MATCH REPORT: SHEFFIELD UNITED 1 – 4 BURNLEY

Clarets cruise to three points in South Yorkshire

Burnley secured all three points in an emphatic win against Sheffield United on Saturday.

Two goals in the space of two first half minutes and a further two in the second half saw the Clarets claim the points in style!

Vincent Kompany made two changes from the side that drew with Brighton & Hove Albion last week. Charlie Taylor and Dara O’Shea returning to the starting XI as Hjalmar Ekdal and David Fofana moved to the bench.

The first real chance of the game fell to United’s Oli McBurnie in the 8th minute, who was denied from close range by Aro Muric. A short while later the Blades were in a promising position again as a ball in found Ben Brereton Diaz at the back post but he couldn’t get enough contact on the header which was easily collected by Burnley’s Kosovan keeper – who had enjoyed quite a start to the game.

Twenty minutes in and the game started to open up. Former Blade Sander Berge made a driving run through midfield. He found an on-rushing Jacob Bruun Larsen, however the pass asked a little too much of the Dane who could only send the ball into the side netting.

Despite early chances for the home side it was the Clarets who opened the scoring in the 38th minute when Jacob Bruun Larsen benefited from a deflected Wilson Odobert effort. His sliced chance deflected off Jayden Bogle and creeped into the bottom corner.

Lorenz Assignon doubled the visitors lead just two minutes later when the right-back powered into the box striking the ball well past Grbic to net his first ever goal for the Club.

At the end of the first 45, despite arguably the better chances falling to the hosts, two goals in two minutes and some sharp saves from Muric, saw the Clarets enter the break with a two goal cushion.

The Blades were keen to reduce the deficit early on at the restart. Muric denied McBurnie yet again, flinging himself at the Sheffield United striker’s effort.

52 minutes in and the hosts put themselves back in it. Fine footwork from Gustavo Hamer saw him strike the ball well past Muric to bring them back to 2-1.

With the bit now between their teeth Muric had to make another sharp stop to keep out Brereton Diaz’s low effort.

As momentum was potentially shifting – Burnley regained control.

Lorenz Assignon turned provider this time, eluding Auston Trusty to find Foster in the box. The South African’s tidy finish reinstating the visitors two goal lead.

It was at this point Vincent Kompany made his first change of the afternoon with Bruun Larsen making way for Josh Brownhill who was straight into the action in midfield.

In another Clarets change Vitinho made way for Johann Berg Gudmundsson and it was the perfect start for the Iceland international.

It took him just 22 seconds to make an impact!

A lovely curling effort past Grbic in goal and in front of the elated travelling Clarets contingent to make it 4-1 with less than twenty minutes to play.

The Clarets number 7 almost netted another moments later when his well hit volley rattled the post.

In a flurry of changes with six minutes of normal time to go, a double change for the Clarets saw David Datro Fofana and Zeki Amdouni come on for Lyle Foster and Wilson Odobert.

Vincent Kompany’s men controlled the closing stages to see out the win and, when the whistle went, celebrated the resounding victory and three vital points.

Burnley: Muric, O’Shea, Taylor, Berge, Foster (Fofana 84), Assignon, Vitinho (Gudmundsson 70), Cullen, Esteve, Bruun Larsen (Brownhill 59), Odobert (Amdouni 84)

Unused substitutes: Trafford, Rodriguez, Benson, Ekdal, Tresor

Sheffield United: Grbic, Trusty, Hamer (Norwood 78), McBurnie (Brooks 78), Brereton Diaz, Ahmedhodzic, Bogle, Souza (Archer 68), Osborn, Arblaster, McAtee

Unused substitutes: Foderingham, Slimane, Larouci, Curtis, Holgate, Osula

Goals: Bruun Larsen 38′, Assignon 40′, Hamer 52′, Foster 58′, Gudmundsson 71′