Just before we entered the international break we got to see, arguably, the best match of the Premier League season when Manchester City played Liverpool to a draw. Now, after a couple weeks of rest, the reigning Premier League champions will be back in action when they host Burnley FC on Saturday.
The visitors have had a tough start to the season after failing to win a single match and they find themselves currently in the relegation zone. All signs point to a comfortable win for City here, who have looked dangerous at home.
Manchester City vs Burnley FYIs:
Kick-off time: 3 PM GMT, 16 October Saturday
Manchester City Starting XI Prediction: Go here
Form Guide (All Competitions): Manchester City (DWWLD) Burnley (LLWDD)
Two players who are unlikely to be a part of this game are the Brazilian duo of Ederson and Gabriel Jesus. They are on international duty and with their matches finishing so late this week, they are not likely to be back in England in time to face Sean Dyche’s men.
The injury worries that Pep Guardiola has to think about relate to Ilkay Gundogan and Oleksandr Zinchenko. Both have not been a part of the last few matchday squads, and it is not known if they will be available for Saturday or not.
The hosts have looked extremely strong at home, and it is tough to see how Burnley can keep this attack at bay. The likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Jack Grealish and Phil Foden will be raring to show their skills against this defence.
But as we saw against Leicester City, the visitors do have the ability to score, and it is something Guardiola will be well aware of.
They carry a huge threat from set-pieces and given their size, this could turn out to be a good opportunity for the Clarets to make a big splash statement win.
Manchester City will want the resumption of league action to start off on the right note and they have the perfect match here to do so. Against a team that is low on confidence, they can show off their attacking might and ensure an easy three points.
Despite the challenge that Burnley could provide, the sheer firepower that City have should be enough to get the win.