‘It won’t be’… Chris Sutton makes a surprising prediction ahead of Man City vs Burnley.

“It will not be”… Chris Sutton makes an unexpected prognostication prior to the match between Manchester City and Burnley.Wednesday evening at the Etihad Stadium, Manchester City hosts Burnley, led by Vincent Kompany. This matchup presents an exceptional opportunity for City to exert pressure on Premier League leaders Liverpool.

City have begun 2024 on a strong note, having won every match in all competitions thus far.Last Friday’s 1-0 FA Cup victory over Tottenham Hotspur was gratifying in light of the club’s track record at their stadium, and current morale is high.

Pep Guardiola can maintain the momentum with a victory over Burnley, who are five points from safety and presently rank nineteenth in the table.

Former Etihad captain Kompany has endured a difficult season thus far and will be desperate to pull off an unexpected victory on Wednesday night.

As he predicts the score, Chris Sutton concludes that “Man City v Burnley” “won’t be a brutal one.”City is the overwhelming favorite in this contest.

City have recovered from a difficult period preceding the Club World Cup and are currently sailing with the breeze in their sails.

Prominent individuals such as Kevin De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku have made a successful recovery from injury; Erling Haaland is also nearing his return.

In this contest, City ought to have no trouble, as the opposition has conceded an average of two goals per game in the division thus far.

Chris Sutton, a pundit for the BBC, believes City will prevail on Wednesday, but not by a resounding margin. He stated (BBC Sport): “Former City defender Vincent Kompany’s return to Etihad Stadium with Burnley will be met with a warm reception, but I do not believe he will be able to secure anything else.”I do not anticipate City to lose any points on Wednesday, as Liverpool hosts Chelsea later in the day. It is a momentous occasion at the summit of the table. Although I admire Burnley’s football style, I also find them to be a little naive at times.

“It won’t be a pummeling, but City should easily prevail, and their title rivals will find it difficult to digest the fact that Kevin De Bruyne is improving in fitness and Erling Haaland will return to action shortly.”

This is an unexpected prediction from Sutton, given the recent excellent record that City has had against Burnley.

The last victory that Burnley recorded against City was in March 2015 (1-0 at Turf Moor). Since then, City has emerged victorious in 16 of the last 17 meetings, including the last 12 consecutive contests.Since that March 2015 loss, City have scored a minimum of three goals in ten of the subsequent meetings.

An opportunity to exert pressure on Liverpool

Liverpool’s match against Chelsea begins marginally later on Wednesday; this presents City with an opportunity to exert pressure on the Reds. It is unlikely that Jurgen Klopp’s players will learn of the victory if City does prevail.

However, City still has a strong opportunity to maintain its momentum.

Burnley are likely to stay on their lanes and defend for their lives; we have repeatedly witnessed clubs in last place in the league travel to the Etihad. In the end, that approach to playing is less likely to generate points and more likely to lack expression.It will be intriguing to see whether De Bruyne starts for City now that he is fully recovered. Guardiola has declared his availability to perform for 90 minutes; therefore, in order to unlock the door, his ingenuity may be necessary.

Additionally, Jack Grealish could enter the game, as Paul Merson pre-game referred to him as a “fantastic team player.”