Cracking the Code: Burnley v Man City

It's the 125th anniversary of the English Premier League, and the coming campaign will match the hype. Manchester City enters as the defending champions, having added the Premier League trophy to the FA Cup and Champions League medals also collected this year. Can the Citizens do it again, continuing their soccer dominance in the United Kingdom and across Europe?

The leading online gambling apps offering odds on everything from Premier League soccer to Moto GP bets are robust in supporting Pep Guardiola's troops. The pre-season odds suggest City are the most likely winners of the title and need only turn up to guarantee their prize. But as any experienced follower of English soccer will testify, anything can happen in the beautiful game and often does.

Arsenal came agonizingly close to ending their Premier League trophy drought last term but conceded the top spot to Man City in the closing stages. They'll be out to improve and hope a home win over Nottingham Forest on Saturday helps set them on course for glory. 

With their rivals determined to overthrow them and steal the silver, Man City must be at their best from the opening game. But how will the champions begin?

Week one fixtures

The English Premier League season begins on Friday, 11th August, at Turf Moor, where the newly promoted Burnley return to the Premier League with a home game against last season's champions Man City. Which side will start the season off with a win? The visitors are favorites, but there will be an electric atmosphere inside Turf Moor on game night, with supporters hoping to sway things in favor of the locals.

The action continues on Saturday as Arsenal host Nottingham Forest in the early start. The 3 pm kick-offs pair Bournemouth and West Ham, Sheffield United v Crystal Palace, Everton v Fulham, and Brighton v Luton. In the evening, Newcastle welcome Aston Villa to town.

The first Super Sunday of the new season brings a doubleheader with Brentford v Tottenham and the top-of-the-bill attraction pairing Premier League title hopefuls Chelsea and Liverpool at Stamford Bridge. 

We sign off from week one at 20:00 when Man Utd plays Wolves at the Theatre of Dreams to open a crucial campaign for the Red Devils.

Burnley v Man City

Focussing on the season's opening game, we have Burnley walking out at Turf Moor in their eagerly-anticipated return to the top tier of English football. With the stadium packed to capacity, fans hope to see The Clarets be more competitive in the EPL than last time. Nothing will be won or lost on Friday besides the three points offered. But a win would help Burnley build momentum, proving they are a force this term.

Man City left it late last season, winning all three of their trophies in the final few weeks of the campaign. After a slow start, they almost handed the league to Arsenal, needing a hard finish to pass the Gunners and claim pole position. A strong opening few weeks could set Man City on course to a fourth title in as many seasons. Again, Friday won't make or break their campaign, but a win would give City fans confidence.

Soccer lovers, pundits, and sportsbook traders rarely agree on the EPL, but each party is hard in supporting a Man City win at Turf Moor. The visitors are favorites, and it's easy to see why. The Sky Blues have more valuable players, better recent form, and the attributes needed to punish an opponent that may be out of their depth.

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Stats and trends

The stats and trends from recent fixtures involving these sides give us something vital to work from when previewing the game and attempting to find a winner. In this section, we'll teach you how to analyze the stats, which figures are worth following, and how to use the information to make predictions.

The most recent game involving Burnley and Man City ended in a 6-0 win for the champions at the Etihad Stadium in March 2023. That game was in the FA Cup, with City hitting the front early, scoring the opening goal inside 32 minutes. Haaland bagged a hattrick that day and will be confident of adding more goals to his tally against the Clarets. The other goals came from Cole Palmer and a Julian Alvarez double.

The most recent Premier League game at Turf Moor, where Man City was the guest, was played in April 2022. Pep's boys won that game 2-0 with goals from Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan. City banked the points within 25 minutes of that game, scoring early and never looking back. Fans would dearly love to see a repeat performance on Friday.

The final stat that caught our eye and we wanted to share with our readers relates to the scoreline. City has won their last six games against Burnley without conceding a goal, and information is handy when making predictions or betting. Man City won by a 2-0 scoreline thrice in that six-match period. Could another Man City 2-0 win be in the pipeline?

The last three league games have ended 2-0 for Man City over Burnley. De Bruyne has scored twice, recording back-to-back strikes against the Clarets during the 2021/22 season when City won the league title back from Liverpool following the distraction of covid. Keep KDB to score first or at any stage of the play on Friday.

A warm welcome

If you decide to make predictions on Burnley v Man City and wish to follow one of the predictions offered by studying the stats, such as 2-0 Man City, Man City -1 handicap, or De Bruyne to score, you must register with an online sportsbook.

The best gambling apps offer odds on Burnley v Man City, giving all new players a welcome bonus free bet. The most common special is a deposit-matched free bet where the value of your tokens equals your first deposit and stake.