.png)
4 hours ago
1
Burnley and Bournemouth played out a tepid goalless draw that does little to help either team’s Premier League ambitions. The Clarets managed just a fourth clean sheet in the league this season, but remain eight points adrift of safety with eight games left, while Bournemouth are now unbeaten in 10 matches but really needed three points to boost their European hopes.
Both teams hit the woodwork while Evanilson had a very early shot cleared off the line but neither did enough to merit victory.
“We do a lot of very good things but we didn’t score a goal,” said Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola. “Especially at the beginning of the game and the end of the game, we had some clear chances that at this level you have to score. It’s costing us a lot of points.”
Scott Parker’s reaction was similar to Iraola’s, the former Bournemouth manager saying: “We started the game really, really well. Imposed ourselves on the game, set about them, we just weren’t clinical in our moments. It’s definitely a missed opportunity.”
Burnley were boosted by the return from injury of joint-top scorer Zian Flemming while Bournemouth were without Tyler Adams after he felt some discomfort in training.
The hosts were looking to use the sense of injustice from their chaotic and controversial 4-3 loss against Brentford a fortnight ago, when they fought back from three goals down only to be denied a last-gasp equaliser by the video assistant referee.
A limp loss to Everton followed but they were quickly out of the blocks here, with Jaidon Anthony cutting in from the left only to screw his shot wide of the near post. Moments later Bournemouth almost broke the deadlock after a ball through the middle from Eli Junior Kroupi sent Evanilson away.
The Burnley goalkeeper, Martin Dubravka, and defender Maxime Estève got in each other’s way but Evanilson was forced wide and his shot was cleared off the line by Bashir Humphreys.
Flemming drew a save from Djordje Petrovic with a well-struck shot from wide on the right, while at the other end an ambitious effort from Marcus Tavernier was comfortable for Dubravka. Having withstood a period of pressure, Burnley enjoyed the best of the rest of the first half and would have felt unfortunate to go in level at the break.
Anthony drew a full-length diving save from Petrovic while Flemming chose to square to Lyle Foster after muscling his way through but played the ball behind the South African and he was crowded out.
Humphreys then saw a shot deflected over and Burnley came even closer three minutes before the break from another James Ward-Prowse corner that Anthony ran on to unmarked at the far post only to crash his shot off the bar. The winger threatened again eight minutes after the break but this time was denied by a brilliant block from Adam Smith.
Bournemouth broke down the other end and Tavernier clipped the outside of the post with a curling shot that seemed to have Dubravka beaten, while Flemming headed over for Burnley.
The away fans were screaming for a red card after Hannibal Mejbri slid in late on Adrien Truffert, leaving the Frenchman writhing in pain, but the on-field decision of a yellow card stood. “I can’t understand why they don’t call it with the VAR and live,” Iraola said. “It’s an easy penalty to call live.”
Evanilson’s appeals for a penalty after he fell between two defenders also left the referee, Peter Bankes, unmoved, and the hosts survived some late scares through eight minutes of added time.
