Vincent Kompany will be back in familiar surroundings as Burnley make the short journey to Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium on Saturday night for the FA Cup quarter-finals.
The Citizens hope to make it five years in a row of semi-final appearances, and the Clarets aim for their first showing in that stage since 1974.
As City aim to realize their ambition of the treble, they’ll be hoping for an eighth consecutive year at Wembley when they play Burnley. With four straight wins against them in the FA Cup, most recently winning 5-0 in the fourth round of 2018-19, City have an excellent record facing the Clarets.
The Citizens head into Saturday’s tie looking to add another FA Cup scalp to their list, having already seen off Championship opposition in Bristol City and Premier League foes Chelsea and Arsenal without reply in the earlier rounds this year.
Man City have excelled at the Etihad since the World Cup break, with an impressive unbeaten run of nine games – winning eight and drawing just once. As for the FA Cup, their record is remarkable.
Their last FA Cup match at home to lower league competition ended in disappointment, a 2-0 defeat to second-tier Middlesbrough in January 2015. On Saturday, they must beware of Kompany’s Burnley outfit, who are currently performing exceptionally well.
Guardiola has been praised for his managerial brilliance since taking the reins at Man City, with Vincent Kompany also deserving special recognition. His influence has made Burnley a daring, offensive team compared to the style they operated under Sean Dyche.
After suffering relegation from the Premier League last year, the Clarets have performed exceptionally in the Championship, staying at the summit since October.
A convincing win at Hull City on Wednesday, with top scorer Nathan Tella registering a hat-trick, kept Burnley’s 13-point advantage. With only nine games left, the Clarets are well-placed to secure direct promotion back to the Premier League.
Kompany has set his sights on the FA Cup as he gears his side up for a difficult away match at Manchester City, where he was honoured to play from 2008 to 2019. Kompany accumulated 12 trophies during his time there, including four Premier League awards and two FA Cups.
Burnley have enjoyed an impressive streak since December, going 18 games unbeaten in all competitions. However, this ended at the hands of Manchester United, who went on to win the EFL Cup. The game occurred at Old Trafford, and the Clarets were defeated 2-0.
The Clarets have beaten Bournemouth and Ipswich, needing a fourth-round replay to beat the latter, and Fleetwood Town on their way to reaching their first FA Cup quarter-final in two decades; however, their chances of making it to Wembley appear bleak due to losing all 10 of their recent encounters with Man City across all competitions by a combined score of 34-1.
City head into the game after a 7-0 mauling of RB Leipzig in midweek, with Erling Haaland smashing a record-breaking five-goals and boosting his goal tally for the season to 39 in all competitions.
Manchester City have consistently shown positive results in the FA Cup, having won thrice, and their form in all competitions has been exemplary, with six successive victories.
Burnley have managed three wins and a draw in the FA Cup; they won their opening fixture, drew their second game, and then won their next two matches.
Burnley’s record in all competitions has been impressive, with three victories and two draws.
Man City is in a good position for Saturday’s game, as there are no injuries or suspensions. Still, Guardiola may look to change the lineup following the victory against Leipzig earlier this week.
Likely Lineups
Stefan Ortega is set to take over from Ederson as this season’s Citizens’ cup goalkeeper. Kyle Walker, Rico Lewis, Aymeric Laporte and Sergio Gomez will all be vying for a place in the backline.
Kalvin Phillips may be brought back into the starting lineup if Guardiola wants to have a break for the ever-present Rodri. At the same time, Bernardo Silva will likely shift back to midfielder after beginning as a right winger against Leipzig.
Despite his impressive performance, Haaland may cede to place to Julian Alvarez in the forward role. Phil Foden, Riyad Mahrez and Cole Palmer could all get their chance in the starting eleven.
Burnley have issues with Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Josh Brownhill. The former is ineligible to play against Man City – his parent club – while the latter suffers a foot injury. Darko Churlinov, meanwhile, won’t be taking part because of an illness.
Manchester City possible starting lineup:
Ortega; Lewis, Stones, Laporte, Ake; De Bruyne, Phillips, Bernardo; Mahrez, Alvarez, Foden
Burnley possible starting lineup:
Peacock-Farrell; Roberts, Ekdal, Beyer, Maatsen; Cork, Cullen; Zaroury, Gudmundsson, Tella; Barnes
