Manchester City had their proverbial day off kind of match this week already. Pep Guardiola played the kids in the midweek EFL Cup win at Burton Albion Wednesday night, and now City will take on Chelsea in that tournament’s final match at Wembley Stadium. Now the attention shifts to the other domestic cup where, they’ll host Burnley FC in the fourth round tomorrow.
“Always I try to name a strong team,” Guardiola said at his news conference today. “This is the FA Cup against a Premier League team, Burnley. We are going to go with the strongest team to win the game.”
“When I hear that for Burnley, the FA Cup isn’t the top (of the) agenda, do they not want to win? I don’t believe it. They’re going to try tomorrow to win.”
In addition to the two trophies already mentioned, City can still claim two more this campaign as they’re through to the knockout round of the UEFA Champions League and within striking distance of catching Liverpool for the top of the table.
Guardiola however refused to get into discussion of a possible quadruple:
“We are able to try to win tomorrow, the other is fantasy.”
The Bank’s Manchester City Starting XI (4-3-3) Prediction vs Burnley FC (FA Cup 4th round)
Forwards: Leroy Sane, Sergio Aguero, Raheem Sterling
Midfielders: David Silva, Fernandinho, Bernando Silva
Defenders: Danilo Aymeric Laporte John Stones Kyle Walker
Goalkeeper: Ederson
Manchester City vs Burnley FA Cup 4th Round FYIs
Kickoff: Saturday, January 26, 3pm local, Etihad Stadium
Injury Report for both sides: go to this link
Odds via Odds Checker: Manchester City win 1/11, Draw 15/1, Burnley win 40/1
City to win the whole tournament 5/2
Prediction: Manchester City 3, Burnley 0
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, a former writer for NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, regularly appears as a guest pundit on WGN CLTV and co-hosts the “Let’s Get Weird, Sports” podcast on SB Nation.
He also contributes sociopolitical essays to Chicago Now. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram. The content of his cat’s Instagram account is unquestionably superior to his.