"Pep Guardiola does not mess around" - Pundit makes bold claims ahead of Manchester City vs Burnley
Former Celtic forward Chris Sutton has backed Manchester City to beat Burnley 3-1 in the FA Cup quarterfinal on Saturday (March 18).
Manchester City have faced Burnley five times in the FA Cup. Barring a loss in their first meeting in 1931, the Cityzens have come out on top on every other occasion. In their most recent meeting, in the 2010-11 FA Cup fourth round, City bagged an emphatic 5-0 win. Burnley have lost their last ten games against the English champions by a whopping aggregate scoreline of 34-1.
Sutton, in his BBC column, backed City to extend their record against Burnley and secure a straightforward victory in front of their fans this weekend. In his BBC column, Sutton wrote:
“Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola does not mess around in the FA Cup, so you know they will field a strong team here. Burnley are 13 points clear at the top of the Championship, but they don't just get results; they also play a really good brand of football. They will make it quite an open game, but City should have too much for them.”
Sutton’s prediction: 3-1
Guardiola’s side are coming off a massive 7-0 win over RB Leipzig in the Champions League Round of 16 second leg. Erling Haaland stole the show with a five-goal haul.
If they beat Burnley, City will join Manchester United and Arsenal as the only teams to reach five consecutive FA Cup semi-inals.
Thibaut Courtois doesn’t want to face Manchester City or Chelsea in Champions League quarterfinals
Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has said that he does not want to clash against Manchester City or Chelsea in the Champions League quarterfinals.
The keeper has expressed his desire to face another team, having already beaten the English pair in the 2021-22 season. When asked about his preferred quarterfinal opponents, the former Chelsea keeper said (via the Daily Mail):
“I would like to change a bit. 'last year we already faced City and Chelsea, let’s see if we play other teams this year. Last year we made it clear what character we have in the team, with comebacks; we earn respect; we show that Real Madrid is always there.”
Los Blancos came from behind to beat Chelsea 5-4 in the last eight before beating City 6-5 in the next round last season en route winning the title.