FROM TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR STADIUM – Burnley were relegated from the Premier League after losing 2-1 at Tottenham on Saturday.
The Clarets, who needed a win to stand any chance of survival, went ahead in the first half but surrendered their lead before the break and were unable to withstand mounting Spurs pressure as the game went on.
Ange Postecoglou’s side ended a run of four successive defeats to keep their slim hopes of qualifying for the Champions League alive, but they were made to work for the win after another rough performance.
How the game unfolded
Tottenham started brightly and went close to an opening goal when they built from the back and Son Heung-min sent James Maddison racing clear, only for Charlie Taylor to block behind his resulting shot.
Burnley themselves went closer seconds later when Wilson Odobert’s cross was nodded on by Vitinho, forcing Guglielmo Vicario into a stretching save.
Arijanet Muric kept the Clarets on level terms when Dejan Kulusevski’s deep cross found Brennan Johnson, and the Kosovan goalkeeper scampered across his line to deny him a goal at the near post.
Midway through the first half, Burnley went in front. Sander Berge wriggled away from three Spurs bodies in midfield before sitting through Jacob Bruun Larsen, who made no mistake when one-on-one with Vicario.
But Spurs soon found an equaliser, much to the delight of the frustrated home crowd. After working the ball nicely through midfield, Pedro Porro was afforded a free run to the Burnley box, and he didn’t need a second invitation to fire in at Muric’s near post.
Tottenham should have gone in front with their next chance. Another poor Muric pass from the back was pounced upon in the 18-yard box by Johnson. The Welsh winger spotted that the Burnley goalkeeper kept vacating space at his near post to anticipate crosses and tried to sneak a shot in, but his effort found the side-netting.
After the break, Burnley’s fight for survival saw them attack Spurs more. Odobert saw a shot deflected narrowly over after nicking the ball off Kulusevski, before Maxime Esteve’s header from a cross after the following corner landed on top of the net.
Maddison sought to create a moment of magic down the other end when he weaved away from a couple of Burnley bodies before being kept out by Muric.
Another glorious opportunity came and went when Son’s low cross was turned wide by Johnson from only a couple of yards out.
Muric then came up with a stunning save to thwart Pape Matar Sarr, but the…
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