Manchester City travelled to Turf Moor hoping to regain top spot in a Premier League title race that looks set to go to the wire, with Liverpool’s 5-0 thumping of Huddersfield Town a statement that Jurgen Klopp’s side show no signs of slowing their momentum.
Seven successive victories for the Reds ensured the pressure was firmly back on Pep Guardiola, who would have been acutely aware even the smallest of slip-ups could prove fatal in turning the tables in Merseyside’s favour.
Stuttering in the first-half against a resolute Burnley defence, Manchester City turned the heat up after the interval, getting the breakthrough after Sergio Aguero’s shot was judged to have crossed the line. His goal saw him equal Thierry Henry's record, becoming only the second player in Premier League history to score 20+ goals in five consecutive seasons.
Man City face a resurgent Leicester City next before an away trip to Brighton while Liverpool travel to Newcastle before entertaining Wolves on the final day of the season.
Story of match
Burnley’s record of beating the reigning champions in all five season they’ve been in the top-flight made them a dangerous prospect and it would prove to be a frustrating first-half for City.
The opening exchanges saw Kyle Walker and Oleksandr Zinchenko afforded time and space to whip threatening balls into the box, albeit failing to find Sergio Aguero, while Bernando Silva acted as the orchestrator, providing a threatening outlet down the right.
Looking to set the ball off and receive it back, the Spaniard attempted to instil a quicker tempo to City’s play and could well have opened the scoring after Ilkay Gundogan found him in space.
Burnley held firm though and had a glorious chance to score the opener against the run of play through Chris Wood. Kyle Walker’s untimely slip in the middle of the park gifted the home team possession, with a through ball setting Wood free on goal. However, the striker’s first touch would prove his undoing, allowing Ederson to come out and collect.
City would have nearly moments, the best of which came via a teasing cross from Zinchenko, with the ball flashing across the six-yard box begging for a touch. It wasn’t forthcoming though as both sides went into the break neck and neck.
Guardiola would’ve called for a fast start to the second-half and that’s exactly what his players delivered, producing an early onslaught on Heaton’s goal to turn the game in their favour.
Bernando Silva was again the talisman, slotting the ball into Raheem Sterling whose touch poked it into the path of Sergio Aguero. The Argentinian’s near post effort was well dealt with by Tom Heaton before City had huge claims for a penalty waved away by referee Paul Tierney when Ashley Barnes appeared to use his arm to stop the flight of the ball.
City would eventually get a deserved breakthrough for their second-half resurgence, with Sergio Aguero’s effort judged to have crossed the line before Lowton could hack it clear. Where Liverpool were narrowly denied a goal earlier on in the season from goal-line technology, City’s fortunes were better, marking Aguero’s twentieth league goal of the season as he continues to battle it out with Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah for the Golden Boot.
City thought they had a second when Gabriel Jesus’ initial touch saw him break free in the box but for Ben Mee to throw his body between Sergio Aguero’s effort, clearing off the line to good effect this time round. Few could’ve given more to Burnley’s cause than he, with Sean Dyche’s side showing plenty of resolve against superior opposition.
Bagging another three points to return to the top of the table, it was another big leap towards the finish line for Pep Guardiola’s men. However, there remains work to be done, with Leicester’s convincing 2-0 win over Arsenal in the day’s early kick-off serving as a warning of the threat they could pose at the Etihad.