Burnley FC boss Vincent Kompany is as club legend as it gets when it comes to Manchester City. When the iconic Belgian makes his return to the Etihad, this time not as a stalwart defender, but instead as the leader on the opposing touchline, it is going to be a major moment.
It will be emotional for all involved, as Kompany leads in a side that will be heavy underdogs.
Manchester City vs Burnley FC FYIs
Kickoff: Wed. Jan 31, 7:30 pm, The Etihad
Manchester City Preview Material: Team News Starting XI Prediction
Transatlantic Passage: How the Premier League Redefined Soccer in America: LINK
Google Result Probability: Man City 88% Draw 8% Burnley FC 4%
Premier League Form, Standing: Burnley DLLWL 19th, 12 pts Man City 2nd, 43 pts, WWWDW
Series History: Burnley wins: 30 Draws: 25 Man City wins: 56
Odds: Burnley: +1700, Draw: +1100, Man City: -900
Kompany may have to face Erling Haaland on Wednesday night, but it won’t be the Norwegian scoring machine in his top form. Having been out injured for close to two months, it won’t be in so-called “mid-season form,” and Pep Guardiola won’t likely start him,
We can expect to see Haaland feature only off the bench, and be on limited minutes here. Expect Julian Alvarez to retain the role that Haaland usually occupies.
Manchester City Starting XI Prediction vs Burnley FC
Ederson; Kyle Walker, Ruben Dias, Nathan Ake, Josko Gvardiol; Rodri, Bernardo Silva, Mateo Kovacic; Jack Grealish, Julian Alvarez, Jeremy Doku
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now, while writing for the International Baseball Writers Association of America. You can follow the website on Twitter.