Recap

City Run Rampant Over Burnley in 5-1 Thrashing at the Etihad

Etihad Stadium, Manchester — Manchester City delivered a ruthless performance to dispatch Burnley 5-1 in front of a roaring home crowd, with Erling Haaland netting a brace and two own goals by Maxime Estève helping City surge past their visitors. The result piles pressure on Burnley and reaffirms City’s title ambitions. Reuters+2The Guardian+2

The Match Unfolded

City drew first blood just before the quarter-hour mark when a surging run from Jérémy Doku down the left created havoc. His effort was saved by Martin Dúbravka, only for Estève to inadvertently deflect the rebound into his own net under pressure from Phil Foden. ESPN.com+2The Guardian+2

Burnley responded strongly, though, and equalised in the 38th minute through Jaidon Anthony. A sharp passing move saw Quilindschy Hartman set him up, and Anthony rolled it past the stranded defenders.ESPN.com+1

After the break, City regained control. In the 61st minute, Haaland headed on a cross to Matheus Nunes, who volleyed home the second. Just four minutes later, another misfortune for Burnley as Estève turned Oscar Bobb’s shot into his own net. The Times+3ESPN.com+3The Guardian+3

With Burnley’s defence unraveling, Haaland put the finishing touches on the victory with two late goals — one courtesy of a perfect Doku assist in the 90th, and another capitalizing on defensive confusion in injury time.ESPN.com+2Reuters+2

Big Picture & Reactions

• Manager Pep Guardiola praised his side’s response in the second half, especially given the absence of Rodri due to injury. He singled out the sharp attacking interplay and improved defensive resilience. Reuters+2Reuters+2

• Burnley boss Scott Parker admitted the 5-1 scoreline was harsh on a team that had competed for large parts of the match. He noted that City’s quality showed in the final 30 minutes when the visitors faded. The Guardian+1

• The result boosts City’s goal difference and points tally, moving them closer in the title race. Burnley, meanwhile, slide further into trouble, now rooted in 17th place with only four points from six games. Reuters+2The Guardian+2