When Cheik Tioté and Yaya Touré are paired together for Ivory Coast they form one of the most formidable central midfield partnerships in African football. They see themselves as brothers in arms but a strong friendship will be suspended at lunchtime on Saturday when the players aim to out-tackle each other.
Tioté knows that putting Touré and his Manchester City team-mates in their places at St James' Park could change the entire dynamic of a hitherto immensely disappointing season for Newcastle United. With Alan Pardew's side struggling towards the bottom of the table and City striving to retain their title it will not be easy but Tioté is not the type to surrender easily.
"I spoke to Yaya just last week, we talk on a regular basis, he's very humble, a nice person," said Tioté. "I grew up with him in Ivory Coast and I know him very well. I prefer playing with Yaya but I'm very excited to be coming up against him.
"It's very difficult to play against Yaya. He's tall, broad and very powerful but I'm looking forward to tackling him. I always do everything I can to win and I will battle with Yaya."
Tioté must simultaneously fight his own, somewhat impetuous, nature. A penchant for diving into unwise challenges has left Pardew's enforcer with the unenviable record of collecting a yellow card in almost every other game he plays. A booking on Saturday would mean yet another suspension.
"I have to be a lot more careful," acknowledged Tioté. "I have to play with more control. When I go for the ball I have to be certain I can win it cleanly, otherwise I'll get booked. The manager has told me not to tackle if I'm not 100% certain about a challenge."
It is all quite a change from the Netherlands and life under Steve McClaren at FC Twente. "It was different in Holland," said Tioté. "There is nowhere near as much physical contact. It's a different style but I prefer the Premier League. For me it's the best because it's more aggressive."
Pardew's challenge is to teach Tioté how to channel his natural aggression. "The manager has told me we need 11 players on the pitch if we are going to win," said the Ivorian. "But it's definitely easier for me to get booked because the referees now know my style. They know I play hard so they watch me more than most. For me that makes it difficult. I've found this season much more difficult than last year."
The word "difficult" sums up Newcastle's campaign. "It's been bad for myself and for the team," said Tioté. "We started the season well by beating Spurs but in the past few weeks we've lost far too many games. We've had far too many injuries and suspensions and it's made it hard."
After winning only one of their last 10 games in all competitions Newcastle are now contemplating a daunting festive fixture list. After City's visit they are at home to QPR and then away at Manchester United and Arsenal before Everton visit St James' Park on 2 January. Without an imminent improvement in results, Pardew's team could be struggling against relegation by the time Tioté joins Touré for the Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa next month.
"We have some very important games coming up," said Tioté. "But, if we can win against the champions, it will give us so much confidence." Much may hinge on his potentially bruising duel with an old friend.
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