Manchester City missed the chance to cut the gap on Chelsea to just two points this evening as they fell to a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Burnley at Turf Moor.
George Boyd's strike just past the hour proved to be the only goal of the game as he fizzed a low volley into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.
The champions could not muster a response in the closing stages of the match as Burnley held out for a victory that takes them to within one point of safety.
Here, Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at a match that could prove to be pivotal at both ends of the table.
Match statistics
BURNLEY
Shots: 10
On target: 4
Possession: 30%
Corners: 2
Fouls: 6
MAN CITY
Shots: 21
On target: 5
Possession: 70%
Corners: 6
Fouls: 9
Was the result fair?
The statistics may suggest otherwise, but Burnley were good value for their victory today. City enjoyed the vast majority of possession but never really did anything with it as the hosts contained them fairly comfortably. The first half was a relatively even affair, with City creating the main sights of goal without ever providing a sustained period of pressure on the Burnley defence.
Clear chances were at a premium for both sides throughout. City created a few, the best of which fell to Sergio Aguero, but they were far from cutting through Burnley at will and even that Aguero header at the back post would have had to have been a good finish to beat Tom Heaton. The Clarets were the better side in the second half by a fair distance and are worthy of their famous triumph.
Burnley's performance
Burnley came with a game-plan today and they executed it to perfection. Often when that phrase is used, it is a polite way of saying that this was a smash-and-grab victory, but that was not the case this evening. Burnley refused to park the bus and whenever they got the ball, they were eager to get on the front foot and move into Manchester City territory. Admittedly, they spent much of the match without the ball, but never long enough to really find themselves under the cosh.
Burnley's style is certainly admirable, but before today there was a sense that it was perhaps not the best means of picking up the points required to stay in the division, particularly against the big teams. It worked wonders here, though, and they continued to push for a second goal until the closing stages of the match when most other teams would have shut up shop much earlier. They have got little reward for those tactics before today, but deserve all the plaudits that they get for this performance.
There is still work for Burnley to do to avoid the drop, and the fixture schedule has not been kind to the Clarets. However, they have now taken four points from two games against Man City this season, in addition to taking points off Chelsea and Manchester United. With Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal next up, that could prove to be crucial in their quest to stay up. They will certainly take huge confidence from this match, in which they defended well and looked dangerous on the break, and with one point now separating them from safety, Sean Dyche will be even more confident that his side can beat the drop.
Man City's performance
This was meant to be a Manchester City side chasing the title, looking to overhaul an already-unlikely five-point gap to leaders Chelsea in order to defend their own title. However, the visitors showed a lack of urgency today that suggested that they thought they would only have to turn up to claim the three points. Just like the reverse fixture at the Etihad, however, they got a sharp wake-up call and can have no complaints at coming away with nothing.
Never mind having one eye on Wednesday's Champions League showdown with Barcelona, a lot of these City players seemed to have one eye on their summer holidays already. It was such a lethargic display from Manuel Pellegrini's men that it felt more like an end-of-season dead rubber. The champions were so sloppy and careless in possession, a point summed up when David Silva, of all people, mis-controlled a simple ball when he was clean through on goal.
City were already up against it in the title race, but the gap to Chelsea remains five and the leaders now have two games in hand, with only the Premier League to worry about. Today may well have been the final nail in the coffin of City's title defence, and the most disappointing thing for the fans is that they went down with such a whimper. They had a few sights of goal but failed to create a really clear chance against a side that had not kept a clean sheet in 14 games. It is now three wins in 11 in all competitions, which is simply not good enough for a club hoping to challenge on all fronts.
Sports Mole's man of the match
George Boyd: It was in the second half that Burnley really began to impress, and Boyd was right at the forefront of that. He never stopped running and took the game to City, even after opening the scoring. His finish was a lovely, crisp strike into the bottom corner, and he came close with what would have been an even better goal moments before that.
Biggest gaffe
Silva is usually the last player to come up with a slack piece of control when it matters, but the Spaniard spurned a very good chance with the scores still at 0-0 today. Aguero led a break and found his midfielder, who would have been clean through on goal with only the keeper to beat had he controlled the simple pass. He didn't, however, and ended up being forced out wide as the chance ultimately went begging.
Referee performance
Andre Marriner's main decision this evening came towards the end of the match as Pablo Zabaleta went down under the challenge of Ben Mee inside the box. There was contact and Mee did not get the ball, but Marriner awarded a free kick the other way. Perhaps Zabaleta went down a little softly, but it should have been a penalty for the visitors, which would surely have rescued them a point.
What next?
Burnley: The tough games keep on coming for Burnley, who travel to St Mary's to face Southampton next Saturday.
Man City: City, meanwhile, will need to improve immeasurably if they are to stand any chance of overcoming their first-leg deficit when they meet Barcelona in the Camp Nou on Wednesday.
Barney Corkhill
