Burnley 1 - 6 Man City

Emmanuel Adebayor celebrates with his team-mates after scoring City's fifth

By Les Roopanarine

Manchester City seized the initiative in the race for fourth place with a spectacular six-goal rout of Burnley.

In an extraordinary start to the game, Emmanuel Adebayor rifled in an Adam Johnson corner before Carlos Tevez fed Craig Bellamy for a slotted second.

Tevez then put City three up after just seven minutes with a close-range effort before Patrick Vieira headed a fourth.

Adebayor and Vincent Kompany stretched City's lead further, but a goal from Steven Fletcher avoided the whitewash.

As a statement of intent in the four-way joust with Tottenham, Liverpool and Aston Villa for the final Champions League spot, City's free-spirited exhibition of attacking football could not have been more emphatic.

Clearly determined to reap maximum advantage from Tottenham's earlier defeat at Sunderland, Roberto Mancini's side tore into Burnley from the outset with a ferocity bordering on the barbaric.

By the time Adebayor's third-minute opener went in, Johnson had already shuddered the post with a low drive that took a deflection off Leon Cort.

Tevez hit the woodwork again later in the half, by which time City had scored four as well as squandering countless other chances.

But while the damage could undoubtedly have been even greater for Burnley - as if matching Oldham's 17-year-old record for racking up the fastest three-goal deficit in Premier League history wasn't bad enough - some perspective is necessary. Brian Laws' side were pitiful.

606: DEBATE

What did you make of the match?

True, no one was expecting a defensive master-class from a team that went into the match having conceded more league goals than any other.

Yet the ease with which Burnley's back four was breached, time and again, bordered on the embarrassing.

The marking, or rather absence of marking, for Adebayor's opener was a case in point, as was the gay abandon with Vieira got goal-side of Danny Fox to head home City's fourth from another Johnson corner.

Burnley keeper Brian Jensen was betrayed by poor handling for City's third, palming a low Adebayor effort into the path of Tevez, who was not about to decline a tap-in.

On an afternoon when incessant rain seemed to capture the generally sombre mood of the home support - many headed for the exit long before half-time - it was not the only occasion on which Jensen was caught out in such a manner.

But the increasingly slippery conditions had nothing to do with City's second goal, which came about when Kevin McDonald - nominally a holding midfielder, although it was no surprise when he gave way to Jack Cork at the break - conceded possession cheaply in midfield.

Tevez slipped the ball through to Bellamy, and the livewire forward eluded the attentions of Cort and Michael Duff to slide a low shot across Jensen and into the far corner.

More to follow.

Live text and stats

Saturday, 3 April 2010

Premier League

Home Team	Score	Away Team	Time
Burnley	1-6	Man City	FT
(HT 0-5)
Fletcher 71		Adebayor 4 Bellamy 5 Tevez 7 Vieira 20 Adebayor 45 Kompany 58

Ref: WileyAtt: 21,330

BURNLEY

MAN CITY

Possession

Burnley 36%
Man City 64%

Attempts on target

Burnley 7
Man City 14

Attempts off target

Burnley 7
Man City 6

Corners

Burnley 6
Man City 7

Fouls

Burnley 5
Man City 8

Final Result
Full Time
90:00+2:55 The referee signals the end of the game.
90:00+2:51 Craig Bellamy produces a drilled right-footed shot from 18 yards. Blocked by Leon Cort.
90:00+2:25 Patrick Vieira concedes a free kick for a foul on Wade Elliott. Graham Alexander takes the free kick.
90:00+0:37 Martin Paterson produces a right-footed shot from just outside the area that goes harmlessly over the bar.
89:38 Shot on goal by Martin Paterson from inside the box goes harmlessly over the target.
85:25 Outswinging corner taken by Adam Johnson, Header from deep inside the penalty area by Alex Nimely goes harmlessly over the crossbar.
85:12 Shot by Craig Bellamy. Blocked by Leon Cort.
82:41 Direct free kick taken by Daniel Fox.
82:41 Substitution Alex Nimely on for Carlos Tevez.
82:41 Patrick Vieira concedes a free kick for a foul on Chris Eagles.
81:31 Foul by Wade Elliott on Nigel De Jong, free kick awarded. Vincent Kompany takes the direct free kick.
79:54 Substitution Martin Paterson joins the action as a substitute, replacing Steven Fletcher.
78:15 Free kick taken by Nedum Onuoha.
78:15 Substitution Roque Santa Cruz replaces Emmanuel Adebayor.
78:15 Free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on Nedum Onuoha by Jack Cork.
77:19 The referee penalises Graham Alexander for handball. Adam Johnson takes the direct free kick.
Correction - 73:50 Effort on goal by Chris Eagles from 25 yards. Save made by Shay Given.
73:50 Chris Eagles takes a shot. Shay Given makes a comfortable save.
72:36 The official flags Emmanuel Adebayor offside. Free kick taken by Brian Jensen.
70:57 The assist for the goal came from Jack Cork.
70:56 GOAL - Steven Fletcher:Burnley 1 - 6 Man City Steven Fletcher grabs a goal from the edge of the penalty area to the top left corner of the goal. Burnley 1-6 Man City.
68:27 Unfair challenge on Craig Bellamy by Michael Duff results in a free kick. Gareth Barry restarts play with the free kick.
66:15 Substitution Nigel De Jong joins the action as a substitute, replacing Silvio Sylvinho.
Correction - 64:20 Outswinging corner taken left-footed by Daniel Fox from the left by-line, Patrick Vieira makes a clearance.
64:20 Outswinging corner taken by Daniel Fox from the left by-line.
59:48 Chris Eagles takes the chance to get an effort at goal. Kolo Toure gets a block in.
57:05 Adam Johnson takes the outswinging corner,
57:02 Assist by Adam Johnson.
57:02 GOAL - Vincent Kompany:Burnley 0 - 6 Man City Vincent Kompany grabs a headed goal from inside the area. Burnley 0-6 Man City.
56:25 Outswinging corner taken from the left by-line by Adam Johnson, Leon Cort makes a clearance.
56:11 Short corner worked by Adam Johnson.
55:49 Shot by Craig Bellamy. Blocked by Leon Cort.
53:40 Patrick Vieira concedes a free kick for a foul on David Nugent. Graham Alexander restarts play with the free kick.
51:56 Close range shot by David Nugent goes over the bar.
51:09 Effort from deep inside the area by David Nugent misses to the left of the goal.
49:06 Short corner worked by Chris Eagles.
45:01 The second half has started.
45:01 Substitution Kevin McDonald leaves the field to be replaced by Jack Cork.
45:01 Substitution Robbie Blake goes off and Wade Elliott comes on.
Half Time
45:00+3:34 The half-time whistle blows.
45:00+2:38 Chris Eagles fouled by Craig Bellamy, the ref awards a free kick. Robbie Blake delivers the ball from the free kick right-footed from right channel.
45:00+1:40 Daniel Fox takes a inswinging corner from the right by-line to the near post, clearance made by Vincent Kompany.
44:34 Carlos Tevez provided the assist for the goal.
44:34 GOAL - Emmanuel Adebayor:Burnley 0 - 5 Man City Emmanuel Adebayor fires in a goal from deep inside the penalty box to the bottom right corner of the goal. Burnley 0-5 Man City.
43:36 Carlos Tevez has an effort at goal from deep inside the penalty area that bounces off the post.
41:31 Shot from just outside the penalty box by Craig Bellamy misses to the left of the target.
40:52 Emmanuel Adebayor is caught offside. Michael Duff restarts play with the free kick.
40:08 Patrick Vieira takes a shot. Brian Jensen makes a brilliant save. Free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on Tyrone Mears by Carlos Tevez. Brian Jensen takes the direct free kick.
38:55 Corner taken by Adam Johnson.
38:11 Adam Johnson has an effort at goal from 18 yards. Blocked by Tyrone Mears.
37:30 Inswinging corner taken right-footed by Robbie Blake, David Nugent takes a shot. Save by Shay Given.
37:10 Corner taken left-footed by Daniel Fox, Nedum Onuoha makes a clearance.
36:16 Free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on David Nugent by Gareth Barry. Direct strike on goal from the free kick comes in from Robbie Blake.
35:02 Free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on Nedum Onuoha by Robbie Blake. Shay Given takes the direct free kick.
33:52 Adam Johnson gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on Daniel Fox. Free kick taken by Daniel Fox.
33:12 Carlos Tevez has an effort at goal from the edge of the box that misses to the right of the target.
32:15 Steven Fletcher has an effort at goal from just outside the box which goes wide of the right-hand post.
32:06 David Nugent is ruled offside. Free kick taken by Shay Given.
31:21 The ball is crossed by Robbie Blake, Kolo Toure manages to make a clearance.
27:54 Michael Duff has a drilled shot. Comfortable save by Shay Given.
27:19 Corner from the right by-line taken by Graham Alexander, Effort on goal by Robbie Blake from 25 yards. Blocked by Vincent Kompany.
27:12 Chris Eagles crosses the ball, blocked by Silvio Sylvinho.
26:13 Shot by Graham Alexander. Vincent Kompany gets a block in.
24:27 Centre by Robbie Blake, Kolo Toure makes a clearance.
19:55 Assist by Adam Johnson.
19:55 GOAL - Patrick Vieira:Burnley 0 - 4 Man City Patrick Vieira grabs a headed goal from close range. Burnley 0-4 Man City.
19:24 Outswinging corner taken from the left by-line by Adam Johnson,
17:33 Free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on Emmanuel Adebayor by Graham Alexander. Patrick Vieira takes the free kick.
16:07 Adam Johnson has an effort at goal from just inside the box that misses to the left of the goal.
13:24 Carlos Tevez produces a right-footed shot from just outside the penalty box that misses to the left of the goal.
12:02 Effort on goal by Robbie Blake from inside the box misses to the right of the target.
11:12 Adam Johnson sends in a cross, Leon Cort gets a block in.
10:31 Gareth Barry concedes a free kick for a foul on David Nugent. Direct free kick taken by Graham Alexander.
Correction - 6:20 The assist for the goal came from Emmanuel Adebayor.
6:20 Assist on the goal came from Emmanuel Adebayor.
6:20 GOAL - Carlos Tevez:Burnley 0 - 3 Man City Carlos Tevez scores a goal from close range to the bottom left corner of the goal. Burnley 0-3 Man City.
Correction - 6:18 Emmanuel Adebayor takes a shot. Brian Jensen makes a save.
6:18 Emmanuel Adebayor has an effort at goal from 20 yards. Save made by Brian Jensen.
4:44 Assist by Carlos Tevez.
4:44 GOAL - Craig Bellamy:Burnley 0 - 2 Man City Craig Bellamy finds the back of the net with a goal from inside the box to the bottom right corner of the goal. Burnley 0-2 Man City.
3:04 Corner taken left-footed by Adam Johnson from the left by-line,
3:01 Assist by Adam Johnson.
3:01 GOAL - Emmanuel Adebayor:Burnley 0 - 1 Man City Emmanuel Adebayor gets on the score sheet with a goal from just inside the area low into the middle of the goal. Burnley 0-1 Man City.
2:34 Shot by Adam Johnson. Leon Cort gets a block in.
0:45 Shot by Adam Johnson. Save by Brian Jensen.
0:00 The referee gets the game started.

Live text and data provided by The Press Association.

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