Manchester City eased through the gears with a sublime 5-0 victory over Burnley despite making eight changes to the team that won 3-0 against Arsenal on Wednesday.
City boss, Pep Guardiola, handed Phil Foden a rare Premier League start and it only took 22 minutes for him to justify his selection with a thunderous finish, a crisp low effort from 20 yards out.
Riyad Mahrez then added two in a space of five minutes to make it 3-0 before the break.
At the restart of the game, ruthless City continued from where they left off with David Silva bagging the fourth and Foden capping a stellar evening with the fifth just past the hour.
The only blip from the game was an injury to Sergio Aguero during the first half of the game. Burnley’s captain, Ben Mee, caught him on the ankle in the area to set up a penalty, which Mahrez comfortably slotted home.
The win takes City nine points clear of third-placed Leicester, though still 20 points adrift of long-time leaders Liverpool.
Related: Premier League Game Week 30 Sunday Round-Up
Phil Foden Voted Man of The Match
Foden was given only limited game time earlier in the season but he is threatening to end it as one of City’s main men.
The youngster enjoyed the wide-open spaces that Burnley increasingly gave him as the game progressed, and made the most of them with his build-up play, as well as his sublime finishing.
The game felt almost like a watershed moment for 20-year-old Foden. He has shown his immense talent when given the chance, although some may argue that has been few and far between.
With the impending departure of playmaker David Silva in just a few week’s time, it appears that Guardiola has a ready-made replacement in the 20-year-old. His first strike was absolutely sensational and he showed wonderful positioning for the second. Also setting up City’s fourth with an audacious pass showing how confident he’s grown.
See also: Premier League Game Week 30 Saturday Round-Up
Facts and Stats from the game
- Burnley mustered just one shot during the game, their lowest-ever tally in a Premier League fixture.
- Riyad Mahrez registered just his third home brace in English football in all competitions and his first for Manchester City.
- Bernardo Silva has assisted four of Manchester City’s nine Premier League goals against Burnley this season. The last player to provide as many assists against a side in a single campaign was Christian Eriksen vs Stoke in 2016/17 (4).
Standings — English Premier League Table
| Pos. | Team | P | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool | 30 | 27 | 2 | 1 | 45 | 83 |
| 2 | Manchester City | 30 | 20 | 3 | 7 | 45 | 63 |
| 3 | Leicester City | 30 | 16 | 6 | 8 | 30 | 54 |
| 4 | Chelsea | 30 | 15 | 6 | 9 | 13 | 51 |
| 5 | Manchester United | 30 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 14 | 46 |
| 6 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 30 | 11 | 13 | 6 | 9 | 46 |
| 7 | Sheffield United | 30 | 11 | 11 | 8 | 2 | 44 |
| 8 | Tottenham Hotspur | 30 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 7 | 42 |
| 9 | Crystal Palace | 30 | 11 | 9 | 10 | -4 | 42 |
| 10 | Arsenal | 30 | 9 | 13 | 8 | 0 | 40 |
| 11 | Burnley | 30 | 11 | 6 | 13 | -11 | 39 |
| 12 | Everton | 30 | 10 | 8 | 12 | -9 | 38 |
| 13 | Newcastle United | 30 | 10 | 8 | 12 | -13 | 38 |
| 14 | Southampton | 30 | 11 | 4 | 15 | -14 | 37 |
| 15 | Brighton and Hove Albion | 30 | 7 | 11 | 12 | -7 | 32 |
| 16 | Watford | 30 | 6 | 10 | 14 | -17 | 28 |
| 17 | West Ham United | 30 | 7 | 6 | 17 | -17 | 27 |
| 18 | Bournemouth | 30 | 7 | 6 | 17 | -20 | 27 |
| 19 | Aston Villa | 30 | 7 | 5 | 18 | -23 | 26 |
| 20 | Norwich City | 30 | 5 | 6 | 19 | -30 | 21 |
Poor Burnley. Good thing they’re not fighting relegation.