BURNLEY boss Sean Dyche saw it as a compliment that Manchester City finished the match with six defenders on the pitch as the Citizens returned to the top of the Premier League with a 1-0 win at Turf Moor.

Sergio Aguero's ninth goal in nine games against the Clarets was enough to end Burnley's four game unbeaten run.

Burnley pressurised Pep Guardiola's side in the latter stages of the game, which caused the Spaniard to throw on John Stones and Nicolas Otamedi towards the end of the game.

"It’s a compliment I saw Pep Guardiola, with my own eyes, and heard him screaming ‘get it in the corner’!" said Dyche.

“It just goes to show, even the best have to do it, see the game through, four centre halves on the pitch...

“If we’d done that, and we were fighting for our lives to stay in the Premier League, people would have been ‘oh, look at that!’

“But they do it as well, sometimes, and today was one of those times.

“There’s no angle to my words, I just thought it was refreshing to see a top manager screaming at his players, to get it in the corner.

“I think it’s a sign of him wanting to win, you have to do what you have to do, make no mistake.

“I think there were a few moments second half where the game seemed to slow down, I don’t know if you noticed, but you have to do what you have to do to win.

“But it is refreshing to know you can’t always win with beauty. They’ve seen the game through by putting it in the corner, killing the game and putting on four centre halves, walking off the pitch as slow as they can...

“I’ve no problem with it by the way, credit to them, they still have to do the details, the hard yards, the ugly side of the game to make sure they win a game."

The Clarets' top flight status was secured on Saturday after Cardiff City lost at Fulham - Dyche has now guided his side to their fourth successive season in England's marquee league.

“I thought we had a real go and that was pleasing from a mentality point of view, because, obviously, when we get factually safe, people will wonder how will that affect the performance," Dyche added.

“But I thought we took the game on against a top side, very technical side.

“We’re not going to beat them at their game, so we had to make it awkward, almost a cup tie feel, when the game feels completely different, and I thought we did that well.

“We didn’t find the effectiveness in the front third, which is difficult against these sides, but we had the big moment with Woody in the first half, and we’ve kept at it, defended fantastically well, and you end up close to getting something from the game.

“But obviously they’ve got some great players, really talented players, so we’re not disappointed with the performance, but disappointed not to get something from the game."