Game Week 22 Predictions: Manchester City to win

Manchester City vs Burnley: Premier League clash at the Etihad, Haaland fit to play, predictions.

Manchester City is getting into their groove as the season hits the home stretch, this is a bad news to Burnley. (Photo credit: 90Mins)

 

Manchester City vs. Burnley

Etihad Stadium

8:30pm

We’re back to where it all started; it’s the fixture round of game week one all over again. Manchester City will hope to win to usurp Arsenal on the Premier League log after the Gunners beat Nottingham Forest on Tuesday to go second.

The Clarets will head to the champions’ den hoping to do what not many teams can do; to win at the Etihad is not for everyone, and Burnley manager Vincent Kompany knows this having led the City side for many illustrious years.

Manchester City was pushed down to third on the log by Arsenal’s win; only a win will return them to second on the log, albeit with an extra game in hand and a superior goal difference. It’s in their hands now, and we know what they can do in the second half of the season.

Burnley would celebrate Sheffield’s capitulation at Crystal Palace on Tuesday night. The Blades led twice only to be pegged back and eventually usurped by the brilliance of both Ebere Eze and Michael Olise as the game ended 3-2 to the Eagles.

Burnely halted a run of three straight losses with a 1-1 home draw against Luton, and three of their next four games could see them mopping the Premier League log as they would be away to Manchester City, away to Liverpool, and away to Arsenal.

It gets easier on paper after the visit of the Gunners to Turf Moor with Palace, Bournemouth, West Ham, and Brentford next. It looks ominous for Vincent Kompany, but he is not here to do easy things; he must believe they can do it to stand a chance at all.

How will they line up? The bad news for Burnley is that Erling Haaland is fit and available for selection. He scored twice against the Clarets on the opening day of the season, and he could well hurt them again if he is handed the shirt to play.

Burnley will set up to contain City, but can they do so for the entirety of the game? They must be brave at some points; you don’t go to the Etihad looking for a goalless draw; they will camp in your area and force you to make mistakes; there’s only one way this is going.

Verdict: Straight win Manchester City