Deadly Aguero at the double for City
EIGHT yards, two goals, three points.
That was Sergio Aguero’s vital contribution as two poacher’s strikes from a combined total of eight yards out saw Manchester City come from behind to grind out a victory at Turf Moor.
Aguero had been an injury doubt before the game and, like the rest of his team, was not at his best. But when Burnley twice lapsed in their own box, the little Argentine was on hand to punish them.
It is now 16 goals in 18 games for the impressive Aguero this season and he remains absolutely vital if City and Pep Guardiola are to be successful.
A cold and frosty afternoon in East Lancashire was not the place for tiki- taka football, but the City manager was happy with how his players dealt with the home side’s aerial assault.
“Today was so important for us and it was a tough week to go to Crystal Palace and Burnley,” he sighed.
“It’s so complicated to defend all the long balls. They are taller than us and they are good with the second ball.
“So we had to defend long balls, corners, free-kicks, long throws. We had to control that and we did it quite well but hopefully we can control that better in future.”
Having been in Germany on Champions League duty on Wednesday night, Guardiola had shuffled his pack with five changes, most notably with John Stones taken out of the firing line in defence.
There was a big surprise in the home ranks as former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson
stepped in for Tom Heaton, who was struggling with a calf injury.
It was a first Premier League appearance for Robinson since 2012 and his first game of any kind since September 2014.
But it was soon apparent there was not much wrong with his reflexes, as he got down well to save a low shot from Aguero that was heading for the bottom corner.
Burnley had seen a strong shout for a penalty turned down early in the game when Jeff Hendrick was manhandled by Nicolas Otamendi, but the Clarets breached City’s leaky defence soon after.
Otamendi only headed Robinson’s long free-kick as far as Dean Marney, and the midfielder returned it with interest, his sweetlystruck first- time volley finding the bottom corner from 25 yards.
It was a great way for Marney to score his first goal for more than two-and-a-half years, but it is now just one clean sheet in the last 14 games for City.
The visitors had to wake up, and Yaya Toure was unlucky not to equalise when he thundered an effort against the outside of a post.
But they levelled in the 37th minute, when Nolito’s shot was blocked and Aguero reacted fastest to poke home from three yards.
And the Argentine nearly had his side in front before the break, only for Robinson to make a flying save.
However, Aguero was on hand on the hour mark with the winning goal, although he owed a big favour to Fernandinho.
The Brazilian got to the dead-ball line when the ball was loose and pulled the ball back for Aguero to calmly steer it into the net from five yards out.
But Burnley’s set pieces kept the visitors under pressure right to the end, as Michael Keane had a goal-bound header blocked by Aleksandar Kolarov.
Then Claudio Bravo was grateful to keep out an acrobatic effort from substitute Ashley Barnes with the last kick of the game from a long throw as City hung on.
The result went against the Clarets, but manager Sean Dyche was pleased with his team’s efforts.
“I’m disappointed in the goals from our point of view,” he said. “They were two blips in a really good game plan.
“The players delivered what I wanted exceptionally well. We attempted to make the game as awkward as possible.
“The gulf between the two teams was not on show today.”