English - FA Cup Fourth Round

The 4th round of England's longest standing tournament resumes this weekend with a lengthy list of intriguing match-ups, with clubs from the countries top three divisions all being paired together for this season-long contest, the 92 team field has been narrowed down to 30 with a winner being crowned this May. 

The EPL is currently represented by ten teams, including five English giants sides which are considered the odds-on favorites to step onto the Wembley stadium pitch later in the year. 

The FA Cup has long been known for unpredictable results with Liverpool already being eliminated from the format. The remaining heavy-weights will have a bullseye on their backs, and must not disrespect their opponents who will play too their deaths to grab a positive result. 

Manchester City vs Burnley
Etihad Stadium, Manchester, England 
1-26-2019 - 10:00 am ET - ESPN+

The defending premier league champions headline Saturday's card, after qualifying for the Carabao Cup finals by dispensing of Burton Albion on Wednesday night, Man City are now eyeing another trophy to add into their ever-growing collection.

anchester City returns home off their midweek journey, now with a fresh batch of troops ready to take their turns in the rotational order, the Citizen's world-class depth will be on full display as they are currently apart of four separate title chases.

Pep Guardiola has been quite pleased with his team's overall performance since dropping back to back matches in December, Man City have since won 7 straight matches in all competitions, scoring a total of 28 goals for an average of 4 per match with a differential of +25 over that dominant run of play.

Pep's Starting Eleven

The Spaniard will have an interesting decision to make on his first eleven with an EPL match at Newcastle on Tuesday. Guardiola has been rumored to send out the front-line selection of Gabriel Jesus, Raheem Sterling, and Leroy Sane at each wing within his usual 4-3-3 formation.

This particular combination of players has responded well when partnered together, with Sterling and Sane offering explosive pace and fluent movements down the flanks, along with Jesus looking to get on the end of service and cause havoc in front of goal.

The home sides projected midfield selection will also send a strong message regarding this particular contest. Kevin De Bruyne, Fernandinho, and David Silva seem to be the favored choice of Guardiola in this spot, leaning on their vast experience on both sides of the pitch, we should expect an outstanding performance from this ultra-talented combination of players in all aspects of Saturday's match-up. 

Manchester City has enjoyed playing at the Etihad Stadium this season, winning 13 of their last 14 affairs, while placing an astounding 55 goals in the back of the net, the Citizen's truly relished the opportunity to treat their loyal supporters to top-notch football on a consistent basis. 

Burnley arrives in Manchester with extreme caution, having lost their last three visits by a combined 12 goals while carrying an overall record of 0-1-6 during their last seven encounters in all competitions.

Sean Dyche has seen improvement in his squad since their last visit in October. The Clarets enter Saturday's fixture riding a five-match unbeaten streak, now they set their eyes on reversing the recent run of back form while at the Etihad and pull an unexpected shocker.

Dyche's Frustrating Tactics

The Claret's taskmaster seems destined to sit back and pack as many men in front of goal as he attempts to frustrate the attacking prowess of Manchester City. Dyche would seem most likely to run out a 4-5-1 type of formation, wanting to clog the passing lanes and place a plethora of bodies in front of their own goal. 

Chris Wood and Robbie Brady will stand the best chance to threaten the home side on the defensive side of the pitch. The visitors struggle to keep large amounts of possession, depending on long balls to spring their attackers into motion, while relying heavily on the set-piece and direct free kick situations where they can even the playing field, especially in the air where they simply overwhelm their opponents. 

Burnley have found grabbing positive results away from home a difficult task regardless of their opposition, with an overall record of 2-4-8 in all competitions, the Claret's have found playing their best football away from home a true challenge during this turbulent campaign.

Manchester City vs Burnley - Match Prediction

The odds-makers give Burnley little chance to upset the defending EPL champs but based on this specific tournament we should never rule out the possibility of a unexpected result. 

Manchester City should still feel confident they can avoid utter humiliation while on their own grounds. The Citizen's are simply playing their best football of the current season after dealing with a lengthy list of injuries to key players, Pep's men have all mostly returned and are playing themselves back into peak performance. 

Man City has traditionally given the Claret's troubles under the Guardiola regime. The hosts thrive on possession, strong wing play, through balls, and creating a large number of shots on goal which are all major problems for this Burnley side to defend. 

The Manchester side has scored a minimum of 2 goals in their last seven home matches against Burnley in all competitions while seeing the total surpass 2.5 goals in each one of those specific matches. 

Team Prop 
Manchester City - Team Total Over 3  -150 / 1.67 - Goals 

Burnley must defend with a dedicated purpose, the Claret's have found keeping their opponent's off the score-line a difficult task as of late, but they must dig deep and hope to keep this match close while catching their powerful hosts on a swift counter-attack, or turn the match on its head through a set-piece situation where Man City have had problems defending teams with a strong aerial presence. 

The visitors should put up a worthy fight for as long as possible, but I anticipate Man City eventually finding a first-half breakthrough which will eventually open the floodgates as they score three-plus goals in route to another wonderful victory while at the Etihad Stadium. 

Manchester City vs Burnley - Betting Tips

Over 1.5  -125 / 1.8 - Total 1st Half Goals
Over 3.75  -125 / 1.8 - Total Full Time Goals
Manchester City  -1.25   -105 / 1.95 - 1st Half Spread

All Picks Verified Through Cappersenterprise on Twitter @Cappersentrprze

Charles Meshell (ROI Capper) will now be a regular contributor at One Stop Sports Spot, providing regular free picks and detailed information on specific matches throughout the soccer world. Sign up for the new Podcast at OneStopSportsSpot.com to become a valued follower.

Daily Top Rated Soccer / European Football Picks Available @ PicksCity.com