RELEGATION WARNING: BURNLEY SIT EIGHT POINTS FROM SAFETY AFTER HEARTBREAKING VAR GOAL REJECTION
Chaos at Burnley: Get the report on Kayode’s double deflection, Brentford’s 3-0 collapse, and the late Damsgaard header.
Brentford looked unstoppable in the first half. Mikkel Damsgaard, Igor Thiago, and Kevin Schade all scored inside thirty minutes, putting Brentford firmly in control. But Burnley didn’t just roll over. Jaidon Anthony’s shot, deflected in off Michael Kayode, pulled one back before halftime. Then, right after the break, Anthony did it again – another shot, another Kayode deflection – and suddenly it was 3-2. Zian Flemming’s header made it three-all, and just like that, the game was wide open again.
Damsgaard wasn’t done, though. With just minutes left, he headed in the winner and sent the Brentford fans into a frenzy. Brentford took all three points back to London and finally broke their long winless streak at Turf Moor, a run going all the way back to 1996. Not only that, but they managed a league double over Burnley for the first time since 1936.
The match started with Burnley pressing high, trying to unsettle Brentford’s defence. But Brentford struck first; Ouattara swung in a corner, and Damsgaard, somehow left alone, nodded it home. Igor Thiago almost added a second right after, only for Dubravka to get down and stop it.
Burnley tried to hit back; Anthony went close, and Bruun Larsen played in Humphreys, but Brentford’s keeper Valdimarsson was ready. Then Brentford turned up the heat. Thiago set up Ouattara on the overlap, and though Schade couldn’t finish, Thiago made no mistake moments later. He finished off a slick pass from Damsgaard for his 18th league goal this season.
Brentford’s third came soon after. Kayode hurled a long throw, Ajer headed goalwards, Humphreys scrambled to clear, but the ball fell straight to Schade. He smashed it into the empty net. Burnley’s fans let the team know how they felt; chants about the manager’s job started ringing around the ground.
Burnley found a lifeline just before halftime. Laurent picked out Anthony, and his shot bounced in off Kayode. Then, right after the restart, Anthony did it again – another deflection off poor Kayode. Suddenly, Brentford’s lead was gone. A few minutes later, Hannibal floated a cross into the box, and Flemming headed it in to tie things up. Burnley, for the first time all afternoon, looked like they might actually win.
They thought they’d done it too. Anthony found space, crossed for Flemming, and he headed home, but VAR caught Anthony just offside. The crowd groaned. From there, the match settled down. Both teams looked tired. With just three minutes left, Damsgaard popped up to head in Brentford’s winner. The away section erupted.
Burnley did put the ball in the net again before the final whistle, but VAR stepped in one more time. Ashley Barnes had handled the ball before scoring, so the goal was chalked off.
Brentford stay seventh, keeping a three-point cushion over Everton as the race for Europe heats up. Burnley are still eight points from safety, with Nottingham Forest playing tomorrow.
Player of the Match? Hannibal Mejbri. Damsgaard was brilliant for Brentford, but Hannibal dragged Burnley back into the contest and almost helped them snatch a huge win.
SUNDERLAND CONDEMNS "VILE" RACIST ABUSE AIMED AT BRIAN BROBBEY AFTER SPURS WIN
Brian Brobbey targeted online! Sunderland and the Premier League unite against "vile" discrimination after Spurs win.
Sunderland called out the racist abuse aimed at Brian Brobbey on social media and made it clear they stand fully behind him.
Brobbey was targeted online right after Sunderland’s 1-0 win over Tottenham in the Premier League on Sunday. On Monday, the club released a statement: “Sunderland condemns in the strongest possible terms the racist abuse directed at Brian Brobbey on social media following Sunday’s fixture against Tottenham. We stand firmly with Brian and offer him our full and unwavering support.”
Sadly, this isn’t the first time Sunderland players have had to deal with this kind of abuse this season. After February’s match against Fulham, Romaine Mundle received hateful messages online, and last month the Tyne-Wear derby had to be paused when someone in the crowd reportedly aimed abuse at Lutsharel Geertruida.
The club’s statement continued: “This isn’t an isolated event. The recent abuse aimed at Romaine Mundle and Lutsharel Geertruida shows just how often and how unacceptably this keeps happening, both at matches and on the internet. We’ve reported this latest incident to the Premier League, the social media platforms, and the police, and we expect them to act quickly against the people responsible. Racism is vile, and it doesn’t belong in football or anywhere else. We’ll keep calling it out, clearly and without hesitation, every time it happens. Football should be safe and welcoming for everyone, no exceptions.”
The Premier League is backing Brobbey as well. In a post on their X account, they said they’re “disgusted by the ongoing discrimination” players keep facing online. “We stand alongside Sunderland in strongly condemning the online racist abuse Brian Brobbey has received and have offered our full support to him and the club. We are disgusted by the ongoing discrimination players are facing on social media and are committed to working with clubs, authorities, law enforcement, and social media companies to address this issue, as well as supporting investigations to bring those responsible to justice.
Anyone found guilty of discrimination will face the toughest possible punishments: jail time, football bans, and even a criminal record.”
DAVID MOYES REVEALS "NERVES" AS EVERTON HUNT HISTORIC CHAMPIONS LEAGUE QUALIFICATION SPOT
David Moyes admits Everton's Champions League hunt is nerve-wracking. See the latest on the Toffees' battle for Europe.
David Moyes admits the idea of Everton making the Champions League this soon in their rebuild actually makes him “shake a wee bit.”
You look at the club now, and it's hard to believe where they were just 14 months ago. When Moyes returned, Everton looked beaten down from years of fighting to stay up. Suddenly, with only seven games left, they’re sitting eighth. That spot could mean Europa Conference League football, but after their win against Chelsea before the break, they’re now just three points off fourth. It’s wild to even talk about the Champions League, but it’s right there in reach.
Reporters put the question to him how does it feel to be this close? With Europe’s spots possibly extending down to fifth (or maybe even further, depending on how other English clubs do), Moyes wasn’t hiding his nerves: “It’s probably the best shot we’ve had in a long time. But when I hear ‘Champions League’? Makes me shake a wee bit, honestly. I’ve been lucky to manage in Europe’s other competitions lately, and if we do make it, I’m sure we’d be able to hold our own at certain stages. Still, the Champions League is just on another level.”
Everton’s next match at Brentford looks huge for their European dreams. Brentford beat them earlier in the season, and right now, both teams are level, separated only by goal difference.
Moyes is clearly enjoying this chapter. “Listen, Europe’s Europe. If someone had said at the start, ‘You’re going to get European football,’ we’d have snapped their hand off. It could be the tiddlywinks European cup, and we’d be up for it. Evertonians want the club back in those conversations. We’re getting attention for the new stadium, we’ve got a couple of England internationals getting noticed more, it’s a good time. If we do sneak into the Champions League, it’d be an unbelievable achievement. But honestly, no matter which competition we make, it’s still a big step forward for us.”
