Manchester City moved top of the Premier League for the first time since August, but only on goals scored over title rivals Arsenal after labouring to a 1-0 win at Burnley.
The defeat for Burnley condemned them to relegation and an immediate return to the Championship, but they did Arsenal something of a favour with an impressive act of damage limitation.
City’s 2-1 win over Arsenal last Sunday handed them the initiative in the title race going into their game in hand, and a meeting with Scott Parker’s strugglers offered the chance to build a goal difference advantage over the Gunners.
It was one they looked set to take when Erling Haaland netted in the sixth minute to equal the goal difference with Arsenal.
But City were underwhelming thereafter as they were continually thwarted by the woodwork and Burnley goalkeeper Martin Dubravka.
Their failure to build a more commanding lead will offer encouragement to Arsenal, who will look to move back to the top and build a goal difference edge over City when they face Newcastle United on Saturday.
Pep Guardiola’s men kick off against Southampton at Wembley in the FA Cup semi-final 15 minutes before Arsenal face the Magpies. That engagement will now be Guardiola’s focus, but his frustration at his side’s unexpected struggles at Turf Moor spoke volumes as City displayed a lack of ruthlessness that could yet come back to haunt them come the final day of the season.
Manchester City reel in Arsenal
Burnley threatened early as Jaidon Anthony saw a curling effort kept out by Gianluigi Donnarumma, but Dubravka produced an outstanding save to to tip a Rayan Cherki effort onto the crossbar following brilliant work from Bernardo Silva.
But the scene looked set for a City rout when Jeremy Doku played Haaland in down the left and the Norwegian made no mistake with a dinked finish into the far corner.
Yet Burnley’s response was admirable, with Quilindschy Hartman denied only by a great block by Abdukodir Khusanov before Zian Flemming dragged wide with the entire goal at which to aim.
Nico O’Reilly drew another strong Dubravka save and Antoine Semenyo had an effort deflected onto the post as City sought breathing room, which the woodwork once again denied them as Haaland struck the post early in the second half.
But City found Burnley harder to break down as the game dragged on, though Savinho had an effort repelled by Dubravka at the end of one of the visitors’ best moves.
The best chance of the second half fell to O’Reilly as he was teed up with a chance from point-blank range by Cherki, only to shoot straight at Dubravka, his profligacy summing up the evening for City.