Fulham Ends Turf Moor Hoodoo as Burnley’s Woes Deepen
Fulham has finally broken a long-standing curse, securing a vital league win at Turf Moor for the first time in 74 years. Their 3-2 victory over Burnley marked a significant milestone, ending a barren run that stretched back to April 1951. For Burnley, however, the defeat only deepened the gloom surrounding their miserable Premier League campaign, with the spectres of relegation continuing to haunt them.
The match at Turf Moor saw Fulham, inspired by an outstanding performance from Harry Wilson, secure a win that will undoubtedly lift spirits. While the home crowd experienced fleeting moments of hope, particularly when Lesley Ugochukwu netted their first home goal since mid-October to cancel out Emile Smith Rowe’s opener, Fulham’s attacking prowess ultimately proved too much. Calvin Bassey, set up by Wilson, and then Wilson himself, sealed the victory, leaving a Burnley side that has now lost seven consecutive matches hurtling towards the Championship at an alarming pace.
Burnley’s Defensive Frailties Exposed
Burnley’s struggle to find the back of the net is well documented, but their inability to prevent goals, especially from set-pieces, is proving to be their undoing. In the opening 45 minutes, they gifted Fulham two crucial goals through defensive lapses.
The first, scored by Emile Smith Rowe after just nine minutes, saw a complete switch-off from the Burnley defence. While not on the same grand stage as Liverpool’s famed Champions League comeback against Barcelona, Harry Wilson’s inswinging corner bore a striking resemblance in its effectiveness.
Fulham’s second goal also originated from a corner. After an initial clearance, the ball found its way back to Wilson. He then delivered a perfectly weighted cross for Calvin Bassey to head home from close range. These goals raise serious questions about Burnley’s preparedness for set-piece situations. Given that Fulham have scored more goals from corners than all but Arsenal, Burnley’s vulnerability in this area is a significant concern.
With their survival hopes already looking slim, Burnley’s inability to address their corner-kick defence – where they are among the most vulnerable in the league – will leave them with little hope of avoiding the drop.
Harry Wilson: A New Level of Performance
Harry Wilson has elevated his game to new heights this season, establishing himself as one of the Premier League’s most potent attacking threats. His performances are now characterised by a maturity and consistency that were perhaps lacking in previous campaigns.
At 28, Wilson is in the prime of his career and is embracing responsibility, a trait that is benefiting both Fulham and the Welsh national team. His contribution in this match – a goal and two assists – brings his involvement in Premier League goals this season to eight in 15 appearances (five goals, three assists). This surpasses his tally from the entirety of last season, where he was involved in six goals from 25 outings. Only in the current 2023-24 campaign has Wilson been involved in more top-flight goals.
Armando Broja’s Goal Drought Continues
Despite showcasing moments of skill and clever movement, Armando Broja’s impact as a centre-forward for a struggling team is ultimately measured by goals, and in that department, he is falling significantly short.
Broja’s positive contributions often occur in less threatening areas of the pitch. While manager Scott Parker publicly backs the former Chelsea striker, his barren run in front of goal now extends to 39 Premier League games. His last top-flight goal came, ironically, against Fulham in October 2023.
This was only Broja’s second league start of the season, his first coming a week prior at Newcastle. While rustiness might be a factor, Parker cannot afford to continue selecting a player with such a limited goal threat. Parker’s recent comment that “this was the best version we’ve seen of Armando” is a cause for considerable concern for Burnley fans if this is indeed his current peak.
Cottagers Conquer Turf Moor Jinx
Fulham’s victory at Turf Moor was a historic moment, ending a remarkable streak of 34 visits without a win. Calvin Bassey acknowledged post-match that the squad was acutely aware of this long-standing record.
“We tried not to think about the 74 years but we were reminded about it,” Bassey admitted. “We just played our game, but we needed that. There wasn’t pressure, but in the last four or five games we have played well but haven’t got the results. Hopefully, it starts to go our way.”
He added a personal note: “I hadn’t scored for a while. I had been working on my celebrations with Emile so was happy to get one. [Harry] Wilson is clutch.”
Burnley boss Scott Parker expressed his frustration with the recurring defensive issues. “The cold reality is we can’t concede the goals we’re conceding at the moment. It’s déjà vu,” he stated. “The frustration comes from, we’re in the game, we show our quality and these boys are giving me absolutely everything – you can see that – but the facts are in key moments, we’re giving ourselves an absolute mountain to climb. In this division, it’s proving very, very difficult. We need to fix up on that. There’s no denying that. We need to work out exactly how we can do that.”
Match Facts
Burnley XI: Dubravka 6; Tuanzebe 5 (Sonne 77, 7), Ekdal 5, Esteve 5, Hartman 4.5; Cullen 6.5, Florentino 6 (Edwards 62, 6.5), Ugochukwu 6.5 (Tresor 83); Foster 6 (Flemming 62, 6), Broja 5, Bruun Larsen 5 (Anthony 77, 6)
* Goals: Ugochukwu (22), Sonne (86)
* Booked: Cullen
* Manager: Scott Parker 6
Fulham XI: Leno 6.5; Tete 6, Bassey 7, Andersen 6, Robinson 6.5; Berge 6, Iwobi 7 (Lukic 79); Wilson 9 (Adama 89), Smith-Rowe 7.5 (Castagne 89), Chukwueze 7; Jimenez 6 (King 79)
* Goals: Smith Rowe (9), Bassey (31), Wilson (58)
* Booked: Andersen, Tete
* Manager: Marco Silva 8
Referee: Michael Oliver 7
Attendance: 19,379
