Three pundits all agree on Burnley vs Man City scoreline in Premier League season opener

Manchester City will start their Premier League title defence against Burnley on Friday night, hoping for the perfect start.

Vincent Kompany will be hoping to upset his former employers as the new boys plays host to Pep Guardiola's side. It's Premier League winners vs Championship champions at Turf Moor.

City are naturally big favourites for the match, especially after beating Burnley 6-0 in the FA Cup earlier this year. Now, the two teams are on equal footing in England's top flight.

Ahead of the match, a host of pundits have vast their score predictions. MEN Sport rounds up their predictions for the big game.

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Paul Merson (Sportskeeda)

"When Kevin De Bruyne doesn't play for Manchester City, they seem like a different team. I watched Man City play against Arsenal, and while I do like Akanji as a defender, I'm not a big fan of him playing as a left-back.

"With Kovavic dribbling from the left of midfield, Grealish barely gets a touch of the ball. It's an interesting problem for Pep Guardiola to solve.

"Manchester City didn't create loads of chances in their Community Shield match. Arsenal defended very well, and I expect Burnley to put up an admirable defence as well.

"I don't see the title race as a foregone conclusion this year. It's going to be difficult for Manchester City to defend their Premier League title. This match is going to be tough for Manchester City, but they should be able to defeat Burnley this weekend."

Prediction: Burnley 0-2 Manchester City

Mark Lawrenson (Paddy Power)

"Manchester City will win. For the promoted teams, you won’t get a true indication of where they’ll finish until about 10 games in.

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