Burnley vs Manchester City (Premier League): Match Preview, Teams News, Head to Head, How To Watch

Manchester City open their 2023/24 Premier League account and title defence at Turf Moor on Friday night, as they take on the recently-promoted Championship winners Burnley.

The reigning Premier League champions hope to start the new campaign with a win following a narrow defeat to Arsenal in the FA Community Shield last time out, losing 4-1 in a penalty shoot-out following a late equaliser from Leandro Trossard.

The defeat to the Gunners was a sour way to end a fruitful pre-season for Pep Guardiola and his Manchester City, having secured confidence-building wins against Yokohama F Marinos and Bayern Munich during a tour of Asia.

City will be meeting a familiar face on Friday night, with legendary former club captain Vincent Kompany now at the helm of the a revamped Burnley outfit, who had no trouble returning to the top-flight last season obtaining a staggering 101 points in England’s second division.

The two sides with their current respective managers have already met once, after they clashed in the FA Cup quarter-finals last season, with Manchester City cruising to a 6-0 home victory courtesy of an Erling Haaland hat-trick, Julian Alvarez brace, and Cole Palmer goal.

Friday night’s contest provides an early opportunity for Josko Gvardiol to earn his first minutes for the club, having finalised a switch from RB Leipzig last weekend in a deal understood to be worth in the region of £78 million.

One debut that is already confirmed is that of Manchester City’s brand new away kit, with the club stating on Thursday morning that the industry-inspired alternative strip is set to be worn under the lights at Turf Moor.

YOU CAN BUY THE NEW 2023/24 MAN CITY AWAY SHIRT HERE!

Fixture Details

Manchester City open the brand new season with a clash against Burnley on Friday 11th August, with kick-off at Turf Moor scheduled for 20:00 BST.

Team News

The recently acquired Josko Gvardiol is in line to make his Manchester City debut on Friday night, as the Catalan manager stated during his pre-match press conference that the Croatian centre-back would be named in his travelling squad for the season opener.

Dutch defender Nathan Ake could also make his season debut, having missed out on the match against Arsenal last weekend lacking full match sharpness. After returning to first-team training earlier this week, the defender will not be short of preparation.

It has also been recently reported that Kyle Walker will remain at Manchester City beyond the ongoing summer transfer window, despite months of speculation about a potential move away from the Etihad Stadium and agreeing to join Bayern Munich.

Head to Head

In recent history, matches between the two sides have gone the way of Manchester City, as the side currently managed by Pep Guardiola have not dropped a single game to Burnley since March 2015.

The most recent match between the two clubs was in March, when they met in the FA Cup quarter-finals and City would cruise past the then-Championship side courtesy of a 6-0 scoreline.

That afternoon, Erling Haaland pulled off a hat trick in front of the Etihad crowd, accompanied by a Julian Alvarez brace, and lone strike from Cole Palmer – who has most recently been linked with a loan move to West Ham.

YOU CAN BUY THE NEW 2023/24 MAN CITY AWAY SHIRT HERE!

How To Watch

For viewers in the United Kingdom, you can watch Manchester City kick off their Premier League campaign on Sky Sports Main Event.

For viewers in the United States, you can view the match on USA Network, with kick-off scheduled for 3:00 p.m. EST.

For fans living elsewhere, you can find complete TV listings here. 

You can also join us on the official City Xtra YouTube channel live pre-match, throughout the game and post-match, along with thousands of other Manchester City fans from around the world, with the live watchalong!