Premier League GW22 - Man City vs Burnley

Man City vs Burnley | Picture Credits: Premier League Website

At Etihad Stadium, Manchester City displayed their strength in an exciting Premier League match, defeating Burnley 3-1. With a five-point deficit to league leaders Liverpool, Pep Guardiola's team put on a fantastic team performance, with birthday boy Julian Alvarez taking centre stage with a brace in the first half. Now let's examine the exciting high points of this intense fight.

Man City:

Despite having played one fewer game than Liverpool, Pep Guardiola's team trails the league leaders by five points going into this Matchday 22 matchup. In their most recent league match, City defeated Newcastle United 3-2, thanks in part to some late heroics from the fit-again Kevin De Bruyne and Oscar Bobb. In the FA Cup fourth round on Friday, Nathan Ake's game-winning goal in the final seconds of play against Tottenham gave the defending English champions a 1-0 victory in north London.

Burnley:

Vincent Kompany is going back to his old haunt in the blue area of Manchester, and he will be desperately hoping for an unexpected victory over his former employers. Burnley, led by the Belgian, has not won in four games in all competitions. In their most recent Premier League match, they were held to a frustrating stalemate by fellow struggling side Luton Town. The Clarets are currently seven points outside of safety, and it looks more and more likely that Turf Moor will host championship football next season.

Line Ups:

MANCHESTER CITY (4-2-3-1): Ederson; Rico Lewis, John Stones, Nathan Ake, Josko Gvardiol; Rodri, Matheus Nunes; Phil Foden, Kevin De Bruyne, Jeremy Doku; Julian Alvarez.

SUBSTITUTES: Erling Haaland, Sergio Gomez, Kyle Walker, Stefan Ortega, Mateo Kovacic, Oscar Bobb, Jack Grealish, Bernardo Silva, Ruben Dias.

BURNLEY (4-4-2): James Trafford; Vitinho, Dara O’Shea, Hjalmar Ekdal, Ameen Al Dakhil; Johann Gudmundsson, Josh Brownhill, Sander Berge, Wilson Odobert; Lyle Foster, Zeki Amdouni.

SUBSTITUTES: Jack Cork, Connor Roberts, Anass Zaroury, Aaron Ramsey, David Datro Fofana, Josh Cullen, Jacob Bruun Larsen, Han-Noah Massengo, Arijanet Muric.

Etihad Stadium | Picture Credits: The Guardian

First Half: Alvarez Brilliance Puts City in Control

In the sixteenth minute, City broke the tie and quickly established their dominance. After a small hiccup, Matheus Nunes found Julian Alvarez unmarked with a crisp cross from the right wing. The birthday kid gave City the lead early on as he headed the ball past Burnley's James Trafford from close range.

In the 22nd minute, Kevin De Bruyne's deft free kick took Burnley's defence by surprise, extending the attacking flair. Alvarez took advantage of the defensive error and finished clinically with his right foot to score his second goal. Burnley lost 2-0 because they were unable to stop City's constant attack.

With a dominating 2-0 advantage, City was up at the break. Burnley was unable to summon an answer and did not manage to register a shot on goal. Burnley's defence was consistently put on the back foot by City's unrelenting attacking combination of Foden, De Bruyne, and Alvarez, making the second half an uphill battle for the visitors

Second Half: Rodri Extends City's Lead, Burnley's Late Response

Straight after the half, City maintained their lead. De Bruyne's fluid playmaking in the 46th minute set Phil Foden up to cut a pass back towards the area's edge. Rodri took advantage of the situation and beat Trafford with a first-time right-footed finish. Burnley had a lot to climb as City extended their advantage to 3-0.

Burnley pulled off a late response in the ninetieth minute, but City still held the upper hand. Fofana, a recent addition, showed off his skill down the right side, laying the groundwork for Ameen Al Dakhil to bundle the ball into the net at close range. This late consolation goal did not change the outcome, as City won 3-1 to secure Burnley's defeat.

City's Surge Continues, Burnley Faces Uphill Battle

City's 3-1 victory over Burnley demonstrated their unwavering quest for Premier League success. With two goals from Alvarez and a perfect finish from Rodri, City demonstrated their attacking might, and Burnley found it difficult to withstand their relentless pressure. Liverpool, who lead the league, is under increasing pressure as City draws even with Arsenal on points. Burnley has a difficult road ahead of them as they are currently seven points outside of safety. The next matchup for City is against Brentford, and Burnley is hosting Fulham.

Alvarez scored a goal and gave City a 1-0 lead | Picture Credits: Premier League Website

Alvarez scored one more goal and gave City a 2-0 lead | Picture Credits: Premier League Website

Rodri score a goal and tripled City's lead | Picture Credits: Premier League Website

Al Dakhil scored a late goal | Picture Credits: Burnley FC Website