Manchester City kick-off the new Premier League season at Burnley tonight to begin their bid to become the first side to ever win four consecutive English top-flight titles.
City are still riding the wave of euphoria from the end of last season as they added the club’s first ever Champions League to go with Premier League and FA Cup glory.
However, the summer has not been without its challenges for Pep Guardiola as captain Ilkay Gundogan departed to Barcelona and the riches on offer in Saudi Arabia was too much for Riyad Mahrez to turn down.
City have also had to fight to retain Kyle Walker and Bernardo Silva, while Croatian duo Mateo Kovacic and Josko Gvardiol are the new only two new arrivals in the transfer market so far.
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Guardiola’s opposite number in the dugout already has a statue outside the Etihad from his playing days, but Vincent Kompany has quickly established himself as one of the brightest coaching talents on the continent.
The former Belgian captain turned around a club in crisis during his first season at Turf Moor to return Burnley to the Premier League with seven games to spare.
The Clarets are a very different proposition to the side that punched above their weight to survive for six seasons in the top flight under Sean Dyche between 2016 and 2022.
Inspired by Guardiola, Kompany has transformed Burnley into a side that dominate the ball.
“I would play every week of every month of every year against a team the level of Man City,” said Kompany. “That is the best way to improve.
“You won’t get them all right, it’s impossible with the quality of that team – possibly the best team at the moment in world football – but that’s the best challenge so I wouldn’t want it any different.”
Burnley, though, did see the downside of opening up against City when they lost 6-0 in the FA Cup quarter finals last season.
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