GIVEN the way Manchester City have been playing this season facing them once at the Etihad would have been quite enough.

Instead the Clarets were handed a second trip to City’s home for this FA Cup tie and for more than half an hour the 7,600 travelling fans could dream of a shock.

It says everything you need to know about the domestic dominance of Pep Guardiola’s side this season that seventh in the Premier League winning away at first in the Premier League would probably have been the biggest upset on third round weekend.

When Ashley Barnes fired home a rocket in the first half it looked like it was on. Could the Clarets end City’s dreams of a domestic treble?

In the end the answer was, as we all feared, no. But not before Burnley had given City a mighty scare. After taking the lead they were rarely troubled until a moment of controversy combined with a moment of sloppiness to bring City level.

Given the Clarets comfortable Premier League position, with safety all but secured already and the second half of the campaign all about whether they can maintain a charge for Europe, this could have been the ideal year for Burnley to launch a significant cup run.

But when they were handed the toughest possible third round tie those thoughts were all but shelved. A couple of free weekends will have to do instead.

After such a hectic league schedule both managers were expected to shuffle the deck on third round day. But Sean Dyche made just four changes to his injury-hit side, while Guardiola made just three. A sign of the respect he has for Burnley and of his desire to sweep the board in terms of trophies this season.

In the early stages the game followed a similar pattern to the league clash here, where the Clarets looked comfortable before a controversial penalty decision.

While City probed they rarely penetrated and instead it was the visitors who looked more dangerous. Barnes couldn’t force home a Ben Mee header as it flashed across goal, but he made no mistake on 25 minutes.

Sam Vokes flicked on Nick Pope’s clearance but it looked comfortable for City until John Stones made a mess of his clearance. Barnes took advantage and thrashed the ball beyond Claudio Bravo.

Burnley continued to look comfortable until City were awarded a free-kick 35 yards from goal ten minutes into the second half. While the impressive Ashley Westwood negotiated with Graham Scott over whether or not he would blow the whistle to take the free-kick, Ilkay Gundogan took a quick one, slipped in Sergio Aguero and he finished under Pope.

The Clarets were furious as Dyche and Guardiola clashed on the touchline and they failed to regain their composure before City completed the turnaround. Again Aguero and Gundogan combined with the latter’s backheel sending the Argentine through and he rounded Pope to score. In the space of 94 seconds the upset was gone.

City were purring now. Leroy Sane should have scored from five yards before he did get on the scoresheet, swapping passes with David Silva, bursting beyond Mee and finishing smartly.

Burnley tried to find a way back with Westwood’s shot deflected behind and Kevin Long heading straight at Bravo before Jon Walters’ looping header found the roof of the net.

The Clarets didn’t deserve to be on the wrong end of a 4-1 defeat but it was just that with eight minutes to go. Sane latched on to Kevin De Bruyne’s through ball and rounded Pope, who had come out of his area, before squaring for Bernardo Silva to roll the ball home.