Manchester City missed the chance to move within two points of Chelsea at the top of the Premier League table this evening as they fell to a 1-0 defeat at the hands of struggling Burnley.
George Boyd got the only goal of the game shortly after the hour mark as he drilled a low volley into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.
City failed to come up with much in reply and the hosts held on for a valuable win that takes them to within one point of safety.
Find out how all of the action unfolded courtesy of Sports Mole's live minute-by-minute coverage below.
Good afternoon! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for today's late kickoff as Burnley host champions Manchester City at Turf Moor. This is a match that could have major implications at both ends of the table, and the two managers will be desperate for three points to help towards their respective goals for the rest of the campaign. Let's start with a look at the home side...
It is now the business end of the Premier League season and Burnley, who were unexpectedly promoted from the Championship last season, will at least be pleased to be touch with those above them in the table. However, Sean Dyche's side need to start picking up points if they are to avoid an immediate drop back to the second tier, and that could also mean having to pull off shocks in matches like today's.
Burnley are the favourites of many to be relegated this season, largely due to their horrendous fixture schedule in the coming weeks. Manchester City visit today, of course, and that is then followed by games against Southampton, Tottenham and Arsenal, all of whom have top-four ambitions. That run comes off the back of consecutive games against Manchester United, Chelsea, Swansea and Liverpool too, so if Burnley are still in with a shout of survival after that then they would have done very well indeed.
With their budget and squad size, staying in the Premier League this season would be a major achievement for the Clarets, and despite being in such a tough run of fixtures, there are reasons for optimism. They have already taken points off Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur this season, with two of those draws coming at Stamford Bridge and the Etihad - arguably the two toughest places to visit in the top flight.
Burnley have drawn plenty of praise for the way they have approached games this season, with Sean Dyche refusing to have his sides park the bus despite often having to give up the majority of possession. That was the case again at Anfield in their most recent outing 10 days ago, although they can have few complaints at coming away with a 2-0 defeat in that match. Goals from Jordan Henderson and Daniel Sturridge gave the Reds a deserved win, but there were positives to take for the Clarets.
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That result extended their winless run to eight in all competitions and seven in the league - the longest current streak without victory in the top flight. They have picked up just two points from a possible 21 in that time, while that run extends to only seven points from the last 36 on offer stretching back into last year. They have won one in 12 in that time, drawing four times and losing seven.
Their home form will also be a worry, with matches at Turf Moor their most likely route of staying in the division. They have only won one home game in the last three months, while only three teams have picked up fewer points in front of their own fans all season. Not many will be expecting them to improve that record today but, with Spurs and Arsenal the next two visitors, the Clarets will need to start picking up some unexpected points soon.
Goals have also been an issue at home, with Burnley having scored just 13 times in their 14 league matches at Turf Moor this season. That is something that has been improving of late, however, with six in their last four, and Dyche will be hoping that his side have the firepower to cause City a few problems today. They managed it at the Etihad, so should be confident of perhaps nicking another draw here.
There is an argument to be made that they are playing City at a very good time too. The champions have not been at their best recently and, wins over Stoke and Newcastle aside, have been there for the taking on a few occasions. They face Barcelona in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 clash on Wednesday night, which could be in the back of their minds, and Burnley will hope to take advantage if the visitors are not fully focused today.
In reality, though, Pellegrini could well view today's match as even more important than the one against Barcelona. His side are up against it in the Champion League, heading to the Camp Nou 2-1 down on aggregate and needing to score at least twice to stand any chance of progressing. Victory today, meanwhile, would put them to within two points of Chelsea at the top of the Premier League table, so there is plenty on offer for them if they do the job here.
Of course, the title race is still out of City's hands, and that two-gap could only last four 24 hours as Chelsea face Southampton tomorrow. The leaders will also have two games in hand over City after tonight, but victory would at least put pressure on Chelsea. Jose Mourinho's side have blown a big lead already this season, while City have form when it comes to winning the title with late bursts, so all is not over in the Premier League title race.
At the same time, failure to win today would leave City susceptible to getting dragged into the battle for fourth place below them. They started the weekend closer to third-placed Arsenal than leaders Chelsea, and the Gunners are on course to move within one point of the champions by the time they kick off at Turf Moor. That is a very congested battle below them, so they will be desperate to avoid being sucked into a six-way chase rather than a two-horse race for the title.
Pellegrini's side have only won three of their last 10 games in all competitions, which isn't really good enough for a side hoping to challenge for trophies on all fronts. That includes a four-game winless streak in the league, although they have bounced back from that and have won three of their last four. The exception in that run - a 2-1 loss to Liverpool at Anfield - could prove to be important both in the title race and the top-four race, but they will certainly be expecting another three points today.
They recovered from that Liverpool defeat to beat Leicester last time out, although once again they were short of their best. It was the type of performance you associate more with the likes of Chelsea than City, getting the job done when not playing at your peak. Silva and Milner got the goals at the Etihad to return to winning ways against the league's bottom club. They have had a 10-day break before this game, so should be refreshed for the closing months of the campaign.
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They come into this match boasting the best away record in the division, picking up 28 points on their travels - just two fewer than they have managed at the Etihad this season. They did lose their most recent league game on the road - to Liverpool at Anfield - but that was only their second of the season in the top flight and their first in 10 in all competitions. They have scored in each of their last 20 Premier League away games.
TEAM NEWS: The teams are in for both sides, and the headline news is that Kompany returns to the side having been dropped against Leicester. Zabaleta is also back in alongside Fernandinho, while Dzeko starts up front ahead of Bony. As for Burnley, they make a rare change to their side as Vokes starts ahead of Kightly. Full teams for both sides coming right up...
BURNLEY STARTING XI: Heaton; Trippier, Shackell, Duff, Mee; Barnes, Arfield, Jones, Boyd; Ings, Vokes
BURNLEY SUBS: Gilks, Keane, Reid, Ward, Jutkiewicz, Wallace, Kightly
MAN CITY STARTING XI: Hart; Zabaleta, Kompany, Demichelis, Clichy; Navas, Fernandinho, Yaya Toure, Silva; Dzeko, Aguero
MAN CITY SUBS: Caballero, Mangala, Sagna, Nasri, Lampard, Bony, Jovetic
What can we make of those two teams, then? Well, Sean Dyche has opted against naming an unchanged side for the fifth consecutive match, bringing Sam Vokes in in what is a brave move to start with two out-and-out strikers. Ings and Vokes formed a great partnership in the Championship last season as Burnley won promotion, but the latter has struggled with injuries this campaign and is yet to get a run of games so far. He has been handed a chance today, though, and he will be keen to take it.
I mentioned Ings there, and he really has been the key player for Burnley this season. Much like Charlie Austin for QPR, if Burnley do end up avoiding relegation then it will be largely down to Ings's goals. The striker is widely expected to leave the club at the end of the season, and Manchester City have even been touted as potential suitors, but for now he will be fully focused on leaving Burnley with the perfect parting gift of another year in the top flight.
Vokes's inclusion means that Barnes will move into the wider role usually filled by Kightly, who drops to the bench. It was Barnes who got the equaliser at the Etihad earlier in the campaign, so City will be wary of him even in a midfield role. The defence remains the same but need to start keeping more clean sheets. They kept three in the first five league games of the season but have only managed two in the 23 league games since.
City, meanwhile, welcome captain Vincent Kompany back into the fold, and he will have a point to prove having been dropped against Leicester. Rumours of a bust-up with Fernandinho surfaced after the Liverpool defeat, but in truth the City skipper could have been dropped on form alone. He has been far short of his best in recent weeks and, if the champions are to overhaul the gap to Chelsea, they need their captain on top form. A good performance today would do him the world of good.
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He is one of five changes to the team that beat Leicester last time out, three of which come in defence. Zabaleta was also an unused sub against the Foxes but replaces Sagna in the side today, while Clichy returns at left-back ahead of Kolarov. Hart remains between the sticks as ever as City go in search of a second consecutive clean sheet.
The two main danger man in midfield are Yaya Toure and Silva, the latter of whom has been in good form recently and got on the scoresheet against Leicester last week. He may be forced to operate a little wider than his ideal position again today, however, with Toure and Fernandinho patrolling the centre of the park. Navas will provide the width out to the right as Nasri again has to settle for a place on the bench.
One of the two spots up front is, of course, held by Aguero, who is on 98 goals for City and will be hoping to pass his century this afternoon. He started a match alongside Bony for the first time last week, but it is Dzeko who partners him this time around, with the Bosnian looking to replicate the sort of form he showed in the 5-0 drubbing of Newcastle last month. Bony, meanwhile, has to settle for a place on the bench after a relatively slow start to his City career.
PREDICTION: There are 10 minutes until kickoff at Turf Moor, which means that it is time for a prediction! Burnley have got some good results against the big teams this season, including away to City, but I can't see past an away victory here. The visitors simply have to win for their title chances, and they have the quality required to do just that. I'll go for 2-0 to the champions.
City have a magnificent record at Turf Moor in recent years, winning the last five and avoiding defeat in their last six. They have scored no fewer than 16 goals in their last three league visits, winning 6-1, 4-2 and 6-0 in that time. The most recent of those, the 6-1 triumph, came in April 2010 as Adebayor (2), Bellamy, Tevez, Vieira and Kompany all got on the scoresheet. Of the City squad that day, only Kompany and Boyata remain with the club.
Burnley have not beaten City home or away in their last 13 meetings, losing eight of those in a run that stretches all the way back to October 1974, when the Clarets won 2-1 here at Turf Moor. Their 2-2 draw in the reverse fixture would have felt like a victory, however, as they rescued the most unlikely of points. In the last 68 league matches in which City have led by two goals at any point, Burnley are the only team to have rescued anything from the game.
Another two goals for City today would bring up as milestone for the club as they currently reside on 998 goals in their Premier League history. Having had more shots than any other top-flight team this season (469), they will fancy their chances of breaking the 1,000-goal mark today, particularly against a defence that has not kept a clean sheet in 14 games.
The teams are out and we're just a couple of minutes away from kickoff here at Turf Moor. It is a huge game at both ends of the table, with Burnley now four points adrift of safety following results in the earlier kickoffs and City only one point clear of third-placed Arsenal.
KICKOFF: Manchester City get us underway as they look to close the gap to two points at the top of the table. Can they do it, or will Burnley stun the champions again?
A bright start from the hosts and Ings looks for a spectacular opener inside two minutes. He flicks the ball over one defender before letting fly with a volley from 30 yards, but his effort is high and wide.
City now enjoy a good period of possession as they look to stem any quick start from Burnley and quieten the home crowd down. The visitors may need to be patient in that latter quest.
Threatening play from City as they begin to knock the ball about in the final third. Navas works a yard and zips a low cross into the six-yard box, but Heaton is there to intercept and does well to hold on with Dzeko lurking.
It's Burnley's turn to come forward down the right flank, with Ings making a bright run down the right channel. He flicks the ball over the head of Clichy before going down clutching his face. The referee is right to wave it away, with the contact between Clichy and Ings minimal.
Fernandinho wins the ball in midfield and drives forward, with Burnley short of numbers at the back. Dzeko wants the ball slid into him, but Fernandinho opts to go for goal instead and his effort is well blocked on its way behind for a goal kick.
The home fans want a penalty for handball against Clichy, but the referee is right to shake his head. The full-back did well to ensure that he controlled Trippier's cross with his chest and, in truth, there weren't many claims from the Burnley players.
Just like against Liverpool last time out, Burnley are refusing to sit back here. They are making good progress down the right in particular, and win a corner down that side here. The delivery is flicked on to Mee at the back post, but he can't keep his header down.
More nice football from City down the right, with Zabaleta racing on to a flick down the flank. His low pass is collected by Silva, but the Spaniard can't get on to the end of his own heavy touch and the ball is knocked behind for a corner.
Burnley are having to spend spells without the ball, but when they do have possession they are looking to get it forward quickly and cause City problems. They will be pleased with the start they have made to this match.
Both teams are getting the vast majority of their joy down their respective right flanks. Navas has put in a couple of dangerous crosses, while Trippier, as ever, is bombing forward whenever possible from right-back.
Toure slides a pass through the middle for Aguero, who suddenly has a bit of space. He beats one defender but it never really sits up for a strike from distance and in the end he forces himself out wide and his eventual shot is blocked.
A decent sight of goal for the hosts, and again it comes through Trippier. The right-back swings an early cross into the middle that Vokes attacks well, but the striker mis-times his header and it skews off closer to the corner flag than the goal.
So far, so good for Burnley against the champions. They have restricted the visitors in attack, allowing no clear chances, and have probably had the better of things in the final third themselves. Neither keeper has been called into action so far, though.
SHOT! A chance for Dzeko to draw the first save of the afternoon, but it is a mis-hit effort from the striker. Mee's poor header allows the Bosnian striker to win possession around 25 yards from goal and it sits up nicely for him to have a pop. He drags his volley, however, and Heaton watches it roll well wide.
This game could do with someone taking by the scruff of the neck, and City obviously have more players capable of that. All of their star players have been kept quiet so far, however, with the champions yet to be able to flex their muscles.
CHANCE! The first chance of the day falls to Dzeko as Burnley fail to get the ball clear after a Zabaleta cross. Fernandinho squeezes the ball through for Dzeko, who draws a low save from Heaton at the near post with the angle against him. Again Burnley can't clear it, however, and Aguero fires a low strike towards goal that is comfortable for Heaton.
SAVE! Saves galore now after half an hour with a shot on target! This one comes at the other end as Boyd plays the ball back for Arfield, who works it onto his right foot before curling a low effort that Hart has to save. It was a routine stop for the City man, though.
Burnley have kept their shape very well so far today. They are refusing to be dragged out of position and are being very disciplined in defence, as ever.
CHANCE! Another good sight of goal for City as Navas's low cross is cushioned into the path of Dzeko by a lovely touch from Silva. Dzeko is just beaten to the ball but Aguero picks it up in the area, only to be forced too far wide and drive his shot off target at the near post.
City are beginning to look more and more dangerous now, with Silva seeing more of the ball and starting to have a bigger influence on the game. Burnley will want to keep things tight until half time now.
Good play from Burnley as Vokes wins the ball in midfield to spark an attack. Again it is worked over to Trippier, who this time cuts inside before dinking a ball over the defence. Ings has got into a good position, but he just can't take the ball down and it goes behind for a goal kick.
City have enjoyed 70% of possession in this first half so far, but they haven't been able to take it show. None of their sights of goals have exactly been clear ones, and on the whole Burnley have matched the champions so far. Sean Dyche will be a happy man if they can keep this up until the break.
Aguero in particular has been well dealt with by City so far today. They have been quick out to the Argentine whenever he has picked up the ball, preventing him from finding space.
It is all City at the end of this second half as Burnley look to keep things level until the break. The Clarets are containing the champions fairly comfortably at the moment.
HALF TIME: Burnley 0-0 Manchester City
Andre Marriner brings an end to the first half at Turf Moor and, in truth, it hasn't been the best 45 minutes of football that you will see this season. Manchester City have failed to create much and Burnley have done a good job of containing them, while also looking to get forward down the other end as well. It's a far cry from City's 6-1 win the last time they were here.
The only half chances have fallen the way of City, but on each occasion they have been thwarted. Dzeko drew a low stop from Heaton on the half-hour mark before Aguero also tested the keeper moments later, although but were relatively routine stops from the Burnley keeper. Dzeko's was the better chance as he raced into the box, but the angle was against him and he couldn't squeeze it home.
Dzeko and Aguero threatened again shortly after that, although once more the angle was against a City striker. This time it was Aguero who found the angle closing, and he could only fire wide of the near post from inside the box. Burnley's only shot on target was a tame one from Arfield that was easy for Hart to stop, and that has been the extent of the goalmouth action in the first half. It has not been a classic.
City have been a little lethargic so far, which is a surprise considering how much there is riding on this game for them. Failure to win would surely rule them out of the title race should Chelsea win tomorrow, while victory would close the gap to two points on the leaders. They have shown no urgency, though, and haven't threatened to break through Burnley anywhere near enough.
Burnley deserve credit for making things difficult for City. The hosts have worked as hard as ever off the ball and kept their shape in the process, remaining disciplined throughout that first half. They are still very much in this match and may even be dreaming of nicking a winner the longer this remains goalless.
KICKOFF: Burnley get us back underway, and it is worth remembering that they also have a lot to gain from this match, sitting as they do four points adrift of safety now. Will both sides go for the win in the second half? Hopefully we will see more goalmouth action than in the opening 45 minutes!
An early worry for Burnley as Aguero catches Duff high and late with his studs. The Argentine is perhaps fortunate not to be booked for that challenge. Duff should be fine to continue, but it looked like a painful one.
Important defending from Kompany as he sweeps up a dangerous situation. It was a really good break from the hosts, with Vokes getting the better of Demichelis to break into the area, only for Kompany to make a vital challenge.
CHANCE! Big chance for City on the break! Aguero turns away from his man in midfield and immediately bursts forward, with Silva in support in a two-on-one situation. Aguero delays the pass but, when he finally does slip it to Silva, the Spaniard's touch lets him down and he is forced wide. He still manages to get a shot away, but Heaton collects it as the second time of asking. That would have surely been a goal had Silva's touch been better.
CHANCE! Another decent opening for City as Zabaleta squeeze a pass into the middle under heavy pressure down the channel. Aguero is in a yard of space, but he can't wrap his foot around the ball enough and drills it wide of the near post.
Those two City chances have just served to quell what was a really bright start to the half for Burnley. The hosts are still trying to get forward whenever possible and the match is beginning to open up a little now, which may suit City.
CLOSE! What a goal this would have been! A diagonal ball forward is only cleared as far as Boyd on the edge of the box and, with Hart in no-man's land, the Burnley man unleashes a superb volley towards the top corner. It is great technique, but the ball flashes just past the upright.
YELLOW CARD! Marriner has kept his cards in his pocket so far, but he finally produces one to show a yellow to Mee. That is quite a harsh one considering some of the challenges Marriner has let go.
Decent chance for City, but Dzeko completely mis-hits his shot. Silva fed the ball into his striker inside the box, but he mis-timed his effort and it skewed a long way wide of the target.
YELLOW CARD! Demichelis quickly follows Mee into the book having upended Ings with a poor challenge. He has no complaints with that one, and Burnley have a free kick in a good crossing position.
GOAL! Burnley 1-0 Man City (George Boyd)
Oh my word, Burnley have the lead against the champions! Boyd came close with one earlier in this half, but this time he drives a volley right into the bottom corner. The delivery was put into a good area and Kompany could only clear it as far as the edge of the box, where Boyd was waiting to fire his first-time effort home. What a sweet strike from the Burnley midfielder, and the champions are now in serious trouble!
MAN CITY SUB: Pellegrini makes a change in response to that opening goal, with Wilfried Bony being brought on in place of Dzeko.
What have City got in reply here, then? In truth, they haven't offered much all game so far and they need to up the tempo a few notches if they are to get back into this game. This would be a major blow to their title hopes.
Fernandinho has a shooting opportunity not too dissimilar to Boyd's goal, with the ball dropping to him just outside the area. However, the City midfielder blazes his effort high and wide of the target.
Boyd has been really lively in this second half, and he is not letting up despite giving his side the lead. In fact, Burnley as a team aren't parking the bus just yet. They are pushing forward looking for a second that would give them a cushion they could well need in the closing stages.
Another hint of a chance for Aguero as Navas gives it back to Toure, who lifts a cross into the box. Aguero gets in front of his man and flicks his header towards goal, but he can't divert it on target.
YELLOW CARD! Duff is the latest player in the book for a challenge from behind on Aguero, although it is perhaps another harsh one.
Silva lifts the resulting free kick into the box from deep, and Bony does well to hold his man off and get his head to the ball. He knocks it down into a dangerous area, but can't get enough power behind it to trouble Heaton, who gathers comfortably.
MAN CITY SUB: Another attacking change from Pellegrini, and it is something of a surprising one as Silva departs to be replaced by Stevan Jovetic.
Again Fernandinho comes on to a dropping ball on the edge of the area, but again his shot is well off target. He connects with this one well, but can't keep the powerful volley down.
SAVE! Half a chance for City again as Ings gives the ball away, allowing the visitors to break. Aguero gives it to Bony, who manages to get a shot away but again can't get much power or direction behind it. Heaton gathers it comfortably.
Dreadful twice in quick succession from Demichelis. First he gives the ball straight to Ings when attempting a routine clearance, and then having won it back he overhits a simple square pass to Zabaleta and concedes a throw. Moments later, Barnes draws a save from range.
Burnley are the better team right now, it must be said. City have been sloppy in possession and Burnley are quick to pounce on any mistakes in an effort to get a second goal. They have worked so hard all game, though, and will surely begin to tire a little in the final 10 minutes.
CHANCE! Huge chance for City to get an equaliser! Toure floats a lovely curling cross to the back post, where Aguero has hung away from his man to stay in space. He is unmarked and gets a full head on the ball, but plants his effort over the top.
MAN CITY SUB: A third and final change for City as Toure is replaced by Frank Lampard, who makes his 600th Premier League appearance - only Ryan Giggs has more.
Burnley are keeping their composure so far in these closing stages, knocking the ball about nicely and not taking any unnecessary risks. They have curbed their attacking ambitions and are now more content with protecting the precious lead they have.
SHOT! Trickey work from Aguero inside the box before he feeds a ball back towards Lampard, who can't turn it goalwards. It eventually arrives to Jovetic, who works a yard before curling a powerful effort a few yards wide.
BURNLEY SUB: Defensive change from Dyche as he brings Stephen Ward on for Vokes. Can the Clarets hold on here?
Time really is running out for City now. As expected, they are applying all of the late pressure, but they just can't find a way through the Burnley defence at the moment. What a result this would be for the hosts.
Burnley have four minutes of additional time to hang on to what would be three priceless points at home to the champions here.
PENALTY SHOUT! Huge penalty shout for the visitors as Zabaleta goes down under the challenge of Mee inside the box. It looks like a clear spot kick, but Marriner awards a free kick the other way! The replay shows that Zabaleta perhaps did go down a little easily, but Mee got none of the ball and is a lucky, lucky man.
BURNLEY SUB: A late change for the hosts as they continue to wind the clock down as Steven Reid replaces Ings.
FULL TIME: Burnley 1-0 Manchester City
What a win that is for Burnley! The Clarets beat the champions to move to within one point of safety, while City remain five points behind Chelsea having now played two games more than the leaders. What a huge game this could prove to be at both ends of the table, and it is George Boyd's goal that proves to be the difference. Incredible scenes at Turf Moor as Burnley get their first win over Man City since October 1974.
That is all we have time for this evening! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for this potentially pivotal match at both ends of the table as Burnley climb up to 18th with a 1-0 victory over Manchester City. I will leave you with our match report, and be sure to stick around for reaction, analysis and player ratings. From me, though, it is goodbye for now!
Written by
Barney Corkhill
Barney Corkhill
