MAN CITY 4, BURNLEY 1
Manchester City’s fortunes in their Emirates FA Cup, third-round win against Burnley turned on a controversial free kick.
City were 1-0 behind and had laboured for almost an hour before they equalised with a questionable goal.
If your allegiances were with City it was a stroke of genius, but for the Clarets it was anything but that.
Burnley were still lining up when Ilkay Gundogan took a quick kick and released Sergio Aguero who raced clear to score.
And while the Clarets were still reeling from that body blow, Aguero quickly added a second goal, his 18th of the season and a phenomenal 16 in 16 FA Cup ties for City.
City manager Pep Guardiola was delighted with City’s second-half display, but did not think much was wrong with their performance in the opening period.
And he was especially pleased with Aguero’s two efforts, saying: “Both goals were amazing and the assists (each from Gundogan) were cleaver and quick.
“It is a privilege to manage Sergio and we need him to score a lot of goals. I can understand why he is not happy when he doesn’t play every game.”
Guardiola was pleased with John Stones’ character after being at fault for Burnley’s goal.
He explained: “It is about how he reacted – his head didn’t go down, and that is the most valuable step.
“That is the only way to step forward and create good things for the next years.”
Burnley manager Sean Dyche was unhappy with City’s opening goal saying referee Graham Scott was still talking to Ashley Barnes, who ought to be in the spot where Aguero ran through, when he allowed the free kick to be taken.
He said: “We were aggrieved with their first goal, and it ought to have been a common sense moment from the referee.
“I was aggrieved with the next one-and-a-half minutes when you cannot afford to concede a second goal, and that was my only gripe.
“We looked punch drunk and teams like City have the power to sense that moment.”
City made four changes from the side that beat Watford on Tuesday.
Ederson Moraes, Kyle Walker, Fabian Delph and Kevin De Bruyne were rested as Claudio Bravo, Danilo, Gundogan and Oleksandr Zinchenko won call-ups.
City came within inches of taking the lead in the 12th minute when Aguero cut the ball back for David Silva whose close-range shot struck the upright.
Burnley had a decent chance from a corner but Ben Mee headed across the face of goal from a couple of yards.
The Clarets took a 25th minute lead after a terrible error by Stones who sliced a clearance to let in Barnes who raced clear to smash a shot past Bravo at the near post.
City struggled to create openings, though Zinchenko’s effort from 25 yards dipped and landed on the roof of the net.
It remained a struggle for City early in the second half as Burnley continued to look assured.
But it all suddenly unravelled for Burnley as City scored twice in two minutes to suddenly take control.
There was controversy over City’s levelled as Burnley were still setting up for a free kick after Danilo had been fouled.
Gundogan took a quick free kick to release Aguero who raced clear unchecked to slot home the leveller.
That was followed by a second goal 94 seconds later that was started and finished by Aguero who, after running on to a Gundogan back heel, raced clear and rounded keeper Nick Pope before slotting home.
City added a third goal with 20 minutes left when Sane played a return pass with Silva before rifling home an angled shot into the far corner from the left edge of the six-yard box, his ninth goal of the season.
That was quickly followed by City’s first change as Zinchenko was replaced by Walker. And moments later Gundogan made way for De Bruyne.
Guardiola’s third change in seven minutes was Bernardo Silva taking over from two-goal Aguero.
And substitute Silva scored within three minutes of making his entrance. Sane broke on the left, Pope charged out of his goal and was left stranded as Sane cut the ball back for Silva to sweep into an empty net for his third goal of the season.
It had been a remarkable transformation with the four goals scored in the space of a scintillating 26 minutes.