It would appear to be difficult for any team to find a more daunting examination in European soccer at present than a visit to the Etihad Stadium where Pep Guardiola's Manchester City has come into a full bloom.
City's kaleidoscopic movement and rare skill executed at break-neck speed have made Guardiola's latest creation a familiar delight to behold but a nightmare to play against as Burnley may become the latest Premier League side to discover this weekend.
City's 7-2 demolition of Stoke City last Saturday to move them two points clear of neighbours Manchester United was followed by Guardiola's delight at_seeing off "one ofEurope's best teams" Napoli in the Champions League in midweek.
That was City's 10th successive win in all competitons and now to complete its perfect week at Etihad on Saturday, it is out to add to the 22 goals it has scored there in six matches in all competions this term.
Burnley itself has progressed admirably under manager Sean Dyche, having gone six league matches unbeaten, but he recognized that visiting a stadium where City has won its last three league games by five-goal margins is the acid test.
Guardiola was lavished with praise for his side's brilliance last weekend as his old rival Jose Mourinho, in contrast, suffered some equally familiar criticism for his safety-first approach in Manchester United's goalless draw at Liverpool.
Not that Mourinho ever appears to worry about such barbs but on Saturday he will expect his men to get back to being flat-track bullies against a struggling Huddersfield Town who are without a win in six matches.
The match of the weekend sees Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool meet at Wembley on Sunday with both sides buoyed by superb away-days in the Champions League - Spurs earning a draw at champion Real Madrid while the Reds put seven past Maribor.
There feels a lot riding on the match with Spurs yet to convince its fans it is over its Wembley wobbles while Juergen Klopp knows his eighth-placed Liverpool cannot afford to drift further behind in the title race.
Neither can champion Chelsea, currently nine points adrift of Man City, as it seeks to bring Watford down to earth after the unfashionable Hornets surged into the top four last weekend with a win over Arsenal.
Stung by its loss to rock-bottom Crystal Palace, Chelsea will be grateful for the return of its striking ace Alvaro Morata.
Watford, which owns totemic striker Troy Deeney had taken delight in pointing out how Arsenal seemed to lack fight, can expect Chelsea to be more combative on Saturday, especially as it is smarting at long consecutive Premier League games for only the second time under Antonio Conte.
Arsenal, also nine behind City, needs to rebound quickly at Everton, which is even more urgent need of a win as manager Ronald Koeman, languishing in 16th, is now having to assert warily: "Until now it's full, total support from the board."
Palace will hope to continue its baby steps under Roy Hodgson at Newcaslte United, which could be under new ownership by Christmas if Mike Ashley can find a buyer.
It is a time of flux at Leicester City, too. It is manager-less for the visit to Swansea City with Craig Shakespeare's dismissal meaning assistant Michael Appleton takes charge of the side temporarily.
In the meantime, accustomed to winning trophies with prolific scoring more than by cagey, safety-first displays, Manchester United fans may have to get used to Jose Mourinho's preferred strategy if a dour 1-0 Champions League win over Benfica is anything to go by.
The result left United on the verge of reaching the Champions League knockout stages and the Portuguese manager was happy.
"I never felt we could concede a goal and were solid defensively," he told BT Sport. "Sometimes I feel being good defensively is a crime, but that is a way of getting results. We are one point from qualifying and one victorg away from winning the group with two games at home to play."
Bereft of cutting edge up front or creativity in midfield without the injured Paul Pogba, United won thanks to a freak Marcus Rashford goal and a solid defensive display.
Still unbeaten in either the Champions League or in domestic competitions, United, which is two points behind local rivals City in the Premier League, is in position to challenge for its first league title since 2013.
Reuters
London/Lisbon
City's kaleidoscopic movement and rare skill executed at break-neck speed have made Guardiola's latest creation a familiar delight to behold but a nightmare to play against as Burnley may become the latest Premier League side to discover this weekend.
City's 7-2 demolition of Stoke City last Saturday to move them two points clear of neighbours Manchester United was followed by Guardiola's delight at_seeing off "one ofEurope's best teams" Napoli in the Champions League in midweek.
That was City's 10th successive win in all competitons and now to complete its perfect week at Etihad on Saturday, it is out to add to the 22 goals it has scored there in six matches in all competions this term.
Burnley itself has progressed admirably under manager Sean Dyche, having gone six league matches unbeaten, but he recognized that visiting a stadium where City has won its last three league games by five-goal margins is the acid test.
Guardiola was lavished with praise for his side's brilliance last weekend as his old rival Jose Mourinho, in contrast, suffered some equally familiar criticism for his safety-first approach in Manchester United's goalless draw at Liverpool.
Not that Mourinho ever appears to worry about such barbs but on Saturday he will expect his men to get back to being flat-track bullies against a struggling Huddersfield Town who are without a win in six matches.
The match of the weekend sees Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool meet at Wembley on Sunday with both sides buoyed by superb away-days in the Champions League - Spurs earning a draw at champion Real Madrid while the Reds put seven past Maribor.
There feels a lot riding on the match with Spurs yet to convince its fans it is over its Wembley wobbles while Juergen Klopp knows his eighth-placed Liverpool cannot afford to drift further behind in the title race.
Neither can champion Chelsea, currently nine points adrift of Man City, as it seeks to bring Watford down to earth after the unfashionable Hornets surged into the top four last weekend with a win over Arsenal.
Stung by its loss to rock-bottom Crystal Palace, Chelsea will be grateful for the return of its striking ace Alvaro Morata.
Watford, which owns totemic striker Troy Deeney had taken delight in pointing out how Arsenal seemed to lack fight, can expect Chelsea to be more combative on Saturday, especially as it is smarting at long consecutive Premier League games for only the second time under Antonio Conte.
Arsenal, also nine behind City, needs to rebound quickly at Everton, which is even more urgent need of a win as manager Ronald Koeman, languishing in 16th, is now having to assert warily: "Until now it's full, total support from the board."
Palace will hope to continue its baby steps under Roy Hodgson at Newcaslte United, which could be under new ownership by Christmas if Mike Ashley can find a buyer.
It is a time of flux at Leicester City, too. It is manager-less for the visit to Swansea City with Craig Shakespeare's dismissal meaning assistant Michael Appleton takes charge of the side temporarily.
In the meantime, accustomed to winning trophies with prolific scoring more than by cagey, safety-first displays, Manchester United fans may have to get used to Jose Mourinho's preferred strategy if a dour 1-0 Champions League win over Benfica is anything to go by.
The result left United on the verge of reaching the Champions League knockout stages and the Portuguese manager was happy.
"I never felt we could concede a goal and were solid defensively," he told BT Sport. "Sometimes I feel being good defensively is a crime, but that is a way of getting results. We are one point from qualifying and one victorg away from winning the group with two games at home to play."
Bereft of cutting edge up front or creativity in midfield without the injured Paul Pogba, United won thanks to a freak Marcus Rashford goal and a solid defensive display.
Still unbeaten in either the Champions League or in domestic competitions, United, which is two points behind local rivals City in the Premier League, is in position to challenge for its first league title since 2013.
Reuters
London/Lisbon
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