Man City vs Burnley at the Etihad this Saturday, contrasting their midweek Carabao Cup results.
Pep Guardiola was able to comfortably rotate his squad during Wednesday’s cup win over Huddersfield, capitalizing on a much-needed break following a difficult run that included victories over United and Napoli, but also a surprisingly troubled 1-1 draw with Arsenal. Despite high pre-season expectations, the Cityzens have had a mixed start to the campaign, with a title challenge currently looking doubtful despite Erling Haaland’s commanding presence.
However, City is expected to easily maintain their unbeaten record against Scott Parker’s newly promoted Burnley. The Clarets have shown they can be stubborn opposition this season, but their historical record against the Sky Blues is abysmal: City has won their last 13 encounters, netting 46 goals while conceding only 2.
Burnley’s week was compounded by a shocking home defeat to League One’s Cardiff City in their own cup tie.
Here is Mainwap’s breakdown of the premier league clash
Match Details
- Date: Saturday 27 September, 2025
- Kick-off Time: 3 p.m. BST / 10 a.m. ET / 7 a.m. PT
- Location: Manchester, England
- Stadium: Etihad Stadium
- Referee: Rob Jones
- VAR: Paul Howard
Man City vs Burnley H2H Record (Last 5 Games)
- Man City: 5 wins
- Burnley: 0 wins
- Draws: 0
- Last meeting: Man City 3-1 Burnley (January 31, 2024) – PL
Current Form – Both Teams (All Competitions)
| Man City | Burnley |
|---|---|
| Huddersfield 0-2 Man City – 24/09/25 | Burnley 1-2 Cardiff – 23/09/25 |
| Arsenal 1-1 Man City – 21/09/25 | Burnley 1-1 Nottingham Forest – 20/09/25 |
| Man City 2-0 Napoli – 18/09/25 | Burnley 0-1 Liverpool – 14/09/25 |
| Man City 3-0 Man Utd – 14/09/25 | Man Utd 3-2 Burnley – 30/08/25 |
| Brighton 2-1 Man City – 31/08/25 | Burnley 2-1 Derby – 26/08/25 |
Manchester City Team News
The primary focus for FPL managers leading up to Saturday will be Erling Haaland’s status, as the Burnley home fixture encourages heavy use of the Triple Captain chip. Despite missing the midweek cup victory due to a nagging back injury, the prolific striker has since been declared fit to face the Clarets.
While the hosts still have Rayan Aït-Nouri, Rayan Cherki, Omar Marmoush, and Abdukodir Khusanov sidelined, Mateo Kovačić is back in training and could make his season debut. Pep Guardiola’s pre-match comments singled out Phil Foden and Savinho for praise, suggesting both players are highly likely to start in the team’s attack.
Burnley Team News
Saturday marks the first time Kyle Walker will face Manchester City since his permanent departure over the summer. Ahead of the reunion, Pep Guardiola spoke glowingly of the English defender, even suggesting he is one of the greatest full-backs of all time. With Burnley manager Scott Parker expected to use a back five, Walker will likely operate as a more conservative right wing-back.
On the injury front, the Clarets will perform a late assessment on Jacob Brunn Larsen, but they are definitely without Jordan Beyer, Connor Roberts, and Zeki Amdouni. Midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu is back in contention after featuring midweek, though he faces a battle for a starting spot. Parker may instead opt for summer signing Florentino Luís to partner captain Josh Cullen in the central midfield.
Man City vs Burnley Correct Score Prediction
Burnley hasn’t been the easy opponent many expected this preseason, earning praise from Guardiola for their flexible defending. Manchester City will likely be challenged to break down a deep, compact Clarets block while simultaneously managing the counter-attacking threat posed by Jaidon Anthony.
While City may not possess the dominant aura of previous seasons, losing this kind of home fixture is unthinkable. The hosts have the sheer depth and array of profiles needed to dismantle Burnley’s stubborn defense, spearheaded by the imperious Erling Haaland, who has already netted six of their nine Premier League goals this term.
The visitors will certainly fight to avoid a heavy defeat, but it’s hard to predict any result for them other than a loss on Saturday.
Prediction: Man City 2-0 Burnley
