Premier League survival remains a long shot but a Burnley team seemingly destined for an immediate return to the Championship have hope. The disappointment in taking merely a point off Wolves underlined the form and belief that is growing among Vincent Kompany and his players.
Burnley are six points from safety with seven games left but with their unbeaten run extended to four matches, a visit to Everton to come on Saturday and the prospect of Sean Dyche’s team being deducted more points, there is no reason to accept relegation yet. More importantly, there was no sign of resignation at Turf Moor either. Kompany’s side played with a positivity and purpose that stretched Wolves all night. Three fine second-half saves from the visiting goalkeeper, José Sá, plus a contentious equaliser on the stroke of half-time from Rayan Aït-Nouri, ensured an encouraging display was laced with frustration for the hosts. The Burnley manager, however, rightly focused on the positives.
“We looked like a Premier League team tonight,” said Kompany. “That doesn’t buy us any more points and we are where we belong – though perhaps we would be higher if it wasn’t for so many bad decisions – but I’m convinced our team will continue to get better. We haven’t earned the right to stay in the Premier League yet and we have to fight for it, but until the last minute I don’t conceive a single moment when we won’t stop fighting.”
Burnley need wins, clearly, but played with a confidence that was in keeping with their best run of a trying season. Wilson Odobert was a bundle of energy in the No 10 role, Jacob Bruun Larsen and Lyle Foster offered quality support to David Fofana and the distribution from the goalkeeper, Arijanet Muric, also impressed. Vitinho was another standout at right back, and in the final third, and celebrated wildly in front of the home fans in the Jimmy McIlroy Stand after preventing Aït-Nouri opening the scoring.
Minutes later, supporters in the lower east section of the stand were cleared from their seats for safety reasons. A piece of metal was spotted hanging down from the roof overhead and the Turf Moor stewards, to their immense credit, moved quickly and calmly to clear the area below.
Burnley fans were looking up for different reasons when Bruun Larsen swept their team ahead in style. The breakthrough started with Muric’s pass to Dara O’Shea just inside the Wolves half. The Burnley central defender sent a deep cross over a static opposition rearguard and Bruun Larsen, arriving completely unmarked, cushioned a first-time volley into the bottom corner of Sá’s goal. Three players, three touches of quality and one excellent goal. For Gary O’Neil, however, the lack of pressure on any of the Burnley players involved must have been galling.
“We struggled tactically in the first half,” said the Wolves manager. “But the lads dug in and tried to find their own solutions. We moved a few pieces around at half-time and were much better in the second half. Burnley are fighting for their lives but I’m so proud of the lads. We now have 42 points, which surpasses last season’s total.”
Wolves equalised with the final act of the first half. O’Shea was penalised for a debatable foul on Aït-Nouri inside the Burnley half. Amid furious protests from home players and fans alike, Pablo Sarabia floated the free-kick towards the six yard box and Aït-Nouri rose highest to steer a header beyond Muric. The goal stood after a VAR review. Kompany joined in the protests towards the referee, Thomas Bramall, as he headed for the tunnel at half-time. The Burnley manager said: “If you do a pirouette and fall on your own, and there’s no contact made, it’s absolutely not a free-kick. The referee was in the best position to see it.”
Aït-Nouri missed a glorious chance for a second minutes after the restart when played clean through by Max Kilman. The midfielder, having shrugged aside O’Shea, had only Muric to beat but the Burnley goalkeeper stood his ground to block at close range. Back came the home side, with the game opening up, and Sá produced two improvised saves in quick succession to deny Bruun Larsen and Odobert plus another flying stop from the substitute Manuel Benson. Burnley may have been aggrieved by the end result but their performance will enhance belief before their reunion with Dyche on Saturday.
