Erling Haaland bagged a brace as champions Manchester City began their Premier League campaign with a 3-0 win over Burnley.
Premier League
Result: Burnley 0-3 Manchester City
Date: 11 August 2023
Venue: Turf Moor
New City signings Mateo Kovacic and Josko Gvardiol were only named on the bench as manager Pep Guardiola went with the tried and tested, while South African striker Lyle Foster made his Premier League debut for the home side.Last season's top scorer Erling Haaland got down to business and only needed four minutes to open scoring after turning home Rodri's knockdown with a first-time volley.
While Burnley struggled to carve out chances, Guardiola was forced to make an alteration to his side on 25 minutes as Kevin de Bruyne was forced off with an injury and replaced by Kovacic.
The hosts did liven up after De Bruyne's departure, as Foster managed to win the ball high up and skip past Kyle Walker before curling one wide of Ederson's upright before the 30-minute mark.
However, the lead was doubled ten minutes before the break as Haaland completed his brace with a sumptuous finish after being teed up by strike partner Julian Alvarez in the box.
The second half continued in similar fashion to the first, with the Citizens dominating possession while Burnley looked to catch their opponents on the counter.
The visitors eventually got their third goal in the 75th minute when Rodri reacted quickest to a loose ball in the box and rifled the ball into the back of the net for his first goal of the season.
With City comfortably leading, Guardiola opted to ring the changes as new Gvardiol was introduced for the final ten minutes along with Cole Palmer and Aymeric Laporte as the champions start the new season with a win.
The night did end on a sour note for Kompany's charges, who finished the game with ten players after Zaroury was given his marching orders for a dangerous challenge on Kyle Walker following a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review.
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