- Erling Haaland’s early finish proved decisive
- Jeremy Doku was a constant attacking threat
- Burnley pushed late on, but City held firm
We’ve rated every Manchester City player from the tense clash at Turf Moor, where Pep Guardiola’s side edged past Burnley in a hard-fought 1-0 win that sent them to the top of the table.
Manchester City player ratings vs Burnley
Gianluigi Donnarumma – 7
Strong start for the goalkeeper with early saves. Kept it out when Jaidon Anthony cut inside and curled one toward the far post. Wasn’t overworked due to limited chances for Burnley. Good enough, but not a keeper masterclass.
Matheus Nunes – 6.5
Beaten too easily on the Clarets’ first effort as the Portuguese had a shaky start. However, Nunes recovered and snuffed out the home side on multiple occasions.
Abdukodir Khusanov – 7.5
Man City’s best defender tonight. The Uzbek centre-back kept pressure on the Burnley attackers, throwing himself in the way when the Clarets almost scored. Also kept out Zion Fleming’s shot, helping the Sky Blues maintain their lead.
Marc Guehi – 6.5
Quietest City defender on the pitch again. Unspectacular, but did enough not to have a bad game. With the Citizens in control, there wasn’t much he could do either.
Rayan Aït-Nouri – 5.5
Wasted a crucial chance which could’ve given Man City a goal difference lead against Arsenal in the Premier League. The visitors could’ve killed the game, but they barely edged against a relegation side due to these misses.
Bernardo Silva – 7.5
Very productive in the final third. Had the second most touches in the opposition box after Cherki. Performed well in Rodri’s absence as the Sky Blues needed someone to control the tempo.
Nico O’Reilly – 6
Didn’t control the midfield like he does the left flank. An underwhelming display compared to his recent games, but it was partly due to a change in role. Had decent attacking involvement but could’ve done better.
Antoine Semenyo – 5.5
Another weak display from Semenyo. Not an invisible game as he was involved in the attack, but he didn’t convince enough in the final third. Created only one chance throughout the whole game.
Rayan Cherki – 7.5
Not Cherki’s day, though he was still one of the most dangerous players for Man City today. Created eight chances throughout the game, the most by any player on the field. Also, the highest xA (0.41) and touches in the opposition box (17).
Jeremy Doku – 8
Made the only assist of the game. Probably the best City player today. Controlled the long ball well, spotted Haaland on time and supplied the right ball to Erling Haaland for the goal.
Erling Haaland – 8
Great composure, clean chip and good run on the goal. Had a shot blocked right after his goal, but was still a consistent threat on the opposition box. Hit the post again today like against Arsenal. He was decisive but could’ve done more.
Subs
Nico Gonzalez – 5.5
A flat cameo when Pep Guardiola was expecting some control in the midfield. With O’Reilly not offering much stability, Gonzlaez didn’t improve the situation much either. Although he did have a really good go at the goal, the shot ended up just wide.
Savinho – 6.5
Offered more than Semenyo on the right flank after coming on in the 65th minute. Forced a save off Martin Dubravka in the 70th minute following a Doku cross. Not game-changing, but his contributions mattered in a half where Man City didn’t create much.
