Manchester City reclaimed second spot in the Premier League with a straight-forward 4-1 win against Burnley at Turf Moor on Tuesday evening.
Gabriel Jesus gave the champions the lead in the 24th minute with an absolutely stunning, curling effort. The Brazilian then got a second just after the break with a thumping volley. Midfielder Rodri added a stunner as he powered home a booming half-volley from just outside of the area, with substitute Riyad Mahrez topping the game off with another great strike of his own.
Robbie Brady reduced the deficit in the final minute of regulation time as he fired into the top corner but it was not enough to stop Pep Guardiola’s troops from sealing an impressive three points.
Jesus gets Christmas time off to a bang
Jesus thought he had given the champions the perfect start in Lancashire as his clever touch from a corner diverted the ball past Nick Pope in the Burnley. However, the exquisite strike was unfortunately ruled out for offside.
The next time the Brazilian put the ball in the net, there was no doubt though. Picking up the ball on the right wing, he cut inside and curled an absolute beautiful strike into far corner of the net to top off a flowing move.
They could almost have had a second as Raheem Sterling sprinted onto Kevin De Bruyne’s low cross but Pope this time halted his effort from close range.
Clinical volley puts City in cruise control
Pep Guardiola’s men continued to be terrifying on the counter-attack and Bernardo Silva had another chance to double the lead but the Burnley stopper again was on hand to make an impressive stop with his legs.
The second goal came quickly after the break and it was Jesus again who put the ball into the net. Bernardo Silva’s whipped ball perfectly picked out the striker, and he crashed the ball into the Burnley net with a thumping volley.
He then passed up a brilliant opportunity to secure the match ball only minutes later but fizzed a shot marginally wide.
Rodri blasts home
Burnley really struggled to threaten their illustrious visitors with one of their rare opportunities being Dwight McNeil’s free-kick that Ederson collected with relative ease.
The scoreline was added to with just over 20 minutes left on the clock but for the hosts, it did not go the way that they wanted. David Silva’s initial shot was blocked, with the rebound falling to compatriot Rodri. The former Atletico Madrid man then scorched a thunderous effort emphatically into the net.
There was still time for City to get a fourth as substitute Mahrez picked up the ball in midfield and charged towards the Burnley goal before letting fly with a low effort that arrowed into the bottom corner.
Another substitute, Brady, also got on the scoresheet late on as he ensured the champions would not be departing with a clean sheet as he profited from sloppy defending to power the ball past Ederson from close range. It was scant consolation for the hosts though as City left with a well-earned win.
Final Thoughts
Burnley at Turf Moor is always a tough assignment, and it was vital that Manchester City got maximum points considering the gap that Liverpool have managed to amass at the top of the Premier League table. However, the points never looked in doubt. The Citizens were highly impressive in attack, with each of their goals of the upmost quality. Burnley toiled but really struggled to gather any momentum during the match. As a result, City claimed a highly deserved three points.
Match Report
Burnley: Pope (6); Pieters (5), Mee (5), Tarkowski (5), Bardsley (4); McNeil (6) (Brady (7), 75′), Cork (5), Drinkwater (6) (Barnes (5), 59′), Hendrick (4), Lennon (5); Wood (6) (Rodriguez (5), 59′).
Manchester City: Ederson (7); Angelino (6), Fernandinho (7) (Garcia (N/A), 85′), Otamendi (6), Walker (7); D. Silva (7), Rodri (8), De Bruyne (7) (Foden (N/A), 80′); Sterling (6) (Mahrez (7), 72′), Jesus (8), B. Silva (7).
Goals: Jesus (24′, 50′), Rodri (68′), Mahrez (87′), Brady (89′)
Referee: Jon Moss
Yellow Cards: B. Silva (15′), Hendrick (86′)
Red Cards: N/A
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