HAALAND TO PUT PEP IN CITY'S STEP

8/1 goal machine Erling can do the trick against Burnley

- BY JOHN O'DOWD

AFTER only five league matches, Manchester City already lie eight points behind champions Liverpool, which should have Pep Guardiola a very angry man.

With all their success in recent seasons, the absence of Rodri hurt the Etihad club badly last season, but their midfield enforcer is now back in the mix after injury.

All the money spent in the January and summer windows should be producing more consistent results than what we are currently seeing, so they need to be error-free from now on.

A home game with Burnley is probably an ideal scenario today.

I'm going 4-0 (8/1), with Erling Haaland well worth a punt to notch a hat-trick (8/1).

Liverpool, for their part, still don't appear to be performing that well, but the mark of champions is to keep winning regardless, and that's exactly what they're doing.

A trip to Selhurst Park is a potential bogey fixture, especially after the Community Shield, but the visitors can edge a 1-0 triumph (7/1), with Alexander Isak scoring the winner (4/1).

The early kickoff today sees Manchester United travel to Brentford, and it's imperative that the away team now build on beating Chelsea last Saturday evening.

Yet again, nobody knows what to expect from Ruben Amorim's side but, with the Bees rocked by defeat to Fulham, United might just take the points (1-2 at 7/1).

Former Brentford talisman Bryan Mbeumo can score first (13/2).