FA Cup: The Vincent Kompany Derby!

Manchester City vs Burnley

Burnley manager Vincent Kompany will take his Championship runaway leaders to his spiritual home on Saturday, as the Clarets take on Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium in a mouth-watering FA Cup quarter final clash.

There is a statue of Kompany outside the Manchester City stadium, such is his status as the most successful Sky Blues captain in history. Between 2008 and 2019 he won four Premier League titles, two FA Cups and four Carabao Cups. And now Burnley fans have taken the Belgian legend to their hearts and he has brought some fantastic times to Turf Moor this season, fast flowing exciting football played by a talented group of young players and the Clarets are on target to score 100 goals and rack up 100 points.

This will be the biggest FA Cup 2023 news of all if Burnley can upset the odds but Kompany is a winner, he loves derbies and his team will not arrive at the Etihad to make up the numbers.

But this is Manchester City we are talking about…

Talking Points

Sky Blues’ treble bid

They are chasing Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table and they come into the game on the back of three league wins; and Manchester City’s Champions League clash with Leipzig on Tuesday night showed just how devastating they can be as they blew Red Bull Leipzig away, 7-0, to win their Round of 16 clash, 8-1 on aggregate.

Erling Braut Haaland scored five as the Sky Blues ran riot and the Bundesliga high flyers could only stand and stare as their defence was torn to pieces. Ilkay Gundogan and Kevin De Bruyne also got on the score sheet but it was the big Norwegian who took the plaudits as his season tally climbed to an incredible 39 goals.

According to the latest FA Cup 2023 betting odds the Sky Blues are favourites to win this competition and Pep Guardiola, Kompany’s friend and mentor, will put out a strong side with the international break on the horizon. I have a feeling he may give Haaland the weekend off, maybe starting him on the bench, and he may also give more game time to defensive midfielder Kalvin Phillips, in place of Rodri.

Whichever 11 he starts with, Guardiola will have plenty of goal scoring options and this is gearing up to be an entertaining clash.     

Unrecognisable Burnley

Over a period of nine years, seven of them in the Premier League, former Burnley boss Sean Dyche moulded his team into one of the hardest to beat outfits in the top flight, with two top ten finishes and a trip to Europe; but time ran out for the Clarets and they were relegated after a nail-biting final day last season.

Enter Vincent Kompany and a huge overhaul of players as 16 of the old guard left the club and he brought in 19 younger players, some from Belgium or the Manchester City academy and four on loan, but all of them with the same profile – hard working, ambitious, skillful and with a sell on value. And he’s unearthed some real gems including Morocco’s wing wizard Anass Zaroury and Southampton loanee Nathan Tella who has scored 14 goals in 33 games.       

Centre back Jordan Beyer, on loan from Borussia Monchengladbach, is a Rolls Royce of a player, a complete defender who is confident going forward, making runs deep into the opposition territory and Burnley are sure to exercise an option to buy. The Clarets have conceded just a single goal in six games and Kompany will remind his players that City scored a just once in games against Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest recently, two teams his men will hope to be above in the 2023/24 Premier League campaign.

He has Premier League experience to call upon from a number of Burnley’s established players, classy skipper Jack Cork and attacker Ashley Barnes who are both thriving under the new regime.

History

In the 21 meetings this century Burnley have won just once, drawn three and lost 17, while each of the last three meetings, all in the Premier League, resulted in a 2-0 victory for the Sky Blues.      

The Clarets come into the game unbeaten in 17, but they have not won any of their last ten games against Manchester City.

Both teams have impressive recent form; City have won five and drawn one of the last six while Burnley have won four and drawn two.    

Betting Tip

The youthful Clarets will fancy themselves at odds of 9.40, but few neutrals will and a draw at 5.80 should also be a step too far for the Championship leaders. Manchester City’s price of 1.19 says this game has home win written all over it. 

Another 2-0 is the most likely score line at SBOTOP odds of 5.22, though I suspect Burnley’s electric front line might well nick a goal. But I think this will only work if Haaland stays on the bench as the hosts cruise into a two goal lead and Burnley grab a consolation in a late flurry!    

 

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