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Manchester City (4-2-3-1): Ederson; Lewis, Stones, Aké, Gvardiol; Rodri, Matheus Nunes; Foden, De Bruyne, Doku; Álvarez.
Subs: Ortega, Walker, Dias, Kovacic, Bernardo Silva, Gomez, Grealish, Haaland, Bobb.
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Burnley (4-4-2): Trafford; Vitinho, O’Shea, Ekdal, Al Dakhil; Gudmundsson, Berge, Brownhill, Odobert; Foster, Amdouni.
Subs: Muric, Fofana, Cork, Roberts, Zaroury, Ramsey, Cullen, Bruun Larsen, Massengo.
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This week’s glut of Premier League games are the reverse fixtures from the opening day back in distant, sun-kissed August, and so offer us an opportunity to take stock of the teams’ campaigns so far.
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Manchester City began the season in ominous fashion, winning 3-0 at Burnley; the problem for Pep Guardiola is that was also the last time Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne were on the pitch together. Both could feature tonight and with a winnable run of games ahead for City, that’s bad news for everyone else.
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For Burnley, that was the first puncture in a balloon of pre-season hope that quickly deflated. Vincent Kompany’s side have collected 12 points in 20 games since, but a shock win tonight at the ground where he has a statue outside could kickstart an unlikely escape bid.
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The vibes at Tottenham remain positive, with Ange Postecoglou steering the team towards the top four. After kicking off with a 2-2 at Brentford, Spurs won eight of their next nine games – but have followed that up with four wins from the last 11 league matches.
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Expectations meeting reality, or a worrying downward trend? Tonight’s game will offer us clues. Thomas Frank’s busy Bees have lost their sting in a slide down the table, but Ivan Toney is back and presumably keen to make an impact against a club that could still buy him tomorrow.
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We’ll also keep tabs on Liverpool v Chelsea – which is being covered separately by Scott Murray – and check in on La Liga, the Women’s Champions League and EFL Championship. Stay tuned!
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important events
Man City vs. Burnley team: Haaland on the bench
Erling Haaland returned to the team sheet but remained on the bench as Julian Alvarez started up front and Kevin De Bruyne made his first start since returning from injury. Burnley made one change from their 1-1 draw against Luton on January 12, with Sander Berge replacing Josh Cullen in midfield.
Manchester City (4-2-3-1): Ederson; Lewis, Stones, Ake, Gvardiol. Rodri, Mateus Nunez. Foden, De Bruyne, Doc. Alvarez.
Subs: Ortega, Walker, Dias, Kovacic, Bernardo Silva, Gomez, Grealish, Haaland, Bob.
Burnley (4-4-2): Trafford; Vitinho, O’Shea, Ekdal, Al Dakhil. Gudamundson, Berge, Brownhill, Odbert. Foster, Amdouni.
Subs: Muric, Fofana, Koke, Roberts, Zalaury, Ramsey, Cullen, Bruun-Larsen, Massengo.
preamble
This week’s Premier League fixtures are a reversal of that distant, sunny opening day in August, and provide us with an opportunity to assess the teams’ campaigns so far.
Manchester City started the season in inauspicious fashion, winning 3-0 at Burnley. The problem for Pep Guardiola is that it was also the last time Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne were on the pitch together. That’s bad news for everyone else, as both could be available tonight and it remains a winnable game for City.
For Burnley, it was the first hole in their pre-season balloon of hope that quickly deflated. Vincent Kompany’s side have collected 12 points from 20 games since then, but a shock win tonight at a ground where his statue stands outside could begin an unlikely escape. be.
The atmosphere at Tottenham remains positive, with Ange Postecoglou leading the team towards a top-four finish. After kicking off 2-2 against Brentford, Spurs won eight of their next nine games, but have since won four of their last 11 league games.
Do expectations match reality, or is there a worrying downward trend? Tonight’s game will give us a clue. Thomas Frank’s busy Bees have slipped down the table and lost their needle, but Ivan Toney is back and hoping to make an impact against a club who could possibly still sign him tomorrow.
We’ll also be checking out Liverpool vs. Chelsea (with separate coverage from Scott Murray), as well as La Liga, the Women’s Champions League and the EFL Championship. stay tuned!
