Harsh on the eye, harsh on the scoreboard: Burnley’s brave hour undone by ricochets in 5-1 defeat at City

Burnley left the Etihad with a 5-1 defeat that did not reflect their foothold for much of the afternoon. Jaidon Anthony’s deflected equaliser and a strong opening to the second half had Manchester City rattled, only for the game to swing on Matheus Nunes’ volley and a second Maxime Esteve own goal before Erling Haaland’s late double widened the gap.

Scott Parker’s verdict captured the mood: “5-1 does feel harsh – for 70 minutes we were right in this game and we caused City some problems.” Against what he called a “colossus club with world class talent,” Burnley were organised, brave when chances appeared, and a touch unlucky at the key moments.

A platform built on resilience — and an instant reply

City’s opener arrived from a scramble after Jeremy Doku’s driven shot was pushed out by Martin Dubravka and the rebound sequence ended with Esteve diverting in under pressure. It was a tough concession for the French defender, especially given the goalkeeper’s earlier saves from Doku at the near post.

But Burnley answered. From the left, Quilindschy Hartman’s advance found City unsettled and Anthony’s scuffed shot clipped Rúben Dias to wrong-foot Gianluigi Donnarumma. The leveller just before the interval rewarded Burnley’s concentration and bite, with former City man Kyle Walker committing fully to duels on his return — he was booked for a challenge on Phil Foden.

The turning point that wasn’t: big moments after the break

The visitors opened the second half on the front foot. Lyle Foster’s low effort, helped by a deflection, slipped narrowly wide of the far post, and Hartman’s long-range strike was batted away by Donnarumma. Earlier still, when Foster broke and teed up Josh Laurent, Foden’s recovery block denied a clear sight of goal.

Had one of those chances gone in, the narrative might have bent differently. Parker emphasised the courage shown in that passage; Burnley’s compact shape without the ball and willingness to break lines with it caused City discomfort — enough for Guardiola to acknowledge that his team had “dropped [their] rhythm” for a spell.

Ricochets and a ruthless opponent decide it

The hinge moment came on the hour when Erling Haaland’s cushioned header across goal found Nunes, arriving from right-back to smash a volley beyond Dubravka. Five minutes later City’s fast recycling — Doku driving, Foden turning slickly, Nunes crossing at pace — produced more misfortune as Oscar Bobb’s attempt rebounded off Esteve for his second own goal.

From there, City’s quality told. Doku slipped Haaland a late chance that the Norwegian finished, and in stoppage time he ran through again after more defensive uncertainty, with Esteve involved in the mix-up, to complete the 5-1. Dubravka could do little about any of the final three goals as the game sped away.

Context, streaks, and the road ahead

Burnley have now gone 20 visits to City without a win, a run stretching back to 1963, and the fixture has been unforgiving recently: City have beaten the Clarets in 14 straight meetings across competitions. Yet Parker pointed to substantial positives: the bravery to play, the chances carved, and a collective that had City worried for long stretches.

There will be no time to linger. Burnley remain a single point clear of the drop but could slip below the line depending on other results. After narrow late-penalty defeats against Manchester United and Liverpool earlier in the season, this heavy final margin was especially cruel. The focus turns to Aston Villa on 5 October — carrying forward the best of those first 70 minutes and sharpening the details in both boxes.