Man City vs Burnley preview, team news, kick-off, prediction

Team news, stats and prediction ahead of Man City vs Burnley in the Premier League on Saturday (3pm).

Team news

Manchester City have a fully-fit squad for the first time this season as Burnley visit the Etihad Stadium in the Premier League.

Defender Nathan Ake returned to training after a thigh injury this week leaving no other players in the treatment room, although Sergio Aguero is only being gradually reintroduced after recent hamstring trouble.

Kevin De Bruyne and Kyle Walker are set to return after being rested for the midweek Champions League game against Olympiakos.

Goalkeeper Nick Pope is a major doubt for Burnley after taking a blow to the head in the victory over Crystal Palace.

If Pope is not passed fit, Bailey Peacock-Farrell will make his first Premier League appearance.

The Clarets will definitely be without midfielder Jack Cork (ankle), while winger Robbie Brady and midfielder Dale Stephens (both hamstring) are unlikely to feature.

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Follow Man City vs Burnley in our dedicated live match blog. Highlights will also be published on the Sky Sports digital platforms and the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel shortly after the final whistle.

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Jones Knows prediction

Manchester City remain a team overrated by the markets. If you are thinking about taking the 1/7 for a home win here then you are doing it all wrong.

As I have explained in previous weeks, this underwhelming start to the season is more than just a blip. Pep Guardiola's men are not strangling teams with intensity anymore and all the metrics point to steep decline in the quality of chances created.

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Many see the visit of Burnley as a perfect fixture for them. A chance to batter a team to get their confidence flowing, it is where their season could start, apparently. I do not agree.

Burnley's low block is among the best around - according to 'expected goals against' data, Burnley have the second-best defence in the Premier League this season - and City are not flowing anywhere near their creative best. Burnley can make this a fiddly afternoon for Pep's boys.

However, am I brave enough to go against a side that have won by an aggregate score of 22-1 in the last six meetings between the two? No.

A low scoring City win looks the answer with under 2.5 goals in a home win standing out to me at 3/1.

They will find a way through but yet again I am not sure it will be vintage City.

JONES KNOWS PREDICTS: 1-0 (7/1 with Sky Bet)

Opta stats

• Manchester City have won their last six meetings with Burnley in all competitions by an aggregate score of 23-1.
• Burnley have won just one of their 12 Premier League meetings with Man City (D3 L8), beating them 1-0 in March 2015. The Clarets have shipped more Premier League goals against the Citizens than they have versus any other side (34).
• At home, Man City have won their last six meetings with Burnley by an aggregate score of 24-2, winning each of the last three by a 5-0 scoreline. In the history of the Football League, only Notts County have won four successive home games by 5+ goals against a specific opponent (all competitions), doing so against Port Vale between October 1893 and February 1907.
• Manchester City have failed to score more than once in any of their last six Premier League games, having netted at least twice in each of their seven previous matches. They last had a longer run of failing to score more than once in a league match between March-September 2006 (14 games).
• Manchester City are averaging 15.7 shots and 5.3 shots on target per game in the Premier League this season, while they have a shot conversion rate of just eight per cent - all the lowest they've managed in a single campaign under Pep Guardiola so far.
• Manchester City have won 19 of their last 21 Premier League games kicking off at 3pm on a Saturday, with their two exceptions in that run coming against Crystal Palace (2-3 in December 2018, 2-2 in January 2020).
• Burnley are looking to pick up back-to-back Premier League victories for the first time since June, having won their first game of the 2020-21 campaign last time out against Crystal Palace.
• Burnley's Premier League games have seen just 16 goals scored this season (F4 A12), fewer than any other side. No side has scored fewer goals than the Clarets this season (four), with only West Brom (six) failing to score in more different games than Burnley (five).
• Man City's Sergio Agüero has scored nine goals in his last nine appearances against Burnley in all competitions - the Clarets could become the eighth different side against whom the Argentine reaches double figures for goals scored for Manchester City.
• Man City's Riyad Mahrez has scored four goals in his last three Premier League appearances against Burnley, while he's only netted more overall in the competition against Watford (seven) than he has versus the Clarets (five).

Pitch to Post Preview: Are Chelsea and Spurs title contenders? Plus Man Utd 'leader' Bruno Fernandes, Arsenal's creativity problems, and more!

This week on the Pitch to Post Preview Podcast, Peter Smith is joined by Michael Bridge and Charlotte Marsh to look ahead to a blockbuster London derby between title hopefuls Chelsea and Tottenham. James Cooper explains how Bruno Fernandes has become Man Utd's leader, and we analyse Arsenal's creativity problems.

Plus, Tim Thornton has the latest from Leeds and Sheffield United - including the story of how the Blades almost signed Diego Maradona! Charlotte then makes her bold Pitch for what she thinks will happen in this weekend's Premier League action…

Listen to the Sky Sports Pitch to Post Podcast on: Spotify | Apple | Castbox

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