The game marked the return of Vincent Kompany, the former City legend who now manages Burnley, to his old stomping ground.
The first half was a tight affair
Manchester City booked their place in the FA Cup semi-finals with a dominant 6-0 victory over Burnley at the Etihad Stadium. The game marked the return of Vincent Kompany, the former City legend who now manages Burnley, to his old stomping ground. The first half was a tight affair, with Burnley managing to frustrate City with their disciplined defensive shape. However, the difference in quality between the two sides was soon evident when Erling Haaland entered the fray. The Norwegian striker, who is currently the world’s most in-form player, made an immediate impact by scoring two goals in quick succession to put City in control. Haaland’s first goal came at the 32-minute mark, when he latched onto a perfectly-weighted pass from Julian Alvarez to slot the ball past Burnley’s goalkeeper. Just moments later, he doubled City’s lead by converting a low cross from Phil Foden.
Haaland completed his hat-trick just before the hour mark
The second half was all about City’s dominance, as they put on a clinic of slick passing and clinical finishing. Haaland completed his hat-trick just before the hour mark, pouncing on a rebounded shot from Foden to fire the ball into the back of the net. Julian Alvarez got in on the act by scoring City’s fourth goal from close range before Cole Palmer and Kevin De Bruyne rounded off the scoring to make it 6-0. De Bruyne, who was instrumental in City’s attacking play throughout the game, picked up two assists to cap off an outstanding individual performance.
While the result will undoubtedly be disappointing for Burnley, they can take solace in the fact that their primary focus this season is on securing promotion to the Premier League. As for City, they will now turn their attention to the semi-finals of the FA Cup, as they continue their quest for a historic quadruple. With Haaland in such scintillating form, they will be a formidable opponent for any team that stands in their way.