MX23RW : Saturday, December 14 01:06:15| >> :60:1724:1724:
[monks data]
Manchester City logo
Premier League
Dec 28, 2014 at 3pm UK
 
Burnley logo

2-2

Silva (23'), Fernandinho (33')
FT(HT: 2-0)
Boyd (47'), Barnes (81')

Player Ratings: Manchester City 2-2 Burnley

Sports Mole rates the players involved in Burnley's 2-2 draw away to Manchester City in the Premier League.

Manchester City saw the defence of their Premier League crown suffer a setback on Sunday with a 2-2 draw at home to Burnley.

The hosts moved into a commanding 2-0 lead at the break as goals from David Silva and Fernandinho put them in control.

However, George Boyd levelled for the visitors at the start of the second half before a late strike from Ashley Barnes earned them a deserved share of the spoils.

Here, Sports Mole takes a look at the individual performances of those involved at the Etihad Stadium.


Fernandinho of Manchester City celebrartes with team mates after scoring the second goal during the Barclays Premier League match between Manchester City and Burnley at Etihad Stadium on December 28, 2014© Getty Images

MAN CITY

Goal

Joe Hart: Did not always look particularly commanding between the sticks. Made a bad error for Burnley's first goal, but also did a good job of keeping out a couple of other efforts. (6/10)

Defence

Pablo Zabaleta: The Argentine ran tirelessly all afternoon, though he struggled to cope with the away side's attack as the game went on. (6/10)

Martin Demichelis: A questionable display from the centre-back, who failed to assert his authority when it counted. (5/10)

Eliaquim Mangala: Performed marginally better than Demichelis, though the pair made it obvious that City look poor at the back when captain Vincent Kompany is absent. (6/10)

Aleksandar Kolarov: Got forward and made himself known in attack, particularly during the opening 45 minutes. However, he failed to keep this up for the whole match. (6/10)

Midfield

Fernando: Controlled central areas well when City were on top, but he looked overwhelmed after the break as Burnley took the game to the champions. (6/10)

Fernandinho: Alongside Fernando, Fernandinho kept City's midfield ticking over in the first half, though his influence had waned before he was taken off during the final minutes. (6/10)

Samir Nasri: Failed to reach the heights that he did on Boxing Day against West Bromwich Albion. Still offered plenty of creativity to his side, but could have provided more when it mattered. (7/10)

David Silva: Was a force to be reckoned with in the first half as he pulled the strings in advanced areas. Despite continuing to be a key part of City's attack after the break, Silva seemed lacking in ideas by the end. (7/10)

Jesus Navas: Another impressive game for the Spaniard, who gave the Burnley defence a torrid afternoon down the right flank. Used his pace well, while his crossing was also an important factor in his side's first-half performance. (8/10)

Attack

James Milner: The Englishman has done an admirable job over the past two weeks of acting as a makeshift striker for the champions, but this was one game too far. Even though he worked hard up front, Milner struggled to make an impact. (5/10)

Substitutes

Stevan Jovetic: Worked honestly when he came off the bench with half an hour left. Had a couple of cracks at goal to no avail. (6/10)

Frank Lampard: Was brought on for the final 15 minutes to add a bit of assurance to City's midfield, only to come up short. (5/10)

Scott Sinclair: City's forgotten man was given two minutes to turn the game in his side's favour and failed to do so. (5/10)


Ashley Barnes of Burnley scores their second goal during the Barclays Premier League match between Manchester City and Burnley at Etihad Stadium on December 28, 2014© Getty Images

BURNLEY

Goal

Tom Heaton: Could do little about City's goals, but Heaton made amends with some solid stops to deny the champions. (6/10)

Defence

Kieran Trippier: His delivery from set pieces was valuable to the Burnley cause, while some sensible positioning late on kept their defence solid. (7/10)

Michael Keane: While his inexperience was evident at times, Keane's overall display was a mature one at the back for the away side. (6/10)

Jason Shackell: Burnley's skipper put in an assured performance, despite City's dominance during the opening half. Led like all captains should - with passion, commitment and discipline. (7/10)

Ben Mee: Found life difficult in the first half, though he grew in confidence after the break. (6/10)

Midfield

George Boyd: Showed good stamina throughout, running from box to box with authority. Was lucky not to get flagged offside for his goal at the start of the second half, but it was his strike that began Burnley's revival. (7/10)

Dean Marney: Was a steadying influence in midfield for the visitors. Won the ball numerous times and stifled City's more creative players. (7/10)

David Jones: The experienced midfield worked well with Marney in central areas. Anchored the team and often set them away at the other end with some measured passing. (7/10)

Scott Arfield: This was one of Arfield's quieter games for Burnley, though he showed plenty of eagerness to get forward and support his side up the pitch. (6/10)

Attack

Danny Ings: His pace and movement troubled the City defence on more than one occasion. Could have had a goal to his name in the second half, but a lack of control let him down. (6/10)

Ashley Barnes: Did a great job of holding the ball up for Burnley, allowing the likes of Ings and Boyd to feed off the scraps. Took his goal extremely well, lashing the ball past Hart with venom. (7/10)


ID:195965: cacheID:195965:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:8993:
Written by
Jack Prescott
No Data Analysis info
Restore Data
Share this article now:
George Boyd of Burnley celebrates scoring their first goal during the Barclays Premier League match between Manchester City and Burnley at Etihad Stadium on December 28, 2014
Read Next:
Match Analysis: Man City 2-2 Burnley
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool14112129111835
2Chelsea1594235181731
3Arsenal1585229151429
4Manchester CityMan City158342721627
5Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest157441918125
6Aston Villa157442323025
7Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton156632522324
8Bournemouth157352320324
9Brentford157263128323
10Fulham156542220223
11Tottenham HotspurSpurs1562731191220
12Newcastle UnitedNewcastle155551921-220
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd155461918119
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham155372028-818
15Everton143561421-714
16Leicester CityLeicester153572130-914
17Crystal Palace152761420-613
18Ipswich TownIpswich151681427-139
19Wolverhampton WanderersWolves1523102338-159
20Southampton1512121131-205


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!