Man City 5-0 Burnley
at Eastland
by James Nalton

PEP GUARDIOLA wants Manchester City to emulate Europe’s most dominant clubs after watching his side keep their foot on the gas against Burnley in the FA Cup fourth round.

The Catalan boss singled out Juventus, as well as former clubs Bayern Munich and Barcelona as the three teams he admires the most, praising their consistency and relentless winning over a number of years.

“The best teams in last decade — Juventus, Bayern, and Barcelona — every season they win the league, and in the cups they are there,” he said of the European giants.

“They are the best because they win again and again and again. Every three days during every month, during 10 years, that is the winner I respect the most. 

“That will be my dream that in every league, every competition, we try to do that.”

Like the FA Cup itself, this clash was born in the late 19th century, but these two stalwarts of Lancashire football are fighting different fights. Burnley are battling relegation while City challenge in all four of the competitions they have entered this season.

The opening goal was made in Brazil. Increasingly impressive full-back Danilo slid a ball through to Gabriel Jesus down the left and the striker traversed the penalty area, beating two men before slotting past Nick Pope.

The game may well have taken a different route had Matej Vydra taken a chance presented to him by City’s Argentine centre back Nicolas Otamendi, but Vydra hit the side netting when clean through on goal.

City went down the other end and made it two, then three, then four, thanks to Bernardo Silva, Kevin De Bruyne, and an own goal from Kevin Long following De Bruyne’s undefendable cross.

Long was then involved in a mix-up with Pope in the build-up to City’s fifth, and ended up fouling substitute David Silva to preventing him reaching the ball. Graham Scott pointed to the spot and another sub, Sergio Aguero, scored from it.

Burnley manager Sean Dyche rued his striker’s missed chance.

“The golden moment, the big moment to go and score changes the whole feeling,” he said. 

“Vyds strokes it into net then the stadium changes, the feeling changes, and the whole outlook of the game changes.”

Guardiola doesn’t want to talk of a quadruple, as he said that every time this was brought up last season his team exited a competition, but with the strength in depth they showed today, they have a good chance of achieving the consistent success he craves.