Manchester City vs Burnley Preview: Team News, H2H, early injury news, probable lineups, tickets, odds and more

Manchester City return to Premier League action on Saturday as they host new boys Burnley. The Cityzens aim to kick off their title challenge with consistent displays, as Burnley arrive at a ground they have never won on. Pep Guardiola just coached one of the strangest games of his career as his side shared points with Arsenal after a late equaliser from Gabriel Martinelli. The Spaniard had a career-worst possession of 32.8% against the Gunners after Erling Haaland gave them the lead. City opted to sit back and play on the break. His tactics of 4-5-1 without a proper press led to a disjointed performance, and Arsenal did strike back. On the back of an encouraging victory in the Manchester Derby, no one saw this pragmatic approach coming from one of the best tactical minds of all time. When Burnley visit the Etihad Stadium, expect City to put their foot on the gas again and be the aggressor. They can not afford another slip-up as defending champions Liverpool build an early lead at the top of the table. Burnley, on the other hand, thrives on pragmatism. Scott Parker was scarred by the heavy defeats he suffered during his previous coaching stints in the top flight. He is not hesitant to set up a back five against superior opposition. He has also used a back four in games where he felt his side could go toe to toe. After being tossed aside by Tottenham on the opening day, the Clarets showed character. They beat fellow new boys Sunderland and almost got a point against Manchester United and Liverpool. Back-to-back penalties in the 97th minute and 95th minute denied them a point twice after gritty defensive performances against two top clubs. Jaidon Anthony's equaliser earned them a point against Nottingham Forest. Parker would go defence first again, with ex-City legend Kyle Walker leading the defence this time against his ex-boss. Burnley never won a competitive game at the Etihad Stadium, and between 2018 and 2020, they lost four consecutive games 5-0 at the Etihad Stadium.

Manchester City vs Burnley last-minute tickets: How to buy

Want to soak in all the action live from the ground? Our favourite reseller StubHub has got you covered. You can find tickets even at the last minute to catch the game at the Etihad Stadium.

How to watch Manchester City vs Burnley online - TV channels & live streams

There will be no telecast of the clash in the UK due to the 3 pm blackout rule. The game airs on USA Network in the USA. It means fans can live stream it on our favourite streaming service, Fubo, in the USA and Canada.

Manchester City Team News

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Guardiola would be sweating on the fitness reports of several key players before the clash. He confirmed Haaland requested a substitution and ruled out a potential injury concern, but Abdukodir Khusanov and Nico O'Reilly suffered knocks against the Gunners. The midweek Carabao Cup clash against Huddersfield is nothing but a headache for his small squad that is already riddled with injuries. Any more injuries in the cup clash might severely derail their progress in the league and the Champions League as fixtures pile up pretty soon. There is no good news from the infirmary as Matteo Kovacic, Rayan Cherki, Rayan-Ait Nouri and Omar Marmoush are all ruled out.

Predicted lineup: Donnarumma; Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, Ake; Rodri, Gonzalez; Silva, Foden, Doku; Haaland

Burnley Team News

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Parker has no suspensions or new injuries to worry about. But he does miss the services of Connor Roberts, Bruun Larsen and Jordan Beyer, along with Zeki Amdouni, who is a long-term absentee. The Clarets will deploy a back five, which will see Josh Laurent slot into defence. Lesley Ugochukwu served his one-match suspension and is available for selection again. We could expect a similar lineup that kept Liverpool at bay for 90 minutes against City as well. Lyle Foster and Anthony's pace will be his weapons on the break against a dogged City defence. Walker would most probably line up at right wing-back to deal with the trickery of Jeremy Doku.

Predicted lineup: Dubravka; Walker, Laurent, Ekdal, Esteve, Hartman; Tchaouna, Cullen, Ugochukwu, Anthony; Foster

The Last Meeting

Conditions couldn't have been more different when these sides last met in the Premier League. Vincent Kompany was in Burnley's dugout, and James Trafford, who currently sits on City's bench, was in Burnley's goal as Julian Alvarez was getting the goals for Manchester City, with Kevin de Bruyne calling the shots. Walker lost his place in the lineup already and was on the bench. Burnley resigned their fate to the Championship as they looked like dead men walking in February. Alvarez scored a quickfire brace in the first quarter to give them a comfortable 2-0 lead. Rodri then scored with a late run from the edge of the box to make it 3-0 before Ameen Al Dakhil pulled one back for the visitors in stoppage time.

Manchester City vs Burnley Key Matchups

Doku vs Walker - Doku is looking like the superstar he was tipped to become when City signed him from Rennes. The trickster is adding output to his dribbles and unlocking stubborn defences. He played his heart out against Arsenal and was so close to something tangible multiple times. Marking him would be one of City's legends in Walker. The star defender, after a shocking switch, made himself at home in the Midlands. He is marshalling the defence while switching between centre-back and right wing-back. His recovery pace and one v one defending would be put to the test as Doku takes him on.

Haaland vs Esteve - The 23-year-old defender from France had a promising start to life in England. He held his own against the dangerous Liverpool attack with multiple clearances and blocks. However, an Erling Haaland in impressive form is every defender's nightmare. The centre-back must be on his toes all game long to keep the Norwegian striker quiet.

Nunes vs Anthony - Anthony's second crack at Premier League football has seen him deliver. He is Burnley's outball on the left and drives forward with purpose to create chances. With three goals and an assist, he is looking in fine touch. His partnership with Foster is flourishing, too. Nunes would be tasked with keeping the winger quiet. He must track back and keep things tight if City are to get back to winning ways.

Manchester City vs Burnley Score Prediction

Guardiola's pragmatic approach won't last past one game as his side will force things against Burnley. With Haaland in wonderful touch and Doku's output hitting desired levels, it would take another Herculean task from the visitors' defence to keep the attack at bay. That said, do not rule them out from nicking anything away as they have guile on the break. City's defence doesn't exactly ooze confidence despite Gianluigi Donnarumma's recent heroics. The hosts are still vulnerable to good pressing triggers, and Parker would look to offer more going forward after encouraging signs of late. Despite the positives, we expect City to overcome their opponents with relative ease.

GOAL's Prediction: Man City 3-1 Burnley

Manchester City vs Burnley Odds

The hosts are expected to win comfortably by the bookmakers, who priced their win at 2/11. A punt on Burnley would earn you returns at 16/1 if the Clarets cause an upset. A draw is priced at 7/1

How to watch anywhere with a VPN

If you are abroad, you may need to use a virtual private network (VPN) in order to watch games using your usual streaming service. A VPN, such as NordVPN, allows you to establish a secure connection online when streaming. If you are not sure which VPN to use, check out GOAL's guide to the best VPNs for streaming sports.

Manchester City vs Burnley kick-off time

Ethiad Stadium will host the game at 15:00 BST / 10:00 ET/ 16:00 CET on Saturday, September 27th.

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