Burnley vs Manchester City
Date: 03/12/2019
K/O: 20:15
Venue: Turf Moor
Referee: Jonathan Moss
Manchester City travel to Turf Moor this Tuesday looking for a positive response following their draw to Newcastle last time out, whilst also aiming to put pressure on league leaders Liverpool.
Currently 11 points behind the champions of Europe, they find themselves third in the league. As for Burnley they’ll be looking to put last Saturday’s home defeat to Crystal Palace behind them.
To put the performances of Manchester City this season into context, they’ve dropped 13 points already compared to 16 and 14 in the previous two campaigns. Their defence has come into question, with Aymeric Laporte a huge miss for the team. Conceding 16 goals so far, they only conceded 23 last season in total.
They do however have a very impressive record against the Clarets. Winning the last three, they’ve only been beaten once in the previous twelve meetings of the two. Last season City won this fixture 1-0 in a very close match, though the visitors dominated throughout.
Burnley, on the other hand, have been impressive in spurts so far. Two back-to-back 3-0 wins highlighted the strength of both their attack and defence, though last weekend’s loss to Palace only highlighted the weaknesses in both. Unable to break down a weakened Palace defence, they offered little going forward and any mistakes at the back will be exploited against the league champions.
If Burnley are going to walk away with anything from this match, they’ll need to hone in on all the experience and organisation they’ve built under Sean Dyche. The Clarets are unlikely to make many changes to the team, but the legs of Robbie Brady and Jeff Hendrick could prove pivotal in both attack and defence, though Brady may not feature.
As for Manchester City an early goal will likely settle any nerves, Guardiola’s side will be looking for Gabriel Jesus to step up, who hasn’t scored since Sergio Aguero’s injury. Burnley have one of the oldest squads in the Premier League, with an average age of 28 in each of their games this season.
Quick counter-attacking football and pace on the flanks will need to be utilised to break down the always stubborn Burnley. Raheem Sterling may be too much for the Clarets to handle, with the Englishman’s ability to find space in between a team’s backline fairly unparalleled in the Premier League.
Team News
Burnley
Charlie Taylor is the only new absentee for the Clarets, who picked up an injury against Crystal Palace on the weekend. The Burnley boss is still unsure of the extent of the injury, with Taylor having just regained his starting place in the team. Ashley Westwood is again available, returning from suspension. The midfielder was ever-present in the league this season before the visit of Palace, and his creativity was severely missed on Saturday. Westwood and Erik Pieters are the only likely changes to Saturday’s starting XI.
Danny Drinkwater is seemingly back to full fitness and it will be interesting to see if he is utilised at any point for his first league appearance of the season, making him only the 19th player to feature in the league for Burnley this campaign. There’s no doubting the quality and experience he brings to the team; a lift for everyone at the club if he’s able to get over his fitness issues.
Manchester City
The league champions are still without some key members of their squad as they visit Turf Moor this week. Aymeric Laporte, Sergio Aguero and Leroy Sane all remained sidelined, with Ilkay Gundogan missing the fixture due to suspension. There’s no doubting the strength in depth of Manchester City, but these absentees could prove pivotal to the title race this season.
It’s no secret they’ve looked out of sorts in recent weeks and will need to be perfect for the remainder of the season if they’re going regain the title. With this the second game in four days and a visit of arch-rivals Manchester United on the weekend, Pep will likely rotate some members of his squad. Phil Foden is an option to replace David Silva, with Bernardo Silva likely to come in for Riyad Mahrez. It will be interesting though to see if Benjamin Mendy keeps his place who’s been in and out of the team this season.
Predicted Starting XIs
Burnley (4-4-2): Pope; Bardsley, Tarkowski, Mee, Pieters, Hendrick, Westwood, Cork, McNeil, Barnes, Wood.
Manchester City (4-3-3): Ederson; Walker, Otamendi, Fernandinho, Angelino, De Bruyne, Rodri, Silva, Bernardo Silva, Jesus, Sterling.
Prediction: Burnley 0-2 Manchester City
City have looked a little out of sorts at late, but this is a much-needed win for Pep Guardiola’s men and I believe the league champions will edge the match. With a lack of confidence I can’t see City blowing the hosts away, but believe Burnley will be able to stop the visitor’s attacking threat.
