True Grit City 2 vs 1 Burnley

“We won against a lot of circumstances, in a tough game, and we're happy for that”, Pep Guardiola – 02/01/2017.

Goals: Clichy (58'), Aguero (62'); Mee (70')

Line Up (4-1-4-1/3-1-3-1-1) (match ratings in brackets); 

Bravo (5)
Sagna (6)
Kolorov (6.5)
Otamendi (5.5)
Clichy (6)
Toure (6.5)
Sterling (7), (Stones 89' (5.5))
Fernandinho (Red 32' 4)
Navas (5.5), (Silva 45' (7))
Iheanacho (5.5), (Aguero 45' (8))
De Bruyne (7)

Referee; Lee Mason (3.5)

Stats;Possession, 56%/44%; Shots, 13(3)/11(3); Corners, 8/8; Fouls, 11/11

Any regular readers of the blog, (about 60 at the moment and we thank you again for your support) will be well aware of our thoughts on refereeing standards in the Premier League. As time marches on with no changes to the refereeing qualifications or review system, and no sign of technology being considered to bail the FA out of the hole they have dug through no openness, governance or accountability for poor standards, refereeing just gets worse and worse.  Lee Mason was today was the epitome of where that leaves the game, i.e. in the land of refereeing randomness. I say this not for the red card. It's not Mason's fault that many other referees have given nothing or yellow for the same offence, but for the complete lack of consistency of what did and did not warrant punishment for a string of nasty challenges by Burnley which went unacknowledged by the officials. 

So with that all too familiar rant out of the way, what of the performance of a much changed City team? 

This was a big three points, as perhaps all points will now be between now and the end of the season. The win was all the sweeter as it came under pressure. A big performance was warranted after dropping points at Anfield (though I still don't believe it was that bad a game by the blues; on their travels at a ground where we have not won in thirteen years). City were then reduced to ten men having squandered a couple of decent chances early doors. Iheanacho was preferred to Aguero, and his finishing was not up to his usual clinical best, placing his shot too close to keeper Heaton when put through by Sterling on 6', and then found another shot blocked when played through by Toure two minutes later; this time seeing the ball rise over the bar. City then should have been ahead again as this time Navas erred by choosing to pass rather than shoot when within site of goal from a break on 17'. Then came the straight red for Fernandhino, on the half hour, and the pressure was ratcheted up a couple more notches, with what could have been a game changing decision. 

It was Pep though that changed the game. Rather than play a more conservative possession game and hope City's class shone through; he went on the offensive at half time. Swapping the ineffectual Navas and Iheancho for Silva and Aguero. He also asked the team to play on the front foot, and placed Sterling directly behind Aguero to support the striker, whilst opting for 3 at the back (Sagna playing much nearer Toure than to his centre halves). 

The result was telling. Only occasionally was it noticeable that City had fewer men, and it was City's front four who made the better use of the space created. Then on 58' Pep's positivity was rewarded, from the most unlikely of sources, as Gael Clichy stepped in from the left of the penalty area and shot through a crowded box low and right of keeper Heaton, 1-0. 

Things got even better four minutes later, De Bruyne and Sterling reacting quicker on the break, Sterling fell over his own feet in the box before Aguero picked up the ball and smashed it home from an impossible angle off the right post, 2-0. Burnley again got the rub of the green, when on 70' Mee followed up a goal mouth scramble from a corner, the ball rebounding off the bar and just over the line; but City held on for a much deserved three points. 

Far from a vintage performance, the result leaves City actually five points better off than last season against the same fixtures. The top six teams are now however starting to boss the table, and this was the least of what was needed. A lot of hard work lies ahead to stay top four let alone challenge Chelsea, but City today showed that they have the grit needed, and if they can apply it consistently, stranger things have happened. #CTID. 

@l0ngwayfr0mh0me