Pep Guardiola’s side have been in frightening form in the first couple of months of the 2017/18 campaign, with last Saturday’s 7-2 destruction of Stoke City making it 22 points from a possible 24 after eight rounds of games. City have already scored 29 goals and include Liverpool, Crystal Palace and Watford among the other teams they have also blown away, but their advantage at the top stands at just two points thanks to Manchester United’s promising start. It is, therefore, far too early for Guardiola’s men to be labelled champions in waiting, even if it is true that they have reached a phenomenal level of performance so far this season. There is no doubt that another victory in front of their own supporters would keep the levels of optimism around the Etihad high, though.
Burnley have also begun the campaign brilliantly, accumulating 13 points to sit seventh in the standings and seven points away from the drop zone, where many predicted them to finish this year. Sean Dyche’s side are unlikely to stay this high up the table for the remainder of the season, of course, but the Burnley boss has a track record of fashioning units which are worth far more than the sum of their parts. The Clarets’ results – three wins, four draws and one loss – are even more impressive when you take a look at the list of opponents they have faced so far; while West Bromwich Albion, Crystal Palace, Huddersfield Town and West Ham United arguably represent a straightforward set at Turf Moor, Burnley remain unbeaten away from home after meetings with Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool and Everton.
City will again be without Benjamin Mendy (knee) and club captain Vincent Kompany (calf), but Guardiola otherwise has a fully fit squad of players to choose from. Sergio Aguero has now recovered from a rib injury and is likely to be restored to the starting XI, with Gabriel Jesus set to either shift out wide or drop down to the substitutes’ bench. Fernandinho, David Silva and Kevin De Bruyne will continue as an attack-minded midfield three, while Fabian Delph will probably once again get the nod ahead of Danilo at left-back.
Burnley will have to make do without Jon Walters (knee) and Tom Heaton (shoulder), while Dean Marney is short of match fitness and is unlikely to play a part. Dyche employed a 4-4-2 formation in most of his team’s matches last term, but has shifted to a 4-5-1 with greater regularity this time around; it is the latter shape which he is most likely to utilise at the Etihad, with the extra man in midfield set to be important as City dominate possession.
Despite Burnley’s excellent away form against several of the division’s biggest sides, it is difficult to look past another City win this weekend. It may not be as high-scoring as many of their previous victories, though, with Dyche’s men generally excellent at keeping things tight and denying their opponents space to operate in the final third. The hosts will probably have too much attacking quality for the Clarets, though, which is why a home win in a match featuring fewer than 3.5 goals looks like an appealing choice. In the anytime scorer market, consider Sterling – the former Liverpool man has made a blistering start to the season and frequently gets himself into excellent positions inside the penalty area.
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