Full time: Burnley 0, Manchester City 3.

Pep Guardiola’s men began the 2023–2024 season in emphatic style at Turf Moor.

It was important that the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss didn’t lose to another apprentice of his within five days.

On Sunday, Guardiola’s face looked like thunder at Wembley.

The Spaniard had just watched his team lose 4-1 on penalties to Arsenal in the Community Shield.

The champions were not particularly impressive against a team they steamrolled in the final weeks of the season to lift the Premier League title for a third consecutive year.

But when Cola Palmer curled an exquisite shot past Aaron Ramsdale, it looked certain City would be winning their fourth piece of silverware this year alone.

However, Mikel Arteta’s men fought back to level with practically the last kick of the match, taking it to penalties.

The Community Shield is the traditional curtain raiser for the new campaign. But a chance for rivals to lay down the mark early.

There won’t be a lot of time for Guardiola to dwell on the defeat to Arsenal, as they are on the road to Burnley for the start of their title defence.

City are looking to break yet another record this season. No team has ever lifted the trophy four times in a row.

“I think it will be impossible to do what we have done last season,” Guardiola told a news conference on Thursday.

“It’s once in a lifetime. I said to the players: ‘Forget about it, We climbed the highest mountain last season with what we have done.’

“But the last two days we came down from the mountain and we start from there.

“There will be a lot, a lot of difficulties to climb the mountain as high as possible.

“Our football, our behaviours, our mentality will dictate how the season will be. In football, in sport, what we have done remains in our hearts and our minds, how nice it was, but it’s over,” he said.

Last season, it seemed they would not even do it for a third consecutive year.

Arsenal stayed top of the log for at least 248 days. It took a late surge from City to overtake the Gunners and finish five points ahead.

Calvin Onwuka, the CEO of ACL Sports, tells DAILY POST: “When United won the Treble in 1999, they won two more titles.

“City’s Treble has come on the back of two previous league titles.

“Can they make it four? Yes they can. They have the financial muscle, they have the coach and they have the players.

“Losing Gundogan and Mahrez is big. If Bernado Silva and Walker leave, it could also impact them negatively.

“On the flip side, new younger players might also give them the drive to retain their title.”