Burnley vs Manchester City result: Sergio Aguero goal keeps City in control of Premier League title race
Burnley 0-1 Manchester City: Pep Guardiola's team are just two victories away from defending their Premier League crown after a nervy win away to Burnley
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In a title race of such fine margins, the handful of centimetres by which Sergio Aguero’s winning goal crossed the line could prove crucial for Manchester City.
A trip to Burnley was widely seen to be the trickiest of the three matches standing between Pep Guardiola and a second successive Premier League title. Aguero’s 20th league goal of the season secured a 12th league win in a row, and took City to 92 points for the season. It is a sign of just how extraordinary their battle for supremacy with Liverpool has been that they probably still need another two wins to make sure.
The 63rd-minute goal that gave them victory in East Lancashire only just got there. Aguero, back to goal and tight for space as Bernardo Silva’s low ball reached him near the penalty spot, managed to fashion a shot that beat goalkeeper Tom Heaton. Defender Matt Lowton, on the line, looked to have blocked the shot with his chest, only for the ball to loop up and cross the line before he could clear it.
Guardiola had warned that Manchester City would have to show they could handle the pressure in order to beat Liverpool to the Premier League title. In truth, the trip to Turf Moor was as much a test of their patience.
They knew it would be like this; Burnley have blown hot and cold during a season that began in July, and for a long time looked as if it would end in relegation, but they have found their awkward streak again over the past month. This was no time for visitors to be pitching up in search of easy points.
Burnley still managed to cause City problems when they did get the ball during a tight, tense first half. Jack Cork chested down a ball on the edge of the penalty area and then hit a shot that struck visiting captain Vincent Kompany full in the face; as the home fans appealed for handball and screamed for a penalty, referee Paul Tierney put his whistle to his lips as if considering awarding one. Television replays, though, showed he was right not to.
Chris Wood, fighting for scraps alongside Ashley Barnes in attack, would have rued the poor first touch that saw Burnley’s best first-half chance come and go; played through by Jeff Hendrick, the New Zealand forward allowed the ball to squirt away, and Ederson was bravely out at his feet to smother.
City took nearly half-an-hour to force Heaton into any kind of save; Raheem Sterling, breaking through the centre, fed a pass right to Bernardo, who needed one touch and a couple of seconds too many. He checked back inside Charlie Taylor before offering a tame finish that Heaton gathered easily.
City began to get frustrated. When Sergio Aguero over-hit a pass down the left for Leroy Sane, resulting in the ball rolling out of play, the German turned to his team-mate and flung his arms out in despair, indicating exactly where he felt the ball should have gone.
Aguero, though, is always a threat, even things do not appear to be going his way. One shot just before half-time bent just wide from the edge of the penalty area, and soon after the interval, a fierce strike to the near post was beaten away by Heaton after Sterling’s flick had created the space.
Heaton then made another fine block to thwart Bernardo at the end of a goalmouth scramble that stretched Burnley’s defensive capabilities to the limit; moments later, Kyle Walker’s low cross just evaded Aguero in the centre.
The Argentinian did then find a way through, scoring for the ninth time in eight appearances against Burnley, and becoming the first player since Thierry Henry to score 20 Premier League goals in five successive seasons. City did not let up, and would have won by more but for some remarkable Burnley defending, most notably when Gabriel Jesus collected Kyle Walker’s crossfield pass, and went round Heaton, only for Ben Mee to stretch and block his shot on the line. Mee grew up as a City fan, and once captained their youth team; you would not have known it at that moment.
After that, City were content just to eat up the seconds. Winning with style is Guardiola’s mantra, but sometimes, it is enough just to win.
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