A tale of divergent fates unfolds as Manchester City hosts newly promoted Burnley at the Etihad on January 31. At the time of this article, the Cityzens are fourth in the Premier League, with 30 points from 15 games. This contrasts with Premier League returnees Burnley, who have amassed seven points from their first 15 games of the season.
Manchester City precisely executed their summer transfer manoeuvres, which were characteristic of Pep Guardiola’s tenure. Following a triumphant season resulting in a treble, City underwent a restructuring. Guardiola offloaded players like Cole Palmer to Chelsea, Riyad Mahrez to Al Ahli, Aymeric Laporte to Al Nassr, Ilkay Gundogan and Joao Cancelo to Barcelona, Benjamin Mendy to Lorient.
In turn, he bolstered the squad with acquisitions such as Josko Gvardiol from RB Leipzig, Matheus Nunes from Wolverhampton Wanderers, Jeremy Doku from Stade Rennes, and Mateo Kovacic from Chelsea. These signings have swiftly assumed pivotal roles, with Doku wreaking havoc on the left of City’s attack and Gvardiol securing a regular place in Manchester City’s defence.
Manchester City started the season well, defeating Burnley in the first game thanks to goals from Haaland and Rodri. Then, they won their next five games against Newcastle, Sheffield United, Fulham, West Ham, and Nottingham Forest. However, their run was halted by Wolverhampton Wanderers. Afterwards, the champions dipped in form, suffering losses to Arsenal and Aston Villa and drawing against Liverpool, Chelsea, and Tottenham in their last seven games.
Meanwhile, Burnley, guided by former Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany, have faced significant challenges adapting to Premier League life. They languish in 19th, securing just seven points in their initial 15 matches of the season. Transitioning from a highly successful Championship campaign, where they clinched the league title, to the elite Premier League has proven daunting.
Despite losing key players integral to their promotion, Burnley made noteworthy recruitments. Departures included former captain Ashley Barnes (who moved to Norwich on a free transfer), Matthew Lowton, and Jordan Beyer. On the flip side, crucial additions included James Trafford (acquired from Manchester City for €17.30m), Michael Obafemi from Swansea, Nathan Redmond, Sander Berge, and Jacob Bruun Larsen.
The season’s promising expectations were swiftly dashed by consecutive losses to reigning champions Manchester City, Aston Villa, and Tottenham Hotspur. Burnley finally secured their first point of the season in their fourth match after a 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest.
But subsequently, they suffered two consecutive defeats, against Manchester United and Newcastle United, before finally clinching their first season victory with a 2-1 win at Luton Town, thanks to goals from Lyle Foster and Jacob Brunn Larsen. But they could have kept the consistency, losing the following six games. The Clarets thrashed Sheffield United 5-0 before losing to Wolves on December 5.
City have stepped off the gas a bit towards the middle of December, allowing them to drop points against teams like Tottenham, Chelsea, and Villa. Guardiola’s men nearly dropped points again at Luton Town, but two quick-fire goals turned defeat into a win for the defending champions. Burnley have been making gradual steps after settling in the Premier League, but this game might be challenging for them to get something from it.
Match tickets
The epic match at Etihad Stadium in Manchester starts on Wednesday, 31st January 2024, at 8 PM UK time.
The magnificent 53,400-capacity stadium is the place to be for this clash between the champions and a side fighting for survival.
Getting tickets for the Manchester City v Burnley match tickets could take a lot of work, given the standard of this game. Hence, you are advised to search ticket reselling sites should they be expected to be sold out on each club’s channels.
Team news
Line-ups
Manchester City has been without their talisman, Kevin De Bruyne, for most of the season because of a hamstring, but he should be back and fully fit for the game on January 31. The Belgian is the only player that is injured at this time. This means that Pep Guardiola will have the full complement of his squad for the game.
Manchester City: Ederson; Josko Gvardiol, Ruben Dias, Kyle Walker, John Stones, Rodrigo, Julian Alvarez, De Bruyne, Jeremy Doku, Erling Haaland, Phil Foden.
Wolverhampton Wanderers will also be hoping for a change in fortunes as they have struggled with inconsistency despite having the bulk of their squad members available for selection. Wolves injury absences include Rayan Ait Nouri (ankle injury), Pedro Neto (hamstring injury), and Joe Hodge (shoulder injury).
Burnley: Trafford; Charlie Taylor, Hillary Ekdal, Dara O’Shea, Vitinho, Nathan Redmond, Josh Brownhill, Berge, Brunn Larsen, Amdouni, Jay Rodriguez.
Prediction
This season, Manchester City have not been the deadly, effective killing machine that we know them to be. However, the turn of the is when they usually get back their mojo. And with the return of De Bruyne, the team could be functioning at its fullest. Their home advantage will also come into play in the game.
On the other hand, Burnley is condemned to start getting wins if they do not want to return to the Championship. However, their quality is like a drop of water compared to Manchester City’s ocean. As such, they are underdogs. It is safe to say that this is a David vs Goliath battle.
If Manchester City are in their element, Burnley would be lucky to concede only three goals.
Manchester City 3-0 Burnley
Image Credit: Deposit Photos
