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Attendance: 50,121
Manchester City logo
FA Cup | Fourth Round
Jan 26, 2019 at 3pm UK
 
Burnley logo

5-0

Jesus (23'), Silva (52'), De Bruyne (61'), Long (73' og.), Aguero (85' pen.)
FT(HT: 1-0)

Preview: Manchester City vs. Burnley - prediction, team news, lineups

Sports Mole provides team news, predicted lineups and a full preview of the FA Cup fourth-round tie between Manchester City and Burnley.

Manchester City continue their quest for an unprecedented quadruple with a home match against Burnley in round four of the FA Cup this weekend.

The Citizens are already through the final of the EFL Cup, into the last 16 of the Champions League and are hot on Liverpool's heels in the Premier League, but this is a competition that has so far eluded Pep Guardiola.


Manchester City

Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero celebrates with Riyad Mahrez after scoring against Burton Albion in their EFL Cup semi-final second leg on January 23, 2019© Reuters

Guardiola, who has tried his best to play down City's quadruple hopes, had the luxury of heavily rotating his side on Wednesday evening for the EFL Cup semi-final second leg against Burton Albion, already sitting on a nine-goal lead from the first leg.

The Citizens added another goal to their tally thanks to Sergio Aguero's first-half strike at the Pirelli Stadium, but they never really got out of first gear in what was essentially a friendly match in East Staffordshire.

City can now look forward to another trip to Wembley in a month's time, where they will face either Tottenham Hotspur or Chelsea, with Guardiola aiming to add a third major honour to his name in English football, adding to the Premier League and EFL Cup crowns won last season.

While challenging for the top flight is second nature for the Citizens these days, they have struggled in the world's oldest club cup competition. Only once have they gone all the way since the 1960s - in 2010-11 when Yaya Toure scored the only goal of the game in the final against Stoke City.

Since then, City have been knocked out by Manchester United in round three, Wigan Athletic in the final, Wigan in the quarter-finals, Middlesbrough in round four, Chelsea in the last 16, Arsenal in the semi-finals and Wigan - again - in round five last season.

The good news for Guardiola's charges is that bogey side Wigan are already out of this season's competition, but it remains to be seen whether they can end their eight-year hoodoo this time around.

Round-three opponents Rotherham United offered little resilience, with the English champions coming out on top 7-0 at the Etihad Stadium, three days before their 9-0 thrashing of Burton.

City have won seven matches in a row since back-to-back defeats at the hands of Crystal Palace and Leicester City either side of Christmas, scoring 28 goals during that run. The Citizens have also won their three home FA Cup matches under Guardiola by an aggregate score of 16-2, so not many will give Burnley much hope of pulling off an upset.

Recent form (all competitions): WWWWWW


Burnley

Ashley Barnes scores for Burnley on January 2, 2019© Reuters

Having endured a terrible first half to 2018-19, Burnley have won four and drawn one of their last five matches to finally hit form.

The Clarets are now up to 16th in the Premier League and three points clear of the dropzone, but Sean Dyche knows that his side are still in a relegation scrap.

Last Saturday's 0-0 draw at high-flying Watford was a good result on the face of it, though Burnley were wrongly denied a late goal that, had it stood, would have lifted them up to 14th.

Dyche can have no complaints with the spirit shown by his players over the past month, with this five-match unbeaten streak following immediately on from a run of one win in 12 matches - nine of those ending in defeat.

A cup run would be nice, of course, but the 1914 winners face arguably the toughest test of them all this weekend. In fact, the Clarets are winless in 13 away FA Cup games against Premier League sides since a 1-0 win at Derby County in December 1999.

Included in that sequence is a 4-1 loss at the Etihad Stadium 12 months ago in round three, going down to a couple of goals from Aguero and one apiece for Leroy Sane and Bernardo Silva, despite leading in the match with nearly an hour played.

Burnley will be keen to avoid a repeat of that scoreline, but their recent history in the FA Cup suggests that anything other than a defeat would be a huge shock.

After making an unbeaten start to 2019, however, Dyche's men do at least make this latest trip to the Etihad Stadium with some momentum on their side. The Premier League takes priority this season, but Burnley have a chance to show that they really have turned a corner by pulling off a big upset.

Recent form (all competitions): LWWWWD


Team News

Benjamin Mendy in action for Manchester City on September 1, 2018© Reuters

Guardiola made eight changes for the midweek outing against Burton, retaining only Danilo, Aguero and Kevin De Bruyne. All three of those will likely be rested against Burnley, possibly leading to recalls for Kyle Walker, Gabriel Jesus and Ilkay Gundogan.

Benjamin Mendy made his latest injury return at the Pirelli Stadium following more than two months out, and Guardiola must now decide whether the left-back is ready to start. Should he miss out, it is a shootout between Oleksandr Zinchenko and Fabian Delph.

Debuts were handed to Ian Carlo Poveda and Felix Nmecha on Wednesday, while Philippe Sandler made his first start and Eric Garcia also featured from the off, but the higher calibre of opposition means that City will surely name a stronger XI on Saturday.

Another of those in line to return is Raheem Sterling, who has been involved in at least one goal in nine of his last 10 FA Cup starts - the only game he failed to score or assist coming against Burnley last season.

Burnley boss Dyche is expected to use this weekend's cup clash as an opportunity to give Nick Pope, Stephen Ward and Steven Defour some playing time on their return from injury.

Eight changes were made in the last round and the Clarets could well make mass changes again for this all-Premier League affair, with Robbie Brady also back in contention after serving a three-match ban.

Elsewhere, Johann Berg Gudmundsson is thought to have recovered from a thigh strain that has kept him out for two matches, giving Dyche options in the wide areas.

Manchester City possible starting lineup:
Ederson; Walker, Garcia, Otamendi, Mendy; Bernardo, Gundogan, Foden; Mahrez, Jesus, Sane

Burnley possible starting lineup:
Pope; Lowton, Gibson, Long, Ward; Gudmundsson, Defour, Cork, Brady; Vokes, Vydra


Head To Head

Burnley have been eliminated from the FA Cup by Man City on three previous occasions, including in round three last season. Their most recent victory against the Citizens in this competition came back in January 1931.

City have lost just one of their last 20 matches against the Clarets in all competitions, meanwhile - a 1-0 reverse in the Premier League nearly four years ago.

The most recent fixture ended in a 5-0 win for Guardiola's men at this ground in October, courtesy of goals from Aguero, Bernardo, Fernandinho, Riyad Mahrez and Sane.


Sports Mole Logo

We say: Manchester City 3-0 Burnley

Burnley have a poor record away to Premier League sides in the FA Cup and they have particularly struggled on their trips to this ground. The Clarets do have some momentum on their side, but City have won seven in a row and should make it through to round five with little fuss.



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Written by
Daniel Lewis
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Oleksandr Zinchenko celebrates scoring the fourth during the EFL Cup semi-final game between Manchester City and Burton Albion on January 9, 2019
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