Sterling miss inspires Burnley

He bent a perfect long-range shot past Pope. And this is City’s third choice left back

● What a difference a miss makes.

For 26 Premier League matches, Manchester City have been lining up candidates for the goal of the season. But it was Raheem Sterling’s outstanding candidate for miss of the decade that changed the dynamic of this game.

With City in the lead, comfortable and in complete control, Sterling somehow managed to skew an opportunity so straightforward you suspect that Harry Redknapp’s missus would have easily dispatched it.

And with the miss, Burnley, buoyed by fortune, suddenly revived, came back and snatched an equaliser that for much of the match seemed entirely unlikely.

Last season Pep Guardiola had secured three points at Turf Moor by meeting the physicality of Burnley head on by choosing his most forthright competitors. He employed a midfield of Fernando, Fernandinho and Toure, leaving the likes of Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva on the bench. This season the City manager didn’t have the option. The extent of his injury crisis was in evidence on the bench.

With seven first team players injured and John Stones ill, Guardiola could only summon six substitutes.

City did what City do: provide candidates for the goal of the season. This time it was Danilo. On 22 minutes, City forced a corner. De Bruyne rolled the ball short to Bernardo Silva. With the entire Burnley defence crammed in their own area, he passed on to Danilo. Completely unattended the Brazilian bent a perfect long-range shot past Pope. And this is City’s third choice left back.

For City it seemed another goal was inevitable. After the break, they went into immediate purposeful attack.

Burnley, though, showed what might happen, could they only get the ball.

City needed another goal for comfort, certainty and, in truth, proper reward. Instead Sterling horribly messed it all up. An astonishing pass by De Bruyne found Walker, whose magnificent cross arrived at the feet of Sterling completely alone on the far post. Somehow he managed to spoon the ball wide, to Walker’s intense irritation as he kicked the advertising hoarding in frustration.

Burnley attacked. After Lennon fired and Long headed a corner over, a furious Guardiola removed Sterling.

Then a long ball from Lowton evaded the entire City backline, finding Gudmundsson at the far post. He finished off a hard chance.

Maybe Guardiola will have been happy that at least no one was on the treatment table. The only thing injured was Sterling’s pride. — © The Daily Telegraph, London