Burnley 0-2 Manchester City: 5 talking points as Cityzens pick up comfortable away win | Premier League 2020-21
First-half goals from Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling helped Manchester City to a comfortable 2-0 victory over Burnley at Turf Moor.
Manager Pep Guardiola made five changes from the side that dispatched Sheffield United last weekend, with Raheem Sterling, John Stones and Joao Cancelo among those drafted back into the starting line-up.
Just like that narrow victory over the Blades, Manchester City went ahead inside the first 10 minutes through Gabriel Jesus.
Nick Pope saved a shot by Bernardo Silva, and the Brazil international was on hand to convert the rebound in the 3rd minute.
Raheem Sterling made the visitors more comfortable when he tapped in an Ilkay Gundogan cross from six yards to give them a 2-0 lead.
The second half was practically played in Burnley's half, although Manchester City failed to fashion too many clear-cut chances.
They thought they had a third goal when Riyad Mahrez converted from close range, but the Algerian was pulled up for a very marginal offside decision.
The victory sends Manchester City three points clear at the summit and here, we shall be having a rundown of five talking points from the game.
#5 Burnley's poor run of form against Manchester City continues
Burnley came into this clash having not won any of their last 13 games against Manchester City in all competitions.
In that time, they have lost 12 and drawn just one against the Mancunians, while they have scored just one goal in their last eight games, conceding 30.
Their last victory over Manchester City came in a 1-0 home win in March 2015, and you have to stretch back to October 1974 to get another win for the Clarets.
The last time both sides met in November, Sean Dyche's side were on the wrong end of a 5-0 whitewash, and it looked like another thrashing was on the cards just three minutes in.
However, that proved not to be the case, as a combination of dogged defending plus poor decision-making by the visitors ensured that the scoreline ended respectably.
#4 Defensive solidity acting as the catalyst for Manchester City's title surge
The partnership of John Stones and Ruben Dias has proven to be nearly impenetrable so far, and the pair once again proved their mettle against Burnley.
The hosts rarely threatened Ederson in the Manchester City goal to ensure that he kept a fifth consecutive clean sheet in the Premier League.
It continued a fine run of defensive solidity that has seen the Cityzens concede just three goals in their last 12 games in all competitions, with nine clean sheets kept in the process.
The absence of key players like Kevin de Bruyne and Sergio Aguero means that goals currently come at a premium for Manchester City. However, the solidity of their defence could well prove to be the difference in their quest to reclaim the league title.