The reigning champions picked up form where we left off with last season’s 52-goal top scorer Erling Haaland claiming a brilliant first-half brace to put City in the driving seat.
An emphatic all-round performance was then rounded off late in the second half when Rodrigo set the seal on another hugely impressive individual display by netting from close range.
As well as a fine all-round team display, there were also individual highlights across the 90 minutes from Pep Guardiola’s side.
Here we take a look at some of the most eye-catching facts and figures to emerge from our opening league assignment…
100 up for Erling
The sight of a rampaging Erling Haaland back in business doing what he does best was manna from heaven for every City fan,
As with last season on his debut at West Ham, Haaland marked the first day of the new Premier League season with a brilliant brace, executing both of his goals with sublime technique and a master predator’s instinct.
The second took his tally in Europe’s top five leagues to 100 goals (63 for Borussia Dortmund, 37 for City) and meant that he has now scored at least one goal against 35 of the 40 teams he has faced with Dortmund and City in league football.
What’s more the feat also meant Haaland became only the second player to score two goals in a team’s opening game of a Premier League season in consecutive seasons.
The only other player to have achieved the feat is Didier Drogba in 2009-10 (two vs Hull) and 2010-11 (three vs West Brom) for Chelsea.
On the evidence of Friday night, the Norwegian’s appetite for goals and success looks just as ravenous as last term!
dominant record
Burnley could be forgiven for feeling sick to the back teeth at the prospect of playing City.
Friday’s win marked our 12th consecutive triumph over the Clarets in all competitions.
Over the course of that remarkable run, the aggregate scoreline now stands at 43-1 in City’s favour.
Incredible stats.
Set piece delivery
City’s prowess and threat from set pieces was also self-evident in Friday’s emphatic league opener.
Our opening goal inside the first four minutes originated from Kevin De Bruyne’ quickly taken short corner to Phil Foden.
The ball was recycled back to the Belgian and from his teasing cross, Rodrigo’s far post header picked out the waiting Haaland who executed an exquisite close-range finish.
Rodrigo was then the recipient of another fine set-pice 15 minutes from time as he applied the finishing touch to an exquisite Phil Foden free-kick that had sparked panic and chaos in the Burnley box.
Two goals created from set-piece manoeuvres more than augurs well for the rest of the campaign.
Regal Rodrigo
While the individual headlines may have been dominated by Haaland after his brilliant brace, holding midfielder Rodrigo provided yet another telling example of his enormous impact and importance to City.
Scorer of arguably the most important goal in the Club’s history, last season’s Champions League final winner against Inter, the Spaniard was at his imperious best once more at Turf Moor as his heat map below illustrates.
That late second half strike rounded off a wonderful all-round performance that saw him again amply illustrate why the 27-year-old is now widely regarded as the game’s pre-eminent holding midfielder.
He made more passes than anybody else (110), delivered more attempts on target than any other player (3), boasted the highest pass completion rate from either side (97.3 per cent), won more tackles (5) than any other player and also rounded off a brilliant display by providing the assist for Haaland’s opener.
Quite the statement of intent!
Power house display
It wasn’t just the scoreline that made for impressive reading.
All the major stats favoured City across Friday’s win.
We enjoyed 65.5% possession to Burnley’s 34.5% while expected goals were 2.21 to City and 0.3 to Burnley.
City had 17 shots to Burnley’s 6, with 8 shots on target to 1 for the hosts.
We had 696 passes compared to Burnley’s 362 while City also boasted an 89.8 per cent passing completion rate in contrast to the Clarets’ 79.6 per cent tally.
It’s fair to say City are up and running!
