Own goals SHINE: Guardiola's City men survive Burnley embarrassment thanks to Esteve

Manchester City avoided a major upset at the Etihad, securing a hard-fought victory over a resilient Burnley side with two crucial own goals from Clarets defender Maxime Esteve.

While the final score read 5-1, it was far from a comfortable afternoon for Pep Guardiola's champions.

City started the game as expected, applying immense pressure on the newly-promoted side. Their dominance paid off early, but not in the way they would have hoped. 

In the 12th minute, a brilliant run from Jeremy Doku on the left wing forced a strong save from Burnley keeper Martin Dubravka. 

Unfortunately for Burnley, the rebound ricocheted off Esteve and into the net, giving City a fortuitous lead.

That advantage was short-lived, as Burnley's Jaidon Anthony, who has been in electric form this season, stunned the Etihad faithful by leveling the score. 

He swept in a deflected cross, netting his fourth goal of the campaign and bringing the Clarets level in an impressive, dogged display. 

At halftime, with the score tied at 1-1, Burnley had every reason to believe they could pull off a historic upset.

The second half saw City ramp up the intensity. Matheus Nunes settled the nerves with a superb volley, after Phil Foden’s cross was headed down by Erling Haaland. 

The goal restored City’s lead, but the decisive moment came from an unlikely source. Substitute Oscar Bobb, on the pitch for only a few minutes, got a shot on goal that once again, tragically for Burnley, deflected off Esteve for his second own goal of the day.

With the 3-1 lead, the floodgates opened for City. Erling Haaland, who had been frustrated for most of the match, finally got his moment. 

He swiveled on his left foot to get his first goal, and just three minutes later, he grabbed his second, turning what had been a difficult afternoon into a very fruitful one for the Norwegian striker and his fantasy football managers.

The final scoreline flatters City, but the champions will be relieved to have weathered the storm.  For Burnley, despite the disappointing result, their spirited performance and ability to create chances against one of the world's best teams is a clear sign of their potential in the league.