Gabriel Jesus scored twice as Manchester City showed no signs of giving up on their Premier League title defence easily with a 4-1 victory at Burnley to cut the gap on leaders Liverpool back to eight points.
Pep Guardiola’s men have struggled to match the blistering standards they set in back-to-back title winning seasons early in this campaign, but looked more like their old selves in what could have been a tricky trip to Turf Moor.
Jesus made the most of his chance to shine in the absence of the injured Sergio Aguero with two brilliant finishes either side of halftime to end an eight-game goal brought before long-range strikes from Rodrigo and Riyad Mahrez moved City above Leicester into second place on goal difference.
Robbie Brady pulled a late goal back for Burnley, who remain in 11th.
The visitors were dominant from first minute to last and could have been far more convincing winners but for some wayward finishing and Nick Pope’s resistance in the Burnley goal. Jesus’s first effort to find the net was rightly ruled out for offside as he flicked home Angelino’s shot.
But Jesus did not look like a striker searching for confidence when he did open the scoring with a sumptuous curling effort that found the far corner from David Silva’s pass. Pope then stood up well to block with his feet from Raheem Sterling and Bernardo Silva to keep Burnley in the game until the break.
Brady denied City a first clean sheet in eight games, but that was the only negative of the night for the champions as they clicked back into gear ahead of Saturday’s derby against Manchester United. – AFP
