On Ivan Toney’s birthday, it was Burnley fans who had their wish granted when Arijanet Muric was handed a first Premier League start of the season, and their wishes just kept coming true, as inside five minutes Vitinho was pushed over in the area by Sergio Reguilon.
A penalty was awarded following a lengthy VAR check, and the Spaniard was dismissed seconds before Jacob Bruun Larsen rifled home the resulting penalty.
That was a perfect start for a side who’d lost a league-high 11 home games prior to today, but their work was almost undone in comical fashion when Dara O’Shea’s pass back was rolling into the net until Muric bailed his teammate out by clearing off the line.
The Clarets had a contender for miss of the season in the reverse fixture when Luca Koleosho missed an open goal, but David Datro Fofana missed one even worse here when he skewed wide from three yards after Lorenz Assignon laid the ball on a plate for him.
A crazy half of football almost had the ultimate plot twist on the stroke of half-time when Wissa raced through on goal, but the returning Muric made a top-drawer save to preserve the Clarets’ advantage.
Chances were always likely to be few and far between for Brentford, but they were handed a gilt-edged one when Vitinho lost the ball as the last man to allow substitute Keane Lewis-Potter to stride clear on goal. However, the Brazilian atoned for his error by producing a sensational last-ditch block to deny what looked a certain goal.
And his block was even bigger just seconds later, as Burnley broke in numbers and Fofana dinked the ball over the onrushing Mark Flekken to double the Clarets’ advantage.
Vincent Kompany’s side had to endure a nervy ending after Kristoffer Ajer pulled one back for the 10 men of Brentford, who were looking increasingly dangerous and more like the side with the numerical advantage.
But Burnley managed to survive a painstaking nine minutes of stoppage time to hold on to secure what was only their second home win of the season and heap more misery on Thomas Frank’s side, who are certainly a contender to face the drop.
