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Premier League
Nov 26, 2016 at 12.30pm UK
 
Manchester City logo

1-2

Marney (14')
FT(HT: 1-1)
Aguero (37', 60')

Sergio Aguero double earns Manchester City comeback win at Burnley

Manchester City earn back-to-back wins in the Premier League for the first time in two months by beating Burnley 2-1 at Turf Moor, courtesy of Sergio Aguero's brace.

Sergio Aguero scored in either half at Turf Moor to help Manchester City recover from a goal down to beat Burnley 2-1, taking his side back to the top of the Premier League.

Back-to-back wins for the Citizens in the top flight for the first time in more than two months puts them top of the pile, although Liverpool and Chelsea are still to play this weekend in a tight race for the title.

Aguero was again the key man for the visitors, scoring twice to join Diego Costa at the top of the scoring charts and taking his own personal tally to 33 goals in his last 34 league outings, but it could have been a different story had Burnley held on to their first-half lead.

Paul Robinson, handed his first Burnley start in the absence of the previously ever-present Tom Heaton - and a first appearance of any sort in senior football in 26 months - was thrown straight into the deep end with a trio of first-half stops.

The first came seven minutes in when pushing aside a trademark Aguero drive from 20 yards out, which was heading for the bottom corner if not for his intervention down low.

City were certainly not having things all their own way in Lancashire, however, and they also had to remain strong at the back to deny Johann Berg Gudmundsson a breakthrough strike after the Icelandic international cut inside and blasted away a decent attempt on goal.

Just two minutes later Burnley did find a way past Claudio Bravo, with a simple punt upfield from Robinson only being half-cleared by Nicolas Otamendi, allowing Dean Marney to volley home his first top-flight goal in seven years.

It was a fairly sluggish start by the Citizens, but they soon clicked into gear and tested Robinson for a second time as Nolito let the ball roll across his body - a sign of too much time inside the box - and looked for the far corner of the net.

Burnley stood strong on that occasion, though there was to be no denying Aguero eight minutes before the break - the Argentina international prodding home at the back stick after a corner somehow made it all the way through.

Yaya Toure, handed a second league start in the space of a week by Pep Guardiola, was using his power to drive into the box on occasions, sending one shot back off the outside of the post as City looked to up things further.

Robinson produced the best stop of the contest as half time closed in, getting across to claw aside Aguero's curling effort which looked destined for the net if not for the veteran stopper's fine save.

A half that started so well for the hosts ended badly, as Gudmundsson and goalscorer Marney both limped off which forced Sean Dyche to shuffle his pack slightly.

Despite the disruption to their flow, Burnley came close with the final act of the half when Sam Vokes met Matt Lowton's cross to send his header down the middle for Bravo to keep out.

City had won just one of their four games after midweek European ties this term heading into this early kickoff, and it appeared as though that run would extend to another match following a flat opening 15 minutes to the second period.

The Citizens, perhaps still feeling the effects of Wednesday's clash in Germany despite the five changes today, did manage to move back up the gears and were ahead for the first time on the hour mark.

Burnley, boasting one of the division's best home records, failed to clear their lines and, when Fernandinho got to the byline and put the ball across the face of goal, there was an inevitability about Aguero's rather fortuitous finish from close range.

It was a case of City remaining professional for the remainder, but Guardiola will have been aware of the hosts' record of late goals here - both scored and conceded - as the game entered its final quarter.

Height was proving to be Burnley's best route to goal, with Michael Keane seeing his header hacked clear towards the line by makeshift centre-back Aleksandar Kolarov, while Ashley Barnes also saw an audacious overhead kick kept out down the middle.

Guardiola turned to Kevin De Bruyne, statistically the division's most creative player, for the final stages, but in the end it was a case of the Premier League leaders remaining strong at the back and seeing things through with relative ease.

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