Wolves

Wolves

Premier League • England

Second Vydra goal of the season sensationally pulls Burnley out of the relegation places

Matej Vydra, Burnley, April 2022.

A second goal of the season for Matej Vydra was enough to comfirm a 1-0 win, and pull Burnley out of the relegation places.

Fabio Silva started just his fifth PL game of the season for Wolves. In fact, this was his first time ever starting alongside Raul Jimenez.

Burnley started the day one point from safety, with the potential of climbing out of the drop zone as 17th-placed Everton headed to Anfield to face rivals Liverpool, in stellar form.

The Clarets were also looking for a second successive win, following a 2-0 victory over Southampton in the week. Indeed, that would be a massive boost in their bid to stay up.

Wolves had won eight Premier League games on the road before this one. Only leaders the top three sides: Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea had won more points away from home than Wolves’ 26.

Burnley started the stronger in the opening stages. That was until Wolves were nearly gifted an opener, as Jimenez found himself in space after a botched clearance, but his shot went straight at Nick Pope, on his 150th Burnley appearance.

Burnley went close not long after, when Dwight McNeil danced up the field, firing his shot over the bar.

Each side had a number of half-chances. Both Pope and Jose Sa were made to work, and Pope had a couple of great saves to make.

The Englishman was first truly tested by Jonny, whose deflected shot had to be clawed away. Pope then stopped a Nelson Semedo effort that was destined for the top corner, to keep his Burnley side’s chances alive.

Burnley go ahead in stunning fashion

The Clarets had looked the most threatening of the two sides for a while. McNeil continued to threaten, as he forced Sa into a big save after a shot from the edge of the area.

Burnley then went ahead in stunning fashion in the 60th minute. Jeff Hendrick found Vydra – on just his fourth Premier League start of the season – who chested the ball down, found space and unleashed a great strike into the back of the net.

The goalscorer was hooked just a few minutes after his goal. It might just have been one of the most crucial of his career though, as it moved Burnley out of the relegation places, at least temporarily.

Though the Clarets did not want to stop at just one. It was clear that they wanted a two-goal cushion to ensure the win, and pushed up the pitch at every given opportunity.

They thought they had that second at one point, but Barnes knocked the ball out of Sa’s grasp before it was scored. That would have given the Clarets some breathing space, but it was not to be.

They managed to cling on despite some late Wolves pressure though, and leapfrogged Everton, plunging the Toffees into the relegation places.