15 Mar 2015

Burnley may have just ruined City's title defence

9:45 am on 15 March 2015

Relegation-threatened Burnley may have ended the English Premier League football title race by beating visiting champions Manchester City 1-0.

League leaders Chelsea can now go eight points clear of City with 10 games remaining, if the London club can beat visitors Southampton on Monday.

Sergio Aguero

It wasn't a day to celebrate for City's talismanic striker Sergio Aguero Photo: AFP

City would have moved within two points of Chelsea with a victory, but instead they departed Turf Moor with their hopes of retaining the title hanging by a slender thread after a lacklustre performance was punished by George Boyd's second-half winner.

To make matters worse for City, Chelsea will still have one more game in hand after facing Southampton.

Arsenal cemented their position in the Premier League's top four with a 3-0 rout of visiting West Ham United, France striker Olivier Giroud's blistering strike breaking the deadlock seconds before the break.

Olivier Giroud lashed in an unstoppable left-footed shot into the far corner to open the scoring

Olivier Giroud lashed in an unstoppable left-footed shot into the far corner to open the scoring Photo: Photosport

At the other end of the table, Burnley are still in the drop zone but just a point behind 17th-placed Sunderland, who were thrashed 4-0 at home by Aston Villa to take the Birmingham club up to 16th and three points clear of the relegation dogfight.

No such joy for Queens Park Rangers, who lost at London rivals Crystal Palace 3-1 and are second bottom, behind Leicester City, who couldn't clinch a win at home to 10-man Hull City, playing out a scoreless draw.

West Bromwich Albion also beat Stoke City 1-0 at home.