Man City 5-1 Burnley

Wabnchope slides home City's first against Burnley

Manchester City 5-1 Burnley

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Manchester City closed the gap on First Division leaders Burnley to one point with a crushing victory.

Paolo Wanchope shrugged off the shadow of long-term injury to score a brilliant first-half hat-trick as City raced into a four-goal lead.

Burnley boss Stan Ternent will rue City goalkeeper Carlo Nash's penalty save from Glen Little when they were only one goal behind, but ultimately Burnley were outclassed.

City ran the midfield courtesy of Ali Benarbia and Eyal Berkovic - and in Wanchope and Shaun Goater they had the firepower to profit from their finesse.

Kevin Keegan's side is still a mixture of shambolic defending and stunning attacking talent, but they retain the most potent promotion potential in this mood.

City celebrate Wanchope's hat-trick

Burnley pulled a second-half goal back from Ian Moore, but they had already been devastated by City's attacking play in the first half.

Subsitute Darren Huckerby put the finishing touches to an emphatic victory with a fifth in injury time.

City got the perfect start after 90 seconds when Goater crossed for Wanchope to slide a precise finish past Nik Michopolous.

Burnley responded in spirited fashion, but spurned what proved to be their best opportunity when Little missed from the spot after 11 minutes.

Gerard Wiekens hauled down Alan Moore, but Little's spot-kick was casual and Nash dived to his right to save.

Cool finish

Kevin Horlock then headed off the line from Kevin Ball - but it was a small shaft of light is a dismal first half for the Clarets.

City doubled their advantage after 27 minutes when Benarbia played in Wanchope for another cool finish.

Nine minutes later, a slick interchange between Wanchope and Goater was given the final flourish it deserved as Berkovic scored from the edge of the area.

Burnley saw any lingering hope snuffed out on the stroke of half-time when Wanchope completed his treble after sloppy work by Grant gifted the ball to Berkovic.

Ternent's side improved after the break, but they were helped by the ragged rearguard play that makes City so unpredictable.

Moore threw Burnley the flimsiest of lifelines on the hour when he beat Nash at his near post.

It left another massive Maine Road crowd grateful City had such a commanding lead as Keegan's side indulged in occasionally farcical defending.

City settled again as time ran out for Burnley, and could have added more, only for Benarbia to waste a golden opportunity and Michopoulos to save brilliantly from Wanchope.

Keegan got the finish he demanded in injury time when substitute Huckerby, on for Goater, raced half the length of the field to beat Michopoulos for the fifth.

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Man City: Nash, Howey, Wiekens (Dunne 21), Mettomo, Edghill (Wright-Phillips 80), Benarbia, Berkovic, Horlock, Tiatto, Wanchope, Goater (Huckerby 65). Subs Not Used: Weaver, Haaland. Booked: Mettomo.

Burnley: Michopoulos, West (Papadopoulos 71), Cox, Gnohere, Briscoe, Little, Ball, Grant, Alan Moore, Taylor, Ian Moore (Ellis 81). Subs Not Used: Cennamo, Armstrong, Johnrose.

Booked: Papadopoulos.

Att: 34,250

Referee: M Messias (York).