Manchester City kept the pressure on their rivals at the top of the Premier League this week after beating Burnley 2-1 at the Etihad on Monday afternoon.

Pep Guardiola led his side to a win over a tricky Clarets outfit who have a canny knack of picking up wins against big sides but alas, on this occasion the Citizens won and their fans here in the Transfer Tavern were delighted with another win.

But, with Chelsea still streets ahead at the top of the Premier League table, the pressure is on City to continue getting results in order to keep pace with Antonio Conte’s front-runners.

If they can’t keep pace, though, they will have to look elsewhere for silverware this season and one such opportunity to win some begins this weekend in the FA Cup.

We get a break from league action as all the Premier League and Championship sides join the competition and there’s a good buzz in the bar with the games just around the corner.

City are playing West Ham this weekend and their fans are confident of a win, so, with that in mind, here’s our City XI that we think will comfortably beat the Irons in the FA Cup…

GK: Willy Caballero

With Claudio Bravo very much Pep Guardiola’s number one between the sticks, the FA Cup gives the Citizens’ manager a fantastic opportunity to rotate his squad a little and give some fringe players a chance.

Willy Caballero played in the majority of City’s EFL Cup matches and we’re expecting him to slot into the side for the game against the Hammers.

RB: Pablo Maffeo

We saw some good things from 19-year-old defender Pablo Maffeo during City’s fourth round EFL cup defeat to United back in November and we think the FA Cup gives Pep another good chance to give him some more game time.

He’s got plenty of expectation on his shoulders and looks to be a real star in the making but right now, he needs some first-team minutes.

CB: Tosin Adarabioyo

Another one of City’s up-and-coming stars, Tosin Adarabioyo has had to bide his time for first-team appearances this campaign but there’s little doubt the England U19 international has the potential to make it at the top.

Commanding, strong and with a yard of pace, City punters in the Transfer Tavern speak highly of this young man and we think the future is bright for him too.

CB: Nicolas Otamendi

We think there needs to be some seniority in the City side despite the chance to give some youngsters a chance in the first-team and Nicolas Otamendi is the man we’d go with at centre-half.

He has some fantastic experience from playing in some of the best league’s in Europe and young Adarabioyo should feel a lot more comfortable with someone of Otamendi’s stature alongside him.

LB: Gael Clichy

Former Arsenal man Gael Clichy is as experienced as they come and he’s got the quality to offer Manchester City a real outlet down the left-hand side.

West Ham have struggled defensively at times this season and the Frenchman could ruthlessly expose their weaknesses if he’s on form.

CDM: Fernando

Brazilian midfielder Fernando is as solid as they come in the middle-of-the-park at this level and City should bring him back into the side to see off West Ham in the cup this weekend.

He’s popular amongst the City fans here in the Transfer Tavern due to his tenacity and ability to cut out loose balls in the midfield.

CDM: Yaya Toure

City are looking quite short in this area at the moment.

Ilkay Gundogan is injured and Fernandinho is suspended so it’s almost certain that Yaya Toure will start. He’s got all the experience you’d want to help out the youngsters that will play.

RAM: Jesus Navas

Jesus Navas is very much on the fringes of the Manchester City squad these days and a few of the punters here in the Transfer Tavern believe his days at the Etihad could be numbered.

Whether you like him or not, though, he’s a pacy customer who brings a fantastic amount of directness to the City flank when he’s given the chance by manager Pep Guardiola.

This could be a good chance for the Spaniard to impress.

CAM: Nolito

He’s playing a little out of position but out of all of City’s fringe forward players, we think Spanish international Nolito has what it takes to fill in behind the striker.

Giving the likes of David Silva and Kevin De Bruyne a rest in games like this will be really important to City’s potential league success so Nolito will have to do what he can to create things through the middle-of-the-park.

LAM: Raheem Sterling

With Leroy Sane still a potential fitness doubt for the game against the Hammers, keeping first-team regular Raheem Sterling in the side might be a good shout, especially to keep some real experience in the forward line.

The England international has good experience at this level and he’ll be looking to pull the West Ham defence from side-to-side as City look to stamp their dominance on a game they should very much win.

ST: Kelechi Iheanacho

Nigerian forward Kelechi Iheanacho has the extremely tough job of displacing first-team favourite Sergio Aguero from the side and at times, he’s struggled to offer the same quality as the Argentinian star.

But the youngster has some serious potential and it’s good to see him being offered consistent first-team football at the Etihad. With more game-time, the City punters here by the bar think he could turn into a real player indeed.

Agree, City fans? Let us know below!