Burnley vs Manchester City 04/12/19

4 December 2019

Manchester City’s Premier League (PL) title hopes are hanging by a thread, as they travel to Turf Moor to take on an unpredictable Burnely side.

The hosts’ two-game winning PL run was halted last weekend, with Crystal Palace running out 2-0 winners at Turf Moor. The Clarets have endured mixed fortunes in their previous seven league games (W3, L4), with just two of those matches seeing both teams score. Unsurprisingly, Sean Dyche’s men feel more comfortable playing at home, as 12 of their total 18 PL points came at this venue (66%). Interestingly, while all four of their PL home triumphs saw them keep a blank sheet, all three of their defeats have seen them concede at least two goals. Big underdogs ahead of the kick-off, Burnely have lost seven of their last eight H2H meetings with City in all competitions, drawing once. What’s more, four of those losses have seen them draw a blank, including the previous three.

Meanwhile, the visitors seem to be on the verge of losing the title race to Liverpool following a 2-2 away draw against Newcastle United. They now sit 11 points adrift of table-toppers Reds, having won only one of their last three PL outings (W1, D1, L1). Notably though, all of those matches have featured at least three goals and witnessed both sides hit the net. One of the reasons for the reigning holders’ struggling is their indifferent away form (W4, D1, L2), and the fact that 62.5% of their total PL goals conceded came on the road (ten of 16). Also, Pep Guardiola’s men have failed to pick up a win in three of their last competitive road trips (D2, L1), allowing at least two goals in the previous two. Still, the Citizens have won two of their last three top-flight trips to Burnely (W2, D1), with both of those triumphs coming via a single-goal margin.