Burnley vs. Manchester City: Team News, Preview, Live-Stream and TV Info
Burnley’s stellar home record will be under threat on Saturday lunchtime, as they welcome Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City to Turf Moor.
Since their return to the Premier League, the Clarets have forged a successful start with some excellent displays at home, enjoying wins over Liverpool, Watford, Crystal Palace and Everton. But City, blessed with an embarrassment of attacking riches, will see this as a game they must win if they’re to challenge for the title.
The last time Burnley were in the top flight, they secured a famous win over City. Here are the key viewing details for you to see whether they can repeat the trick, the vital team news on the cusp of this one and a close look at how the match is set to pan out.
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Date: Saturday, November 26
Time: 12:30 p.m. (GMT), 7:30 a.m. (ET)
TV Info: BT Sport 1 (UK), NBC Sports (U.S.)
Live Stream: BT Sport Website (UK), NBC Sports App (U.S.)
Team News
Burnley: Manager Sean Dyche doesn’t have any fresh injury concerns ahead of the game, although it’ll be intriguing to see whether he recalls Andre Gray to the starting XI after he was benched for Monday's game against West Bromwich Albion.
Likely XI: Tom Heaton; Matt Lowton, Michael Keane, Ben Mee, Stephen Ward; Steven Defour, Jeff Hendrick, Dean Marney, Scott Arfield; Andre Gray, Sam Vokes.
Manchester City: The big news for Guardiola’s side is another injury to Vincent Kompany, who will be out "for weeks," according to the manager. Fabian Delph is another long-term absentee.
Likely XI: Claudio Bravo; Pablo Zabaleta, Nicolas Otamendi, John Stones, Aleksandar Kolarov; Fernandinho, Ilkay Gundogan, Yaya Toure; Raheem Sterling, Sergio Aguero, Kevin De Bruyne.
Team news courtesy of Fantasy Football Scout.
City Looking to Keep Pressure On
City have fallen short of the high standards they set earlier in the season in recent Premier League matches. But they have the chance to put pressure on their rivals with a victory in the early kick-off and jump to the top of the table.
After a tough test in the UEFA Champions League against Borussia Monchengladbach on Wednesday, City won’t have had too much time to recover. Consequently, Guardiola may turn to Yaya Toure again after his goalscoring return against Crystal Palace in their most recent league game.
As noted by WhoScored.com (via uMAXit Football), Toure was superb, netting twice in a 2-1 win over the Eagles:
City will likely face a similar challenge against Burnley, although they are set to come up against a team well-versed in making the most of the familiar conditions at Turf Moor.
Admittedly, the Clarets were poor against West Brom on Monday. The industry and tenacity with which Dyche’s men are synonymous on home soil was absent as they collapsed to a 4-0 defeat at the Hawthorns. The Burnley boss will be expecting a positive reaction from his players.
So far this season, the evidence suggests that's what he'll get in front of what is always a passionate crowd.
Per Squawka Football, Burnley have been a completely different team at home this season:
Indeed, the only loss they’ve suffered was an unfortunate and controversial one at the expense of Arsenal. It means a City side that could be jaded from midweek exploits will be tested. If there is any kind of complacency in the Sky Blues' play, Burnley have shown they have the quality to capitalise against elite outfits.
Even so, the Etihad Stadium side has enough strength in depth to rotate and recover from Wednesday's Champions League exertions. It’ll be tough, but with the carrot of moving to top spot in the table there for the taking, expect a professional display from Guardiola’s men.
Prediction: Burnley 0-2 Manchester City
