BBC Sport examines a few of the predominant speaking factors as Manchester Metropolis put together to host Burnley on Saturday.
Pep Guardiola spoke this week of his Metropolis aspect “recovering many, many issues that final season we had been lacking”, however statistically they’ve made their worst begin to a top-flight marketing campaign since 2006.
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Metropolis are ninth within the desk, eight factors adrift of leaders They’ve been within the lead for 54% of their complete minutes performed, greater than every other aspect, but have solely gained two of 5 league video games.
There was heavy scrutiny of Sunday’s draw at when Metropolis’s 32.8% share of possession was the bottom of Guardiola’s 601 top-flight matches as a supervisor. The Catalan admits the more and more daring strategy of opposition sides has pressured him to adapt tactically after years of Metropolis dominating via affected person build-up play.
There are clear indicators amid Manchester Metropolis’s stuttering begin that they’re creating new weapons. By defending deeper, they’ve been capable of create house for Erling Haaland and others on the counter-attack; Metropolis have scored a league-high three objectives this season from breakaway assaults which began in their very own half. That’s already as many as in the entire of 2024-25, and yet another than in 2023-24.
On Saturday, Metropolis are more likely to revert to acquainted methods towards a Burnley aspect with the division’s lowest common possession determine of 34%. Moreover, Metropolis have gained the previous 13 conferences by an combination rating of 46-2, which is the fifth longest successful run of their historical past towards one aspect.
[BBC]
Testing begin for promoted Burnley
Burnley haven’t triumphed in 19 league visits to Manchester Metropolis, since a 5-2 victory in March 1963.
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Scott Parker’s aspect have endured a predictably powerful begin to the season, compounded by Tuesday’s EFL Cup dwelling defeat by An unforgiving Premier League fixture checklist means they’ve already performed Liverpool, and
Maybe unsurprisingly, Burnley have confronted probably the most photographs (95) within the division, with summer season signing Martin Dubravka making an unrivalled 19 saves thus far.
Dubravka has additionally launched 61 goal-kicks into the opposition’s half, greater than twice as many as every other crew. That technique is a far cry from two seasons in the past when Vincent Kompany’s promoted Burnley aspect caught to their short-passing ideas. They solely took 4 factors from their opening 13 video games and completed second backside.
The present crew have the identical tally after 5 matches – will their eventual destiny be any totally different?