Burnley 0-3 Manchester City: 5 talking points as Raheem Sterling heroics help Cityzens seal quarter-final spot | EFL Cup 2020-21
Manchester City made quick work of Burnley in their EFL Cup fourth round fixture as they registered a 3-0 away win at Turf Moor despite a slow start to the game. Raheem Sterling scored twice starting as a striker while summer signing Ferran Torres opened his account with the third goal of the game.
Burnley's in-form goalkeeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell did his best to keep his side in the game in the first half, making as many as three crucial saves before Sterling got the breakthrough in the 39th minute.
After City's 5-2 humiliation at the Etihad by Leicester City, Pep Guardiola took no chances against the Clarets and fielded a very strong squad, ultimately getting the desired results. There were a lot of positives to take from the game for the visitors while it's clear that Burnley desperately need some reinforcements in the absence of their star players due to injuries.
Let's now take a look at the five talking points from the game as Manchester City sealed a quarter-final spot for themselves in the EFL Cup.
#5 Aymeric Laporte's presence bolstered Manchester City's defence
Aymeric Laporte played the full 90 minutes on Wednesday after making it to the bench in the previous fixture. His addition to the starting XI had a huge impact in the defensive third as he helped weed out opposition passes before they made it to any Burnley player in Manchester City's box. The France international confidently led the backline to their first clean sheet of the campaign in his first start of the season.
He made two interceptions and three clearances in the game while also winning three aerial duels against two strong Burnley forwards. His performance showed what Manchester City missed sorely against Leicester, and one can only hope that the player keeps up his fitness level to contribute to his club's success this term.
#4 Burnley need to add some depth to their squad
Burnley welcomed James Tarkowski and Ashley Barnes back into the squad in Wednesday's fixture but a lack of depth in their squad meant a lot of the same players are being forced to play the full 90 minutes every single game. This is only going to add to their already-lengthy injury list.
In Bailey Peacock-Farrell, they have a great backup goalkeeper who impressed with his display against Manchester City by making as many as five saves in the game. Tarkowski's return to the fold will make them solid defensively but it is in the midfield that they were very sloppy.
They lost possession, lacked concentration and failed to offer any resistance against Manchester City's quick counter-attacks. They will be hoping to get back to full strength soon or they are in for a tough couple of months ahead.
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