Manchester City 3-1 Burnley
JULIAN ALVAREZ STRUCK twice and Erling Haaland returned to action as Manchester City eased to a 3-1 win over relegation-threatened Burnley.
Argentinian World Cup-winner Alvarez, on his 24th birthday, netted twice in the first half and Rodri added a third as the champions went untroubled until Ameen Al-Dakhil grabbed a stoppage-time consolation at the Etihad Stadium.
City were further cheered by the sight of Haaland returning from injury as a late substitute while Kevin De Bruyne made his first Premier League start since August.
It was a miserable return to the ground for former City captain Vincent Kompany, the Burnley manager, with his side comprehensively beaten and left seven points adrift of safety.
Given their predicament and having conceded 37 goals in their previous nine visits to the Etihad, the Clarets were hardly expected to trouble the treble winners.
Yet this was an especially limp performance and City, aided by some poor defending, barely got out of second gear.
After 15 minutes of the home side calmly controlling possession, Phil Foden caught the visitors off-guard as he released Matheus Nunes with a flicked ball.
The Portuguese’s first cross was blocked but he was given all the time he needed to attempt it for a second time, and casually picked out an unmarked Alvarez to head home from close range.
Burnley were caught napping again just six minutes later as the striker doubled City’s lead from a cleverly-taken set-piece.
De Bruyne spotted a huge gap in the area as he lined up a free-kick and played a low ball in for Alvarez to turn and slot past former City youngster James Trafford.
It was a routine that had clearly been worked on in training as manager Pep Guardiola made a point of congratulating his assistant Carlos Vicens, a dead-ball specialist.
City tightened their grip in the opening minute of the second half. Foden was again instrumental as he raced onto a De Bruyne throughball and pulled back for Rodri, who nonchalantly passed into the net from the edge of the area.
Burnley had the final say when Al-Dakhil turned in a cross from debutant David Datro Fofana’s cross but the outcome had long since been determined.
Tottenham Hotspur 3-2 Brentford
TOTTENHAM MOVED BACK into the Champions League places after three goals in eight second-half minutes fired them to a chaotic 3-2 win at home to Brentford.
Spurs were sluggish in the first half and trailed to Neal Maupay’s 15th-minute opener but Ange Postecoglou’s half-time team talk seemingly did the trick.
Destiny Udogie and substitute Brennan Johnson scored within 72 seconds of each other at the start of the second period before Richarlison grabbed his seventh goal in his last seven Premier League games.
There was still time for Ivan Toney to score again on his second appearance since his return from a betting ban but Tottenham held on to leapfrog Aston Villa and reclaim fourth spot.
While all eyes were on Toney, it was the Bees’ other forward who broke the deadlock.
Udogie gave away possession to Christian Norgaard who sent Toney clear and while goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario thwarted the England international, Maupay was on hand to bundle in to score for a fourth consecutive match.
Maupay and Toney celebrated by mimicking Maddison’s dart throw celebration but it was a deserved opener after Mads Roerslev had a goal ruled out for offside minutes earlier.
Timo Werner and Udogie lacked cutting edge in the first half but combined to equalise three minutes into the second half.
Udogie carried the ball forward, played a quick one-two with Werner and, after his first effort had been blocked by Ethan Pinnock, he was on hand to slot home to make it 1-1.
The Brentford players had barely got back into position when Tottenham grabbed another.
Dejan Kulusevski sent Werner away and the RB Leipzig loanee showed a clinical edge with a fine ball to the back post where substitute Johnson tapped in.
Johnson celebrated by copying Maddison’s darts celebration and Richarlison followed suit in the 56th minute.
Tottenham were at their free-flowing best now with Udogie finding Maddison, who cut back and had a shot blocked by Pinnock but Richarlison was on hand to steer home.
Brentford remained a threat and after Toney had sent two efforts wide, he made it third time lucky in front of England manager Gareth Southgate with 67 minutes played.
It was another gift from Udogie, who failed to look up and sent his pass back straight to Toney and he rifled into the corner to set up a grandstand finish.
