Manchester City will return to Premier League action on Saturday afternoon when they welcome newly promoted Burnley to the Etihad Stadium.
Softfootball can report that Pep Guardiola’s side is eager to bounce back from last weekend’s frustrating draw against Arsenal, a contest that left plenty of questions over their current form and tactical identity.
City appeared to be in control early on at the Emirates when Erling Haaland struck inside nine minutes, but a stoppage-time equaliser from Gabriel Martinelli spoiler coupled with Donnarumma’s gaffe, denied them maximum points. (internal link) More significantly, Guardiola’s approach surprised many observers. For the first time in his managerial career, his team recorded a possession figure as low as 32.8%, opting to play in a cautious 4-5-1 system that ceded the ball to Arsenal. The lack of pressing and the uncharacteristic reliance on counterattacking made for a disjointed display, leading to a late punishment from the hosts.
This came as a sharp contrast to the emphatic performance that had seen them overcome Manchester United in the derby only a week earlier. Against Burnley, Guardiola will be expected to revert to his more familiar aggressive, front-foot style, with the champions knowing they cannot afford further slip-ups while rivals Liverpool build an early lead at the summit.
City’s campaign has already shown signs of inconsistency. After two defeats in their first three league matches, they have gradually stabilised with three wins and a draw since the September international break. However, their performances have not carried the same dominance of past seasons, raising doubts about whether this version of City possesses the relentless streak that has underpinned their recent title triumphs. Guardiola, who has previously relied on long winning runs to distance his team from challengers, has yet to inspire that same aura this term.
However, City will be picking the gains from their Wednesday’s two-nil EFL win over Huddersfield at the Smith James stadium, where the duo of Phil Foden and Savinho scored for the Citizens. (internal link)
Watch below Phil Foden’s goal for City, courtesy of the club’s official X handle:
Burnley, by contrast, approaches this fixture with a pragmatic mindset. Manager Scott Parker, scarred by heavy losses in earlier Premier League stints, has shown a willingness to alter his defensive shape depending on the opponent. Against stronger sides, he has been unhesitant in deploying a back five, while adopting a back four against more evenly matched rivals.
Though the Clarets were soundly beaten by Tottenham on the opening day, they showed fight in subsequent matches. They claimed victory over fellow newcomers Sunderland.
But were skillfully defeated by Liverpool in the rush hour from Salah’s penalty. In a similar encounter against Manchester United, they conceded a late-minute penalty that was scored by Bruno Fernandes.
Parker is expected to return to a defensive-first plan at the Etihad. Kyle Walker, now leading Burnley’s backline against his former club, will be central to their organisation. Still, the statistics do not flatter the Clarets: they have never won a competitive match at the Etihad and, between 2018 and 2020, endured four consecutive 5-0 defeats in Manchester. Parker will likely set his team up to frustrate City, leaning on the pace of Lyle Foster and Anthony to threaten on the counterattack.
Team news
Team news further complicates matters for Guardiola. Erling Haaland requested to be substituted late against Arsenal but has avoided any major injury concerns, while Abdukodir Khusanov and Nico O’Reilly both picked up knocks in that same clash. The midweek Carabao Cup tie against Huddersfield is an unwanted burden for an already stretched squad, especially with Mateo Kovačić, Rayan Cherki, Rayan Aït-Nouri, and Omar Marmoush all sidelined. For Burnley, Parker has fewer worries. Though Connor Roberts, Bruun Larsen, Jordan Beyer, and long-term absentee Zeki Amdouni remain unavailable, Lesley Ugochukwu has served his suspension and will return to bolster midfield options.
Softfootball prediction:
Manchester City 3;0 Burnley
Manchester City possible starting lineup:
Donnarumma; Lewis, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly; Rodri; Bernardo, Reijnders, Foden, Doku; Haaland
Burnley possible starting lineup:
Dubravka; Walker, Laurent, Ekdal, Esteve, Hartman; Tchaouna, Cullen, Ugochukwu, Anthony; Foster
