CUPID’S ARO
Trafford jilted as Clarets rekindle glove affair with Muric
JAMES TRAFFORD may have to get used to sitting on the bench after Arijanet Muric seized his chance.
Muric impressed on his Premier League debut after Burnley boss Vincent Kompany finally bowed to fan pressure to play the Kosovan ace.
The supporters revere Muric for his role in last season’s Championshipwinning triumph, when he was named the division’s top goalkeeper.
His best saves were from Yoane Wissa and Ivan Toney, and the sobering message for Burnley’s £19m record signing Trafford is he will take some shifting.
Charlie Taylor knows what it is like to sit on the bench at Burnley and says Muric deserves his shot.
“Obviously Aro was brilliant, he made some big saves and kept us in it,” said the Clarets left-back.
“Traffs is young and he’s done well this season. Aro’s had to bide his time. He took his chance with two hands. He was brilliant and everyone is pleased for him.
“Everyone knows how good Aro is. He’s a top keeper. He showed that last year, he shows that every day in training.”
Kompany says he picked Muric because he felt he was the best keeper for this game and still believes Trafford will ultimately be England’s
No.1. The issue he must now grapple with is when to bring Trafford (inset above) back.
His form dipped in recent weeks as he shipped 62 goals in his 28 Premier League games.
Muric fully deserves to start Burnley’s next league game at Chelsea and he commands his area much better.
Burnley’s slim survival hopes could be boosted if Nottingham Forest and Everton are docked points for breaching the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules, but Taylor says they must focus on themselves.
“It could change things, but we’ve just got to control what we can control,” he said.
“We’re trying to improve where we are in the table. We’ve got three
points today and that’s huge.” The decisive moment came when referee Darren Bond dismissed Sergio Reguilon for his foul on Vitinho after a lengthy VAR review and gave Burnley a 10thminute penalty, which was converted by Jacob Bruun Larsen.
Brentford boss Thomas Frank felt the Bees should have had a penalty when David Datro Fofana wrestled Zanka to the ground at a corner and his sense of injustice only grew when the on-loan Chelsea striker, who missed an absolute sitter, made it 2-0 on 61 minutes.
The finish was Fofana’s fourth goal in his last seven Burnley appearances and Taylor says the Ivorian has made a real difference.
“He’s been a big player for us and he’s been really good since he came in,” said Taylor.
Brentford’s 10 men mounted a comeback and Kristoffer Ajer pulled a goal back seven minutes from time and Muric saved from Keane Lewis-Potter.
Despite their collapse in form, Bees boss Frank said: “The only thing I care about is that we’ll be ready for the run-in and we’ll be ready to fight.” BURNLEY (4-4-2): Muric 7, Assignon 7, O’Shea 5, Esteve 6, Taylor 6, Vitinho 7, Cullen 7, Berge 6 Bruun Larsen 8 (Amdouni 69, 5, Brownhill 90), Odobert 7, Fofana 7 (Foster 88).
BRENTFORD (3-5-2): Flekken 6, Zanka 6, Ajer 7, Collins 6, Roerslev 6 (Lewis-Potter 58, 7), Onyeka 6 (Yarmoliuk 58, 6), Jensen 6 (Maupay 80), Janelt 6 (Baptiste 80), Reguilon 3, Wissa 6 (Mbeumo 79), Toney 7.