There is an increasing sense of disappointment at Turf Moor due to the lackluster efforts of Burnley to remain in the Premier League. Justin Kluivert and Antoine Semenyo led Bournemouth to their first win since Boxing Day, resulting in Burnley’s 11th loss at home in 14 matches.
The table does not deceive as both teams entered as the bottom two in the league, only earning a combined total of five points throughout the year. Neither displayed much confidence and, even though Burnley was the stronger team, they struggled to find the back of the net. Sadly, this is a common outcome for them.
Burnley is a team that values their long-standing customs. With Sean Dyche at the helm in the Premier League, their style was widely known: they played a direct and strong game, constantly pressuring opposing teams to exceed their capabilities. Now under the leadership of Vincent Kompany, and back in the top league, their strategy remains the same. They begin strong, pose a threat in the attacking third, but struggle to handle basic situations and often fall behind.
During the initial five minutes, Bournemouth faced an intense attack that resulted in Wilson Odobert taking a shot, marking Burnley’s first attempt on goal in three games. Neto was able to save the shot with ease. Burnley showed plenty of speed and excitement in their early performance, but as they say, “hope kills.”
Neto kicked the ball towards the opposite team’s goal, but Burnley couldn’t handle it. This gave Lewis Cook the opportunity to make a high pass to Kluivert. Kluivert, a player from the Netherlands, then took charge and easily got past Dara O’Shea before powerfully scoring from a short distance.
Burnley was the superior team, controlling the ball most of the time but unable to capitalize on their opportunities, a recurring issue throughout the season. Bournemouth was aware of the challenge and attempted to delay the game, taking their time during restarts. This behavior seemed to bother Kompany, who continuously expressed his frustration to the fourth official.
During a short span of time, Burnley had four great opportunities. The first was a toe-poke by David Fofana that was stopped, followed by Jacob Bruun Larsen’s attempt which was blocked by Adam Smith. Bruun Larsen then took a free-kick which was skillfully saved by the goalkeeper just under the bar, and Vitinho missed a header from a close distance. The team’s inability to score may continue indefinitely.
A player from Burnley successfully scored a goal when Josh Cullen put the ball into the net from a short distance. However, David Coote determined that Bournemouth’s right-back, Smith, was pushed in the back during the lead-up and disallowed the goal, much to Kompany’s frustration.
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Bournemouth’s goals were modest, content to endure the consistent pressure and trust that Burnley would not be able to capitalize on any scoring chances. Andoni Iraola’s team aimed to play defensively and strike in response, understanding that exploiting Burnley’s vulnerable defense could result in success.
Semenyo had two great opportunities to capitalize on Burnley’s momentum in a counterattack, but unfortunately missed both shots. In the end, he secured the victory by skillfully dribbling into the box and his shot was redirected into the goal by Charlie Taylor. This prompted the crowd at home to quickly leave, expressing their disappointment through booing.
Luck is self-made in this particular game, but unfortunately, the Clarets have not had any. Losing in this manner is something that Burnley is familiar with and it would not be fair for them to argue their 11 point deficit from securing safety with the same number of games remaining.
Source: theguardian.com
