OLDER, WISER & ...BETTER!
As his two goals see off Saints, is Barnes the Premier League’s most under-rated striker?
BURNLEY’S Ashley Barnes must surely be the Premier League’s most under-rated forward.
Having reached double figures in each of his last two seasons, the 29-year-old started this campaign with a bang and it was the quality of his two finishes that stood out.
After 63 minutes, Burnley hadn’t registered a shot on target in a Turf Moor monsoon when a hoofed clearance from Erik Pieters got caught in the wind and outfoxed Saints defender Jannik Vestergaard.
Barnes cl everly j udged t he bounce and cracked in a low finish that gave Angus Gunn no chance.
Seven minutes later he was at it again, a first-time sidefoot inside the penalty area with Pieters again claiming the assist.
‘The first was a very good goal from Barnesy, he watched the flight of the ball and it was a tough finish,’ said manager Sean Dyche, who watched his side wrap up the points with a l ate t hird from Johann Gudmundsson.
‘Players tend to learn the game more as they get older and it applies to Barnesy. He didn’t score in preseason but he didn’t let it bother him. His mental resilience grows and he doesn’t snatch at chances.
‘He doesn’t go under the radar at our place, we appreciate the things he does. As for everyone else... I don’t think it bothers him!’
The previous f i ve meetings between these teams had yielded only six goals so prospects for a penalty area extravaganza weren’t high even before Che Adams sliced wide for Southampton early on. In mitigation, the torrential rain and swirling wind would have made it tough for Barcelona at their tikitaka best, let alone two of the top flight’s lower-scoring teams.
Southampton’s best moment arrived when Nathan Redmond cut inside and was denied by the fingertips of Nick Pope, Burnley’s England goalkeeper playing his first Premier League game for 15 months after injury.
VAR was called upon twice in the first half, once to correctly rule out a Burnley goal from Chris Wood, with the referee having already flagged offside against Barnes, and Adams escaping a red-card check for catching Ben Mee on the shin.
Burnley still hadn’t registered a shot on target after 63 minutes when t he unlikely goal burst started. The breakthrough was initiated from a clearance by Pieters, who was making his Burnley debut after a summer move from Stoke.
As Saints dilly- dallied, Barnes pounced — and again seven minutes later when he connected with the left-back’s cross.
Gudmundsson grabbed the third after 75 minutes when he robbed Ryan Bertrand just outside the area and produced a crisp finish that flashed across Angus Gunn.
Burnley’s fast start differs to that of last season when they got bogged down in an early Europa League campaign.
Hometown boy Jay Rodriguez came on for the final six minutes for his second debut, after signing from West Brom, and will challenge Wood and Barnes for a place up front.
On-loan Chelsea midfielder Danny Drinkwater has been declared fit by Dyche — ‘we have done all the tests’ — and will be available soon.
The‘ Ginger Mourinho ’, as Burnley’s manager has been affectionately dubbed, was naturally delighted with the outcome — though the final scoreline slightly flattered his team. ‘ It’s a really pleasing start and our reward from a strong pre-season,’ he said.
‘It was a tight game and we are often in tight games. The conditions were tough and both teams had to play middle of the pitch football.
‘I was pleased for Johann with his goal. He has come back clearminded. James Tarkowski deserves a mention, he hasn’t had his head turned by stories over the summer (linking him with a move).
‘ Danny Drinkwater will have watched us today and thought, game on. We want competition. We have been as effective as we can with limited resources.’
Dyche has been a supporter of VAR to cut out diving and other things. ‘I think we need as many right decisions as possible but it’s sod’s law, the first weekend, there are 47 different incidents including the referees’ headsets.
‘Over time it will improve but I think it had to be. We mentioned to the players, just play to the whistle. There are bound to be some glitches early season.’
Southampton were the better team for an hour but folded once Burnley struck first.
Manager Ralph Hasenhuttl will be confused that when his side won a free- kick on the edge of the Burnley box, regular taker James Ward-Prowse stepped over the ball a nd Bertrand hammered t he opportunity over the bar.
BURNLEY (4-4-2): Pope 6.5; Lowton 6, Tarkowski 6.5, Mee 6.5, Pieters 7; Gudmundsson 7, Cork 6, Westwood 6, McNeil 6 (Lennon 84min); Wood 6, Barnes 7.5 (Rodriguez 84). Subs (not used): Hart, Hendrick, Gibson, Bardsley, Long.
SOUTHAMPTON (3-4-3): Gunn 6; Bednarek 6.5, Stephens 5.5 (Hojbjerg 73, 6), Vestergaard 5.5; Valery 6, Ward-Prowse 6.5, Romeu 6, Bertrand 6; Ings 5.5 ( Obafemi 66, 6), Adams 6 (Boufal 73, 5.5), Redmond 6.5. Subs (not used): McCarthy, Soares, Yoshida, Djenepo.
Referee: G Scott (Oxfordshire) 7.