Burnley FC joined Sheffield United in stamping their name on the Premier League’s bouquet for next year. That’s how they came away with the fiercely contested 2-1 win against Watford on Saturday. Burnley reached an incredible historic record of 30 games unbeaten in the league! This victory maintains their hold on first place in the Championship table, though Leeds United went on to equal their points total later on Saturday.
The final was contested in thrilling fashion, Burnley having to rally coming from behind against Watford. They responded effectively just before halftime. Zian Flemming scored that band with a diving header, finishing off a 4-pass, 3-touch counter-attack that was a fantastic display of Burnley’s transition offense.
A Test of Resilience
Burnley’s determination was immediately called into question as they came up against an equally defiant Watford team. Though they found the equalizer first, the visitors intensifying their attacking efforts after the break were clearly favored. Then in the 58th minute, Josh Brownhill scored with a strong close-range header. His arguably match-winning goal sealed all three points for Burnley.
Watford’s task became even greater after they ended the game with only nine men. The red cards to Moussa Sissoko and Edo Kayembe undid it all, complicating their situation even more. Even with that disappointment, Burnley showed their clinical edge, making the most of their chances and underlining their intention to earn automatic promotion.
“It’s a massive three points for us. We knew the challenge coming here; a good side, a physical team and that was proven today.” – Scott Parker
Standing in the Promotion Race
An engagement feature of this latest victory, Burnley thus goes joint top on points with Leeds United at 91 from 43 matches played. Their much better goal difference puts them ahead in what’s turned into an incredibly tight battle for promotion. The next match for the newly-formed team will be against Sheffield United on Monday night. A victory in this fixture would almost guarantee their return to the Premier League!
Head coach Scott Parker singled out the need for calm heads to prevail during a tough match up.
“I was pleased with our mentality and our calmness in that moment, really, because I think anyone in the stadium could see the game became very, very physical.” – Scott Parker
The Road Ahead
With the season heading into its final stretch, Burnley has three very important games left to play. The stakes don’t get much higher, as they seek to re-claim their spot in England’s top division for the first time in 16 years. The squad collectively has a good bit of momentum on their side. From here, they’ll face the home stretch and all the pressures of the final weeks of the season.
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