. The corner results in Fernandinho thumping the ball towards goal, but it just goes wide.

Mitrovic looks on course to score a second as his marker Otamendi slips over. The Newcastle forward charges towards goal, but Mangala does well to nick the ball off him and clear the danger. City avoided a scare there!

The game is really opening up now, with chances coming at either end. You feel as though a goal could come from anywhere at the moment!

What did I just say?! Silva does excellently to play a ball in behind towards Fernandinho, who knocks it down to Aguero across goal. The Argentine dives down to header the ball into the back of the net. There's little celebration from the striker, but it's definitely game on!

CHANCE! It's all City now as they try to find a second before the half-time whistle. De Bruyne cuts inside and gets away from Mbabu before unleashing a left-footed shot towards goal, but it just misses the target and goes wide.

BOOKING! Fernandinho gets cautioned by the referee following a cynical foul on Perez. He's on the wrong side of the ball and clips his foot around the Newcastle forward.

Sterling and Janmaat tussle down the left side as the City star uses his pace in a bid to get towards the byline. Janmaat brings him down and City are awarded a free kick just yards from the penalty area. It's lifted in by Silva, but is comfortably defended by the visitors.

Well, that first half just flew by! There is nothing to separate the two sides at the break as the game sits at 1-1 following goals from Mitrovic and Aguero. City were stunned when Newcastle opened the scoring, especially since they had been on top inside the first 15 minutes of action.

As expected, Newcastle had their tails up after taking the lead and they were able to take advantage of some sloppy passing from City at the back, with Otamendi and Mangala struggling to take charge of the back line. Joe Hart prevented the Magpies from doubling their lead after he came out on top in a one-on-one battle with Mitrovic. The England international, who saved his teammates a few times in the Champions League in midweek, spread well to block the shot.

City continued to press and search for the equaliser, with De Bruyne, Sterling and Silva getting plenty of time on the ball, but they struggled to break through a strong defensive unit. The home side's pressure eventually paid off when Aguero scored a poachers goal with the help of Silva, who lofted the ball into the box, and Fernandinho, who's knockdown found the striker for the header.

Newcastle have been impressive in defence so far, but you feel that if they face another City onslaught in the second half, they may struggle to keep the goals out. We'll soon find out!

While we await the second half, let's bring you up to date with all the half-time scores from elsewhere in the Premier League.

Aston Villa 0-0 Stoke City
Bournemouth 1-1 Watford
Norwich City 0-1 Leicester City
Sunderland 2-1 West Ham

RESTART! City get the second half underway, and they have made a substitution at the break with Jesus Navas replacing Raheem Sterling.

It has not been confirmed but Sterling was limping slightly towards the end of the first half, so Pellegrini may have hauled him off as a precaution.

A lovely through-ball from Navas meets the run of Zabaleta, but Coloccini does well to get his body across and win a free kick for his side in their own half.

City are on course for another comeback! Silva plays the ball forward to Aguero, who drops his shoulder, cuts inside and his left-footed shot takes a deflection of Gouffran and into the back of the net.

Wow, Aguero has claimed a stunning hat-trick, with two goals inside a minute! De Bruyne plays a lovely ball towards Aguero, who goes one on one with the goalkeeper, who charges off his line. The Argentine lifts the ball over the top of Krul and it bounces into the net. Dreamland for City, but even more misery for the hosts.

My oh my, that's a wonderful goal from De Bruyne! It's brilliant technique from the Belgian as he waits towards the near post for the ball to be whipped over the top. As it comes in, he leans back and hooks the ball with his right foot on the volley and it falls into the back of the net. Incredible turnaround from City!

NEWCASTLE SUB: Prior to the fourth goal being scored, Mbabu limped off the field and was replaced by Lascelles.

As expected, City are all over Newcastle with wave upon wave of attack. The visitors need to lift themselves up, which is no easy feat after conceding three goals inside five minutes!

It's a fourth goal for Sergio Aguero!! Silva does a brilliant turn to play the ball forward to Aguero. The Argentine slows down on the edge of the box, drops his shoulder, has a quick turn of pace and whips the ball into the back of the net. Fantastic from Aguero. With 30 minutes left to go, could he get more?!

This is getting ridiculous now! City are completely destroying Newcastle and Aguero is leading the charge. The Argentine gets his FIFTH goal of the afternoon! Once again, Silva is involved. The Spaniard is given acres of space on the edge of the area. He plays the ball out wide left to De Bruyne, who sends a low cross with plenty of pace across goal and Aguero is there to knock it in. It's a day to forget for the Magpies!

MAN CITY SUB: Aguero has ripped Newcastle apart this afternoon, but he will not be adding to his mammoth tally as he is replaced by Bony. A standing ovation for the Argentine.

NEWCASTLE SUBS: Newcastle make their final changes of the game as Thauvin and Tiote come on for Sissoko and Gouffran.

McClaren is furious on the touchline and understandably so! A lovely spin from Silva and he knocks the ball forward to De Bruyne. The Belgian is unmarked as he aims for Krul's left near post, but his effort just bobbles wide.

There's no fight left in Newcastle. If the final whistle went now, I think they'd be more than happy! It's all City, and to be frank, the hosts are playing that comfortably that it looks like a training session.

CHANCE! City come close to a seventh goal as Navas gets away from his marker and whips the ball in from the right. Krul manages to stretch and grab the ball before any of Navas's teammates get on the end of it.

With every Newcastle player filling their own half, there's no chance for Perez and Mitrovic to get on the ball. They're all dropping off and it's all about damage control.

City are in no rush to score again as they knock it around the middle of the park with ease. There is no pressure from the visitors.

CHANCE! Kolarov has been on point this afternoon. He whips in another perfect cross into the box to find Bony, but the striker is unable to handle the pace of the ball and he knocks it just wide.

MAN CITY SUB: It's the end of Silva's game as he has been taken off to a round of applause from the crowd. It's another brilliant performance from the Spaniard, but he makes way for Iheanacho.

SAVE! Substitute Iheanacho has only been on a matter of seconds, but he comes close to adding to the emphatic scoreline. Navas plays in his teammate, who smashes towards goal, but Krul spots in and makes the save.

Newcastle get a rare spell of possession, but they're comfortable knocking it back and forth in their own half. There are ironic cheers from the crowd every time a Newcastle player kicks the ball. Are the home or away fans responsible...?

BOOKING! Zabaleta gets in trouble with the referee after lunging into Perez with a scissor tackle. The Argentine is not best pleased, but it's the right decision from Friend.

Newcastle are pushing slightly higher up the pitch now that they are having a bit more time on the ball. City seem to have taken their foot off the gas, and who could blame them? The job is very much done from their point of view.

CHANCE! Fernando steals the ball in City's half, and it's eventually played out wide to De Bruyne. The Belgian crosses in a wonderful ball for Bony, but once again, the Ivorian misses the target.

BOOKING! Mangala gets cautioned by the referee after catching Mitrovic once the Newcastle forward released the ball. No complaints from the City defender.

There will be four additional minutes to play at the Etihad. Newcastle will want to speed through them and head home!

CHANCE! De Bruyne come close to grabbing a second as he unleashes an attempt towards goal, but Coloccini is able to block the path of the shot and the Argentine prevents a seventh goal from hitting the net.

Newcastle win a corner kick in the dying minutes of the game. It's whipped in by Thauvin and De Bruyne clears behind for another corner, which comes to nothing.

So, there we have it. Quite an incredible comeback from Manchester City in the second half as they destroy Newcastle United 6-1 at the Etihad Stadium. The hosts went a goal down as Aleksandar Mitrovic struck in the 18th minute, but they responded in emphatic fashion as Sergio Aguero scored five and Kevin De Bruyne also added to the scoresheet.

City return to the top of the Premier League table, pushing Manchester United, who play tomorrow, back down to second, while Newcastle continue to search for their first win of the season under Steve McClaren. That's all from me, but make sure you stick with Sports Mole for all the latest reaction, analysis and player ratings. That you for joining us, and until next time, goodbye.