Burnley 1 Manchester City 6: Roberto Mancini sings in the rain as rampant City go fourth

04 April 2010 09:40
Manchester City  were singing in the rain after an astonishing early goal blitz paved the way for their biggest away win in the top flight for more than 50 years. [LNB]Some Burnley fans walked out in disgust after only seven minutes as City hit three goals and took full advantage of a slip-up by Tottenham earlier in the day to move into the final Champions League place.[LNB] Incredibly, City's victory was almost put in doubt by a second-half rain deluge that left huge puddles on the pitch with the score at 5-0 and the fourth official assessing whether it was safe to continue. [LNB]Six shooters: City simply battered Burnley[LNB]Roberto Mancini, who will only keep his job if City finish fourth, said: 'It's important to be fourth now but much more important to be there at the end of the season. I've never seen my team score three goals in seven minutes. It meant I could be quiet in the second half!' [LNB]Poor Brian Laws might not even survive as long as Mancini. His team have picked up just one point out of a possible 27 and look doomed.[LNB] 'I wasn't expecting that and I'm not accepting that,' he said. 'I am angry about the performance but not talking about anything else. The three goals at the start killed the game. You could see the life drain from us.'[LNB] The massacre started after only four minutes with Burnley's collection of journeymen and bargain buys unable to keep the £50million strikeforce of Carlos Tevez and Emmanuel Adebayor at bay. [LNB]Getting in on the act: Even Patrick Vieira (left) got on the scoresheet[LNB]Adebayor was first to pounce after four minutes, given the time and space to drill home an Adam Johnson corner - one of three from which City scored. Craig Bellamy was next 60 seconds later when he took a Tevez pass in his stride, rounded Michael Duff and sidefooted past Brian Jensen. Tevez nabbed his 26th goal of a successful campaign after Jensen had spilt Adebayor's powderpuff shot. [LNB]Mancini added: 'Hearing that Spurs had lost gave us a lift and we started well, pressurising Burnley high up the pitch, which gave us chances. If we play like that and Carlos and Manu can stay fit and keep their form, we have a very good chance to finish fourth.' [LNB]Mancini had been quoted as saying he would be interested in taking over at Juventus next season but after a thumping win like this, he was only thinking of Manchester. He said: 'I never said that about Juventus. I'm manager at Manchester City. I want to be here next season.' [LNB]Too easy: Vincent Kompany (second right) nods in the sixth[LNB]City boosted their goal difference further when Patrick Vieira headed home another Johnson corner. Cue more departures from the home fans, while ex-City manager Kevin Keegan remarked on television: 'This is the worst defending I have ever seen in the Premier League.' [LNB]City spent the rest of the evening setting records. After Tevez had hit a post, he set up Adebayor to score a fifth on the stroke of half-time - setting a Premier League record. [LNB]Vincent Kompany's header after 58 minutes from Johnson's corner equalled City's record for scoring six in the Premier League and matched their last five-goal away win - at Manchester United in 1955. [LNB]Burnley fans tried to rally their team and David Nugent forced a good save from Shay Given before Steven Fletcher outpaced Kolo Toure to drive in a consolation. [LNB]  City boss Mancini opens door on move to childhood idols JuventusBurnley 1 Manchester 6: As it happenedBURNLEY FC

Source: Daily_Mail