Manchester City 3-1 Burnley: 5 Hits and Flops as Cityzens dominate en route to easy win | Premier League 2023-24

It was a comfortable night for Manchester City in the Premier League as they eased past Burnley 3-0 on Wednesday, January 31.

The hosts received a massive boost ahead of the game with the news that Erling Haaland was fit again. He was named on the bench as Kevin De Bruyne made his first start of the new year.

Burnley, meanwhile, made a single change from their 1-1 draw against Luton Town. Sander Berge replaced Josh Cullen in midfield as manager Vincent Kompany returned to the Etihad, where he shined as a player.

Manchester City dominated the first half but were slightly sloppy to begin with. Eventually, they clicked into gear as Julian Alvarez opened the scoring in the 16th minute, heading home from a cross from Matheus Nunes.

The Argentine star doubled his tally just six minutes later. A well-worked free-kick routine saw De Bruyne set him up for a simple finish and Alvarez made no mistake to make it 2-0.

The hosts continued their dominance in the second half as Rodri added the side's third with a first-time effort from the edge of the box.

Manchester City continued to enjoy the lion's share of the possession. Haaland came on for the final 20 minutes but it was the visitors who pulled one back late in stoppage time through Ameen Al-Dakhil.

The win meant Pep Guardiola's side leapfrogged Arsenal into second place on goal difference with a game in hand. Here are five hits and flops from the game:

#5. Hit - Rodri

To top off yet another composed performance from the Spaniard in the center of the park, Rodri also got on the scoresheet in the win over Burnley. He had 118 touches and 12 passes into the final third, displaying his level of involvement in build-up for the hosts.

#4. Flop - Jeremy Doku

After a bright start to his Manchester City career, the Belgian has hit somewhat of a lean patch, without a goal or an assist in his last five league games. While he was keen to take defenders on, his decision-making left a lot to desire. He finished with six dribbles completed, but was dispossessed thrice and had no crosses completed.

#3. Hit - Kevin De Bruyne

The Belgian showed his class in his first Premier League start since suffering an injury on the first matchday against the same opponents. He pulled the strings from midfield and got an assist with a smart play from a set-piece. In just six games this season, he has five goal contributions, bagging a goal and four assists.

#2. Flop - Burnley

The Clarets continue to struggle in what has been a dreadful Premier League campaign for them. Against Manchester City, they barely got into the game as they were unable to hold on to the ball at all. They were limited to just 26% possession and were lucky to get on the scoresheet late in the game. Burnley find themselves with just 12 points after 22 games, needing nothing short of a miracle to escape relegation.

#1. Hit - Julian Alvarez

It was a 24th birthday to remember for Julian Alvarez, who impressed in the win over Burnley. The Argentine bagged two goals and was a potent threat throughout the game, proving to be a capable replacement in Haaland's absence. He already has double-figure goals and assists this season with 13 and 10, respectively.