Manchester City 2, Burnley 0
Goals by Bernardo Silva and Kevin de Bruyne ensured that City beat Burnley at home again after a tough contest at the Etihad Stadium.
Silva grabbed a 12th minute opener for City and while solid chances for City came and went the danger of Maxwel Cornet on the break was ever present and he was supported by some excellent work rate by Dwight McNeil.
With Cornet off the pitch early in the second half Burnley lost their counter attacking option and City could regain control of the game.
De Bruyne hit City’s second after 70 minutes after Riyad Mahrez’s approach work drew Ashley Westwood in a challenge and the loose ball broke for the Belgian.
City passed up chances to extend their lead but the visitors didn’t threaten the result after their hosts went 2-0 up.
Embed from Getty ImagesPLAYER RATINGS – Manchester City 2, Burnley 0
Zack Steffen: 7. Slightly wayward distribution for the stand-in goalkeeper but he came off his line to save when Maxwel Cornet was sent clean through in the first half.
Joao Cancelo: 7. Offered a good outlet down the right flank was was very dangerous on the front foot but had to be careful as Maxwel Cornet was on hand for counter attacks.
John Stones: 6. Smooth return to action in his first minutes in a Manchester City shirt this season. Tackle laid out Maxwel Cornet as he tried to get goal side of him.
Aymeric Laporte: 6. Comfortable for the Spain defender who also found himself up against the pacy Maxwel Cornet. Had a shot go wide after City pushed up higher with the Ivorian off but was taken off after collecting a booking.
Nathan Ake: 6. Unfamiliar left back berth for the defender. Got caught out of position for a great chance by Maxwel Cornet but got stuck into dealing with Dwight McNeil too.
Rodri: 8. City’s midfield metronome. Kept things ticking over – finding spaces to pass into – and not afraid to have a shot.
Kevin De Bruyne (C): 7. Belgian midfielder looked slightly off the pace compared to his team mates. Passes were not up to his usual high standard but he was on the spot to lash home City’s second after 70 minutes. Put a trademark ball through to Foden who was herded away from goal late on.
Bernardo Silva: 8. Linked up well in an attacking role from midfield, drifted to the right and the left where he wasn’t tracked and was in immense form, creating chances when he came inside. Blotted his copybook but trying to cut inside when clean through but made a mess of the trick.
Riyad Mahrez: 7. Denied a goal by a Dwight McNeil block as Burnley found it hard to track him as he wandered in from the right. Weak shot with his right foot as he tried to volley past Nick Pope and volleyed into the crowd when set up by Phil Foden. Hit the bar with a shot from the edge of the box.
Phil Foden: 6. Early shout for penalty denied after great first touch. Also tried to set up his team mates but was tracked well by Dwight McNeil. Inventive with his passes, he also tried to chip Nick Pope but the Burnley keeper collected the ball. Faded after the break.
Raheem Sterling: 6. Denied by a save by Nick Pope and a block by Nathan Collins early on. Confidence still low though and some poor touches wasted good balls up for him.
Ruben Dias (on for Aymeric Laporte, 72): 6. Only a physical threat from Chris Wood to deal with and he was soon withdrawn.
Fernandinho (on for Kevin de Bruyne, 84): No time to mark
Cole Palmer (on for Bernardo Silva, 90+2): No time to mark
GOALS – Manchester City 2, Burnley 0
Man City 1, Burnley 0: 12. Bernardo Silva was there for a tap in from 3 yards after Phil Foden’s shot from the edge of the area was spilled by Nick Pope. It was all set up from the right flank by Joao Cancelo and Silva.
Man City 2, Burnley 0: 70. Nick Pope was beaten by a Kevin de Bruyne strike – the Belgian pounced on the loose ball after Ashley Westwood went down after a challenge for the ball with Riyad Mahrez who had run into the area with it.
MATCH STATS – Manchester City 2, Burnley 0
Man City: Steffen, Cancelo, Stones, Laporte (Dias 72), Ake, Rodri, De Bruyne (C) (Fernandinho 84), Bernardo Silva (Palmer 90+2), Mahrez, Foden, Sterling
Man City subs not used: Carson, Slicker, Walker, Gundogan, Grealish, Zinchenko
Booking: Laporte 45+2 (foul on Dwight McNeil)
Goals: Bernardo Silva 12; De Bruyne 70
Burnley: Pope, Lowton, Tarkowski (C), Collins, Pieters, Brownhill, Cork (Gudmundsson 72), Westwood, McNeil, Cornet (Barnes 56), Wood (Rodriguez 82)
Burnley subs not used: Hennessey, Norris, Roberts, Long, Bardsley, Lennon
Referee: Martin Atkinson