MAN CITY 5, BURNLEY 0
Manchester City’s blip in December, when they lost three Premier League games during a miserable month, seems a distant memory and hard to believe in the wake of recent exploits.
City’s victory against Burnley in the fourth round of the Emirates FA Cup made it eight wins in a row and six clean sheets, the first time they have achieved that under Pep Guardiola.
They have scored 28 goals in the last six matches and have not conceded a goal in 566 minutes since Roberto Firmino found the net for Liverpool against them on January 3. In the subsequent spell, they have scored 29 goals.
City swept aside Burnley for the second time by a 5-0 margin at the Etihad having already beaten them by the same scoreline in the Premier League.
And City also beat Burnley 4-1 in the FA Cup last season in the Etihad.
City’s latest five-goal haul – the eighth time they have hit five or more goals in a game – took their total for the season in all competitions to 108.
Gabriel Jesus, Bernardo Silva, Kevin De Bruyne and Sergio Aguero found the net while Kevin Long put through his own goal.
It was a tortuous afternoon for Burnley as every mistake was punished while they didn’t register a goal attempt on target.
Embed from Getty ImagesIt was another performance which delighted Guardiola who added it was “marvellous” to win eight games in a row.
He said: “I am very pleased for the way we played, the commitment, the personality. We have had a lot of games with no rest.
“We have to improve a few things, but I am satisfied to be in the next round, to be in the draw on Monday.”
Guardiola added he has been delighted that all his squad have played in January as he will need all his players in City are to continue their challenge for honours on four fronts.
He also believes the next four, five, six games will be pivotal in their pursuit of Liverpool.
Burnley manager Sean Dyche stated there was a “reality to the disappointment”.
He added a glaring miss early in the second half from Matej Vydra, that could have made it 1-1, clearly altered the dynamics of the game.
“We had a big moment to score and that changes the feeling after they gave away the ball. If Vydra scores it changes outlook of the game,” said Dyche.
City again rotated their squad as Raheem Sterling, Aguero, Aymeric Laporte, Leroy Sane and David Silva were all on the bench.
Danilo, De Bruyne and Riyad Mahrez were the only players to keep their place from the midweek Carabao Cup semi-final at Burton Albion.
It was a weakened Clarets side which indicated the battle against relegation remains their priority.
Strikers San Vokes, Ashley Barnes and Chris Wood along with defender Ben Mee were all on the bench while goalkeeper Tom Heaton was not involved.
There was a lengthy early stoppage after Kyle Walker snapped a corner flag.
Referee Graham Scott failed to repair the damage to jeers and sarcastic cheers before a request was made for groundstaff to find a replacement with play stopped for almost three minutes.
City eventually got into their stride and had two chances in quick succession to take the lead.
Bernardo Silva’s shot was superbly kept out by the legs of keeper Nick Pope who also did well to parry and catch a drive from Danilo.
City made the breakthrough in the 23rd minute when Danilo released Jesus who made a weaving run as he cut in from the left before shooting past Pope who could only deflect the shot off his boot into the roof of the net for his eighth goal in the last five games and 15th for the season.
Burnley ought to have equalised soon after the restart when Nicolas Otamendi was caught dribbling the ball out of defence and dispossessed by Vydra.
The striker was clean through on goal and rounded keeper Ederson before firing into the side netting when he ought to have found the net. It was an almighty let off for City who were uncharacteristically sloppy at the start of the second period.
Minutes later City were 2-0 ahead when De Bruyne who released Bernardo Silva who cut inside and squeezed a shot past Pope who again got a touch to the ball.
And it was game over after an hour following a thunderbolt from De Bruyne from 18 yards as he ran on a sideways pass from Mahrez after a neat build up that also involved Danilo and Bernardo Silva.
City made their first chance mid-half when Fernandinho was given a well-deserved rest as he was replaced by David Silva.
Long put through his own goal for City’s fourth in the 73rd minute as he deflected a low, hard-driven cross from De Bruyne.
That was followed by a double switch as Jesus and De Bruyne were replaced by Aguero and Phil Foden.
City made it 5-0 with five minutes left through an Aguero penalty after David Silva was dragged down by Long.
It was almost six when David Silva’s shot was blocked by Pope as the final whistle could not come soon enough for the Clarets.