Manchester City 5-0 Burnley: 5 Talking Points as Riyad Mahrez hat-trick dismantles Clarets in stunning performance | Premier League 2020-21

#3 Burnley dig their own grave with casual showing

Burnley struggled against Manchester City

Burnley adopted a shockingly lackadaisical approach against Manchester City in the first half and will have only themselves to blame after a miserable performance. The away side gave the ball away in a poor area in the build-up to the first goal and were caught unaware by Manchester City's smart play for the second.

Manchester City have not been at their best this season and Burnley could have potentially troubled Pep Guardiola's side with a more robust performance. The Clarets' first-half performance was shockingly poor, however, and left Sean Dyche seething on the touch-line.

🔵 @ManCity have won their last six meetings with Burnley in all competitions by an aggregate score of 23-1#MCIBUR pic.twitter.com/Br1cFDdqcj

— Premier League (@premierleague) November 28, 2020

Burnley did improve in the second half and had a few attempts at Manchester City's goal. The Cityzens were able to take full toll of Burnley's tiring legs, however, and coasted to an emphatic victory. The Clarets were far below their best today and will need to show tremendous improvement to avoid relegation this season.

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#2 Kevin De Bruyne and Riyad Mahrez prove their mettle against Burnley

De Bruyne and Mahrez were exceptional against Burnley

Riyad Mahrez has received a fair bit of criticism during his time at Manchester City but put in a faultless performance against Burnley. The Algerian wizard gave Burnley no chance with his first goal and brought his intelligence to the fore to double Manchester City's lead only a few minutes later.

Mahrez bagged his first hat-trick for Manchester City in the second half with yet another clinical finish to cap off a sensational performance. Kevin De Bruyne bagged the first of his two assists for Mahrez's opening goal and also seemed back to his best.

Riyad Mahrez scores his first Manchester City hat-trick 🎩🎩🎩 pic.twitter.com/YGxTqBLPQL

— B/R Football (@brfootball) November 28, 2020

The Belgian midfielder was virtually unplayable on the night and tormented Burnley with his surges into the final third. De Bruyne is one of Manchester City's most important players and Pep Guardiola will be thrilled with his confident performance.

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#1 Manchester City finally rediscover their fluidity

Manchester City had an excellent game

Manchester City have been well below their best this season and were surprisingly blunt against Tottenham Hotspur last weekend. Pep Guardiola's side has largely failed to meet the expectations in the Premier League this season and are still in desperate need of a string of positive results.

The first half against Burnley saw Manchester City click into gear for arguably the first time this season. The Cityzens ran rings around the Clarets with their fluid passing and movement and left the opposition chasing shadows for large periods of the game. De Bruyne and Rodri bossed the game for Manchester City and gave the Cityzens a cutting edge in the midfield.

Pep Guardiola has a hectic schedule for the rest of the year and will need his players at their best to compete for silverware this season. Manchester City's victory against Burnley could potentially be the perfect shot in the arm and transform what has been an underwhelming campaign.

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