Clichy, Aguero get 10-man City back on track
Manchester - Manchester City overcame the first-half dismissal of Fernandinho and another Claudio Bravo error to secure a nervy 2-1 Premier League victory over Burnley on Monday.
Fernandinho's third red card in six games will lead to a four-game suspension, but after City's worst first half to a league season in eight years manager Pep Guardiola will be relieved just to get the three points through goals from Gael Clichy and Sergio Aguero.
Four minutes after Clichy's third goal for club, City took further control when Kevin De Bruyne's pass played Raheem Sterling into the area, thanks to a slip by defender Ben Mee.
Sterling fell as 'keeper Tom Heaton blocked at his feet, but substitute Aguero was on hand to steer the ball into an empty net from a wide angle via the post and defender Matt Lowton.
Yet City still faced an anxious conclusion to the game after a mistake by goalkeeper Bravo from a corner saw Nicolas Otamendi clear off the line and Mee fire in the rebound off the underside of the crossbar.
The win allowed City to close to within two points of second-place Liverpool, who was held 2-2 at Sunderland, and to within seven of Chelsea, ahead of the leader's trip to Tottenham on Wednesday.
Fernandinho sees red, again
City had made a bright start before Fernandinho's rash challenge left referee Lee Mason with little choice but to show him a straight red card on 32 minutes.
The Brazilian flew into a challenge on Johann Berg Gudmundsson with both feet off the ground, which saw him become the sixth City player to be sent off in Guardiola's 30 games at the helm.
City pressed and, on 18 minutes, Heaton proved unbeatable again as he dived smartly to cover Toure's 18-yard shot, but Fernandinho's loss dramatically altered the pattern of the game.
Burnley, who has won just one away point on its league travels all season, must have fancied its chances of improving that statistic.
But Guardiola's response was to bring on David Silva and Aguero, two of the mainstays of City's success in recent years, at the interval.
Aguero might have done better after Sterling's shot was blocked and the loose ball spun in his direction, but defender Stephen Ward reacted quickly to intercept.
The three goals quickly followed, in the space of 12 minutes, although chances were scarce for the remainder of the game.
Aguero and Burnley's Andre Gray both missed the target with half-chances, while Michael Keane's injury-time shot bounced awkwardly off the ground and forced Bravo into a fingertip save.