And while Burnley’s remarkable record of having beaten the defending champions in each of their four previous Premier League campaigns came to an end, Sean Dyche’s men can rightly celebrate their achievement of making sure they will again rub shoulders with the elite again next term.

That will allow Dyche to add significantly to the 150 games as a Premier League manager he reached with the visit of City, whose 63^rd-minute winner from Sergio Aguero took them back to the top of the table.

And while the three points put Pep Guardiola’s side within touching distance of back-to-back titles, the Clarets can proudly look forward to a fourth successive top-flight campaign for the first time since the start of the 1970s.

Following Cardiff’s failure to beat Fulham 24 hours earlier, the Clarets knew before kick-off their efforts in an inspired second half of the season had already killed off even the remotest prospect of being dragged into the bottom three.

But there was no downing tools as they did their bit to keep the title race on edge by making life difficult for the champions.

City were also aware of where they stood following Liverpool’s Friday night romp against Huddersfield Town, with Guardiola’s side conscious of the fact they needed a 12^th successive league win to re-claim top spot.

The red half of Merseyside was therefore right behind the Clarets but Burnley were intent on looking after themselves and trying to extend the unbeaten four-match run that had propelled them to safety.

And Dyche’s men gave as good as they got in a cagey first half of cat and mouse.

Anxious not to over-commit, the Clarets still forced openings – none better than the one for Chris Wood which, with a better first touch from Jeff Hendrick’s through-ball, may not have given City keeper Ederson the chance to dash off his line and save at his feet.

City, inevitably, saw plenty of the ball.

But the Clarets defended with great discipline and shape and didn’t allow the visitors a first sight of goal until almost half an hour had gone, the impressive Bernardo Silva failing to make the most of a chance created by Raheem Sterling.

Silva then saw a shot blocked by James Tarkowski but Clarets keeper Tom Heaton wasn’t tested before the break with Aguero coming closest with a long-range effort he curled just over the top.

That was to quickly to change following the re-start, though, as Heaton was twice forced to stand strong to beat out efforts from Aguero and Bernardo Silva as City cranked up the pace.

And the visitors were unfortunate not to be awarded a penalty when the busy Silva was again involved with a shot which struck an outstretched arm of Ashley Barnes.

Burnley continued to stand firm against a wave of attacks, giving everything to stay in the game and frustrate City’s ambitions.

But with just over an hour gone they finally cracked as City went ahead.

Even then, Matt Lowton almost made a miraculous block to keep out Aguero’s shot as the Argentinian - who scored his 20th league goal for the fifth successive season - wriggled free in the box before goalline technology showed the ball was centimetres over the line before he was able to complete his attempted clearance.

That made a tough afternoon even more demanding for the Clarets but again they refused to throw in the towel, Ben Mee – an unmovable object alongside Tarkowski in the heart of the defence – somehow keeping out an effort from substitute Jesus to keep the margin at one goal.

That made it a nervy finish for City, who could all afford any late slip as they ended the game with six defenders on the pitch.

But despite throwing on Matej Vydra and Johann Berg Gudmundsson and giving it a real go to try and force a late leveler – the Clarets were unable to find a break-through and add a further twist to a helter-skelter season that is ending on a high.

Burnley: Heaton; Lowton, Tarkowski, Mee, Taylor; Hendrick (Gudmundsson 76), Westwood, Cork, McNeil; Barnes, Wood (Vydra 73). Substitutes: Hart, Gibson, Ward, Long, Glennon.

Booked: None

Manchester City: Ederson; Walker, Kompany, Laporte, Zinchenko; Gundogan; Sterling (Otamendi 90), B Silva, D Silva, Sane (Jesus 64); Aguero (Stones 85). Substitutes: Muric, Danilo, Mahrez, Foden.

Booked: Gundogan

Referee: Paul Tierney

Attendance: 21,605

POS	Team	PL	PTS
15	FOR	5	5
16	BUR	5	4
17	BRE	5	4

POS	Team	PL	PTS
15	FOR	5	5
16	BUR	5	4
17	BRE	5	4

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