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2023/24 English Premier League
Matchday 1
Burnley v Manchester City
Turf Moor
Burnley, England
Friday, 11 August 2023
Kick-off is at 21h00
Vincent Kompany couldn't have asked for a tougher opponent on Burnley's return to the
Premier League as he comes up against former employers Manchester City at Turf Moor on Friday, August 11.
Kompany spent an illustrious 11 years at the Etihad Stadium as a player before rejoining his boyhood club, Anderlecht, in 2019 and eventually retiring after one season back in his homeland.
The former Belgium international was lured back to England in 2022 and won promotion with the Clarets in his first season at the helm, having cut his teeth in management with a two-year spell at Lotto Park.
Kompany's side won the Championship with 101 points, becoming only the sixth club to reach a century and the first to achieve the feat since Leicester did it in 2013-14.
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City romped to a third consecutive Premier League title after hauling in Arsenal, who topped the table for 248 days before being overtaken with five games left to play.
Pep Guardiola's team had embarked on a 16-match unbeaten run to retain the trophy, although they suffered a 1-0 defeat at Brentford on the final day of the campaign.
They weren't able to add the Community Shield to the trophy cabinet, however, after losing 4-1 on penalties to the Gunners in the curtain-raiser to the 2023-24 campaign.
Phil Foden had his best season in a City shirt last term, contributing 11 goals and five assists in 32 league appearances. The 23-year-old winger received praise from Guardiola for his impact on the team and could play an even bigger role in 2023-24 following the departure of Riyad Mahrez to Saudi Arabia.
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Nathan Redmond will be looking to revive his career in England after spending last season in Turkey with Besiktas, where he scored five goals in 25 Super Lig outings, including three cracking solo efforts against Kayserispor, Istanbulspor and Fenerbahce. The 29-year-old winger notched 232 appearances for Southampton in competitions during a seven-year spell before moving to Turkey.
Redmond is one of nine new signings for the Clarets, but Kompany hinted that there could be more on the way before the end of August as he continues to prepare for a tough campaign ahead.
"The thing is, you're never ready. If you ask every manager across the Premier League, they will probably say the same," he told Clarets+.
"Are we ready physically? Yes. Mentally? For sure. But in terms of what the team can become, we've got a solid month to still do something and we have the ambition to keep strengthening."
Guardiola was happy to be able to give some important minutes to Foden, Kevin De Bruyne and goalscorer Cole Palmer, who hadn't featured since the UEFA Champions League final.
"You have to adapt and that's why I'm surprised how good we behaved. We faced an extraordinary team. It happened last season and it happened again," the Spaniard said.
"We were close and we are a little bit disappointed for the final result but it's football. If you can't win you can bring minutes to the players and I'm thinking of Friday, when we are going to Burnley to play."
Head-to-Head (Last Five Premier League Meetings)
Matches - 5
Burnley - 0
Man City - 5
Draws - 0
Matchday 1 fixtures:
Friday, August 11
21h00: Burnley v Manchester City
Saturday, August 12
13h30: Arsenal v Nottingham Forest
16h00: Bournemouth v West Ham United
16h00: Brighton & Hove Albion v Luton Town
16h00: Everton v Fulham
16h00: Sheffield United v Crystal Palace
18h30: Newcastle United v Aston Villa
Sunday, August 13
15h00: Brentford v Tottenham Hotspur
17h30: Chelsea v Liverpool
Monday, August 14
21h00: Manchester United v Wolverhampton Wanderers
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