Frustration follows fine Clarets win
KAT LEE’S CLARETS VIEW
SIX points over the Christmas period is by no means an easy feat.
We absolutely had to beat the teams below to ensure our safety in the top flight, and that we certainly did on New Year’s Eve.
It’s probably a combination of our excellent home form and Sunderland’s poor general form that got us the full three points at Turf Moor, but it was fantastic to see Andre Gray back on the scoresheet and in such an emphatic way.
Gray also made club history books being the first player since 1975 to score a hat-trick in the top flight.
The scoreline in the end reflected well and truly our endeavour and tenacious ability to get the results when we really need them, made better still by the fact our first game of the new year would be against City at the Etihad.
Now as much as I’m completely aware of the gravity of that fixture, on the day it was frustrating to have not come away with at least a point.
The one thing we can pride ourselves at Burnley is the fact we aren’t soft when it comes to challenges from the opposition, and we will just get back up and carry on (which largely hasn’t gone in our favour as of late).
The last occasion we played City, it was obvious Guardiola had them playing a soft style whereby they’d dive on the floor any chance they got and Monday’s match was no different.
Fernandinho was yet again sent off for his bizarre two-footed scissor challenge on Hendrick, making that his third sending off in six games.
Some of us are still scratching our heads about Aguero’s goal, unsure of whether it was a stroke of genius or Keane and Lowton could have done better on the line. On second look it seems to have been a slight deflection from Lowton, but they both look baffled as to how Aguero got it from that difficult angle.
Our goal was scrappy to say the least, and there’s been a lot of argument over it being a foul from Gray on Bravo, but as has also been argued and what now stands is that it had already crossed the line from Ben Mee’s shot.
The best thing we can take from Monday is that the boys got stuck in to the best of their ability. I’ve not been a huge fan of George Boyd so far this season. However, I feel as though he played out of his skin on Monday.
One thing we can’t get our heads round is not starting with Defour. He makes a difference the minute he comes on the pitch and in our next run of seemingly difficult fixtures, I would want to see him play a full 90 minutes.