BURNLEY WON THEIR first match of the season, following their promotion from the Championship, on Saturday as they defeated Hull 1-0 at Turf Moor.
Despite the three points, Sean Dyche’s side remain bottom on goal difference but level on seven points with Queens Park Rangers, who are in action at home against Manchester City this evening.
Burnley grabbed the decisive goal of the match five minutes into the second half when a good cross from Kieran Trippier was headed home by Ashley Barnes for only the home side’s sixth goal of the season.
The 25-year-old striker, who arrived in the summer from Brighton, planted a bullet header past Hull ‘keeper Steve Harper to give the vocal Burnley faithful, the goal they were waiting for.
The Clarets, had conceded 15 goals in their last five matches but kept a clean sheet for the fourth time this season, behind the solid goalkeeping of Tom Heaton who came up through the Manchester United youth system but never made a first-team appearance for the Old Trafford giants.
A welcome point
Brad Guzan starred as Aston Villa brought their six-game Premier League losing streak to an end with a 0-0 draw at West Ham.
The pressure on manager Paul Lambert had been ratcheted up by a dramatic 2-1 defeat to Tottenham last weekend, in which Villa conceded twice in the final six minutes following striker Christian Benteke’s dismissal.
However, Villa produced a more disciplined defensive performance this time around to claim a first point since their 1-0 win at Liverpool on September 13, against a high-flying West Ham side buoyed by Diafra Sakho’s recovery from a shoulder injury and Andy Carroll’s long-awaited return as a late substitute.
Sam Allardyce’s hosts always looked the most likely to score, but were frustrated by an impressive display from Villa goalkeeper Guzan. Guzan pulled off a string of saves, including a late one-handed stop to deny Carroll after the striker had headed goalwards following his stoppage-time introduction.
Super-sub
Ireland striker Shane Long came off the bench to bag a brace as high-flying Southampton clinched a 2-0 win over Leicester at St. Mary’s.
Long netted twice in the space of five minutes late in the second half after the hosts finally broke Leicester’s resistance.
Despite a turbulent close-season marked by the departure of five key players and manager Mauricio Pochettino, Southampton have been in inspired form under new boss Ronald Koeman.
They have won eight of their last nine league matches and are starting to believe they could claim a shock place in the Champions League via a top-four finish.
Leicester proved obdurate opponents but Nigel Pearson’s team couldn’t hold out and they remain in the relegation zone after their sixth defeat of the season.
