Manchester City vs Burnley: An interesting reunion is on the cards in FA Cup quarter-finals - March 18

March 17, 2023 By Michelle Bonsu

Topics: TV Schedules, TV Listings, Manchester City, Burnley, English Premier League

Fresh off their resounding 7-0 mauling of RB Leipzig in the Champions League, Manchester City will now turn their attention towards FA Cup action as they host Burnley.

An intriguing reunion is on the cards as Manchester City and Burnley prepare to battle for a spot in the FA Cup semi-finals. Burnley, who are the visiting side, are currently coached by former City defender Vincent Kompany, meaning that the retired Belgian international will come face to face with many familiar faces on Saturday afternoon.

City come into this match off the back of a brilliant 7-0 thrashing of RB Leipzig, with Erling Haaland once again stealing the show. The Norwegian international netted five of his team's seven goals as Pep Guardiola's men crushed the German outfit, and now, having secured a spot in the quarter-finals, City will turn their attention back towards domestic business. To date, the Cityzens have been pretty much in cruise control in this season's FA Cup, with solid wins over Chelsea and Arsenal without conceding, as well as a very straight-forward 3-0 win over Championship side Bristol City to book their spot in the quarter-finals.

In addition, City have won their last 10 FA Cup home ties, with their last loss taking place in January 2015 when they were surprisingly beaten by Middlesbrough 2-0 who were featuring in the Championship. Overall, Guardiola's squad are unbeaten in their last nine home games across all competitions, with wins in eight of those ties, as well as have beaten Burnley in their last four FA Cup meetings.

That being said, Burnley, who are hoping to beat City in the FA Cup for the first time since January 1931, have been playing some impressive football since Kompany took over from Sean Dyche. They come into this contest having picked up a 3-1 win over Hull to consolidate a very comfortable 13 point lead at the top of the league table, and are on course to secure promotion to the Premier League at the end of this term.

Kompany's team are also unbeaten in their last 18 matches across all competitions, but will be facing a battle against history when it comes to facing City. Including the aforementioned four FA Cup defeats, the Clarets have lost their last ten meetings with Manchester City across all competitions - and during that time, have scored just one goal (while conceding 34).

Of course, anything is possible, especially in the FA Cup, and with City likely to rotate their squad, Burnley will hope to pull off what would be a huge upset on Saturday evening. Will it happen, or will a City side who have been in excellent form since the start of 2023 march on towards the semi-finals?

Match facts: Manchester City vs Burnley

Manchester City have won four of their last five FA Cup meetings against Burnley
In fact, Burnley's sole win in the FA Cup over City was back in January 1931
The Clarets have failed to win their last ten meetings with City across all competitions, conceding 34 times and scoring just once
Burnley have not beaten City on the road since 1973, with a record of D4 L12 from their last 16 trips to City's home ground
City are unbeaten in their last nine home matches across all comps (W8 D1)
The Cityzens have also won their last 10 FA Cup home ties, with their last loss being in January 2015 to Middlesbrough

Team news: Manchester City vs Burnley

Manchester City: No injury or suspension worries for the hosts, but Guardiola could opt to mix things up in terms of who features in his starting XI on Saturday.

Burnley: The visitors, by contrast, will have some players absent, including Josh Brownhill, Darko Churlinov, and very likely Manuel Benson as well as Jay Rodriguez. In addition, Taylor Hardwood-Bellis will not play as he's on loan to Burnley from Manchester City.