Burnley

Burnley assistant manager Craig Bellamy spoke to BBC Match of The Day after the clarets' draw with Chelsea: "It was a great point. Obviously it was difficult against a very good team in Chelsea. They haven't quite had the results they want this season but a very good team.

"You could sense it at half-time. The players were very determined and we felt like we could get back into the game.

"As a group they should be so proud of themselves. As staff we are beyond proud of them."

On Chelsea penalty and sending offs for Burnley: "I have to be honest it is not really my position to talk about the incident. Don't forget the manager is my boss as well so when the time is right he will talk about it.

"This was a real hard-fought point today, the commitment and the way they went about their business was exceptional. Beyond proud.

"The players worked very hard on set plays throughout the week. You just felt like something was going to happen. We hit the crossbar but it is okay, it is a point.

"The mentality is 'we are going to stay up' that is the mentality you have to have. We have had a few hard knocks this year. We have learnt a lot and you sense as the season goes on the belief becomes more.

"I feel we roll onto the next one, it is one game at a time."

• There were 51 shots between Chelsea (33) and Burnley (18), only one Premier League game on record (since 2003-04) has seen more attempts at goal – Queens Park Rangers against Leicester City in November 2014 (52).

• Chelsea remain unbeaten in their past 11 Premier League games against Burnley (W8 D3), scoring at least two goals in 10 of those matches.

• Burnley are unbeaten in three Premier League games for the first time under Vincent Kompany (W1 D2), their longest such run since April 2022 (4 games).

• Cole Palmer has been involved in 21 Premier League goals this season (13 goals, 8 assists), with only Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink (32 in 2000-01) and Diego Costa (23 in 2014-15) being involved in more in their debut Premier League campaign for Chelsea.

• Burnley received their sixth red card of the season in the Premier League, the most of any team, while its three times as many as the Clarets have ever been shown in a campaign (two in 2009-10, 2014-15, 2016-17 and 2021-22).

• Chelsea had 33 shots against Burnley, their most in a Premier League game in over 10 years, since January 2014 against West Ham (39).

Dara O'Shea struck a late equaliser as 10-man Burnley secured a vital point away at Chelsea in the Premier League.

O'Shea headed in from Josh Cullen's corner for relegation-threatened Burnley, three minutes after Cole Palmer had put the Blues back in front with a finish across goalkeeper Arijanet Muric.

Palmer had given Chelsea the lead in the first half, scoring a Panenka penalty after Lorenz Assignon received a second yellow card for fouling Mykhailo Mudryk in the box.

Shortly after the interval Burnley were back on level terms through Cullen's superb finish on the volley, but late goals for both sides meant the points were shared.

Were you at the match or did you follow it from elsewhere?

Chelsea fans - let us know your thoughts on the game here

How did you rate the side's performance, Burnley fans?

Follow all of the reaction here

Eight fixtures make up Saturday's Premier League action, and we will bring you every moment.

BBC Radio 5 Live commentaries:

• Nottingham Forest v Crystal Palace

• Aston Villa v Wolves

All times GMT

Listen to national and local radio commentaries and follow live text updates here

Chris Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League matches again this season, against a variety of guests.

For this weekend's games, he takes on Gladiators star Bionic.

Sutton's prediction: 2-0

I really cannot win with Burnley, who beat Brentford at Turf Moor last time out after I had given up on them ever getting anything at home.

I don't seem to do much better with Chelsea, whose inconsistency for most of this season has made predicting their results very difficult, but I am pretty confident I will be right about them this time.

Recent results for Mauricio Pochettino's side have actually been a lot more steady and, with the FA Cup semi-finals to come, they can still finish a disappointing season on a positive note.

Chelsea were too strong for Burnley earlier in the season, and I am expecting the same story at Stamford Bridge.

Bionic's prediction: 3-0

Chelsea should have too much quality. I am backing Cole Palmer to get a couple of goals.

See the full list of predictions here

Katie Stafford
BBC Sport journalist

Vincent Kompany has been speaking to the media before Burnley's Premier League game at Chelsea on Saturday.

Here are the key lines from the Clarets manager:

• He confirmed there are no new injury concerns from the players that went on international duty but a few "still need to be assessed" before Saturday.

• He said his "team aren't too phased emotionally" and that has helped them "remain strong" and keep their belief in staying up.

• On beating Brentford then not being able to carry the momentum on because of the break: "I don't think there is a good or bad time for a break. I am just glad we won that game. It's clear now we have to build up the energy mentally and physically for the remaining games."

• He said he "doesn't care" about Nottingham Forest and Everton's points deductions because "they are the things I can't control" and added that "as long as it's not the referee or a VAR decision that gets in the way of us earning points, I can't care about it".

• On opponents Chelsea: "They are also under pressure to win but it's no different to us. We have a young team as well and the same need for results."

• In response to his decision to drop James Trafford for Arijanet Muric against Brentford, he said: "We have two very good goalkeepers and it's all about the team right now. Every decision that we make is for one goal and that is to stay up, so there's nothing else to say on it."

• He said the club "are very proud" that Trafford received a late England call-up, but his focus now has to be "to keep progressing and fighting for his place".

Follow all of Thursday's Premier League news conferences here

Here are the key facts and figures before Saturday's Premier League fixture between Chelsea and Burnley.

• Chelsea have lost just one of their 17 Premier League games against Burnley - a 3-2 home defeat on the opening weekend of the 2017-18 campaign.

• Four of the five times the Clarets have avoided defeat by Chelsea in the Premier League have been at Stamford Bridge.

• The Blues have scored at least once in their 17 Premier League games against Burnley - their best such record in the competition.

• Only Luton Town (17) and Manchester City (13) are on longer runs of scoring in successive Premier League games than Chelsea's 11.

• A goal and assist against Newcastle United last time out took Cole Palmer's league goal involvements this season to 19 (11 goals, eight assists). He could become only the fifth Chelsea player to reach at least 20 involvements in his first season in the competition, after Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink (32 in 2000-01), Eden Hazard (20 in 2012-13), Diego Costa (23 in 2014-15) and Cesc Fabregas (21 in 2014-15).

• Nicolas Jackson has nine goals and nine yellow cards in the Premier League this season. He could become the third player to reach 10 for both in his first campaign after Paolo di Canio for West Ham (1997-98) and Charlie Adam for Blackpool (2010-11).

Natalie Bromley
Fan writer

The news last week that Nottingham Forest had been deducted just four points for their alleged Financial Fair Play breaches probably ended Burnley's very faint hopes of survival this season.

Selfishly, we needed it to be more (no offence, Forest fans). It's not impossible, but it is highly improbable.

So, here are the three things we need to focus on for the remainder of this season:

Goalkeeper

James Trafford is undoubtedly a promising talent, and I am thrilled at his call-up to the senior England side, but it was too much, too soon. He was not ready for the Premier League and this development project should have been shelved in September. But now is a critical time. Kompany needs to pick his number one for next season, and stick with him.

Rediscover happiness

It's been a pretty horrible season for most Burnley fans, with just four wins to celebrate and a whole bunch of heavy defeats - plus a grand total of 63 goals being picked out of our net.

Last season feels like a lifetime ago and a lot of us are feeling pretty down in the dumps. Kompany needs to work on reconnecting the fans with the team, showing us they will at least go down with a fight and some ambition for an immediate return.

We will be there next season - of course we will. But we need cheering up!

Burnley FC Women

The rise of women's football shows no slowing down and interest in the game continues to spark.

We have invested in our women in our bid to get into the Championship and but for a Newcastle side that turned professional this year and spent a lot of money on securing promotion, we may well have done it.

Next year we have to push to get into tier two so more games can be played at Turf Moor!

Natalie Bromley can be found on No Nay Never podcast, external

BBC Sport pundit Michael Brown will be answering your questions, giving his insight and opinion around your club.

So what would you like to ask the former Premier League midfielder?

How does the rest of your season look? Who has been your best player? What does the manager's future hold?

Let us know what you want answered by sending in your questions here

We asked you what the most irritating thing at your club has been this season, whether it be inconsistency, injuries or a player failing to deliver.

Here are some of your replies:

Meg: Kompany's team selections. It's no surprise that we played well and won against a Brentford with Muric and Cullen in the team. Breaking apart the Championship-winning team was a mistake. Kompany needs to learn.

Catherine: Why, oh why didn’t Muric get his chance at the start of the season? Too many young, unproven players in the squad. The team from last season should have been given a chance to prove what they could do in the Premier League.

Craig: I don’t understand how we are managed by a world-class defender (in his playing days) yet we can’t defend. Too many goals conceded from defenders not knowing their job properly and set-pieces.

James: I suspect you are going to get a lot of the same answer/gripe here - that is the insistence on persisting with James Trafford when he was clearly struggling. I don't think he will ever be good enough for this level. It was clear the lad needed help game after game and Vinny kept doubling down.

MDC: Not playing Jack Cork as defensive midfielder.

Image source, Getty Images

Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford has been brought into the England squad after Crystal Palace's Sam Johnstone withdrew because of injury.

Trafford, 21, helped England win the Euro Under-21 Championship last summer and this is his first senior call-up.

Defenders Kyle Walker and Harry Maguire have also pulled out following Saturday's 1-0 defeat by Brazil at Wembley, with Manchester City's Rico Lewis also promoted from the under-21 squad.

Manchester United's Maguire, Walker of Manchester City and Johnstone have returned to their clubs.

England face Belgium in a friendly on Tuesday.

As we approach the business end, we want to know the most irritating thing at your club this season.

Has it been a player failing to deliver, injury woes, inconsistent form... or something else?

Let us know your biggest gripe here

Joe Redmond
Fan writer

Suddenly, things look a lot better.

Burnley's win on Saturday against 10-man Brentford followed by Nottingham Forest's points deduction on Monday means the Clarets are just five points from safety.

The situation is no longer impossible. Improbable, yes - but there is hope now, and we didn't have that before.

The mood amongst fans has changed. Every single one of us had accepted relegation and were looking towards the Championship next season, but now fans are talking about what games we have left, who Luton and Forest are playing next, and all the different permutations that could result in Burnley staying up.

We finally have some hope, and after the way the season has gone that's all we can ask for.

We are however under no illusions - we know it will still be a monumental task to stay up from the position we are in now - but the past few days have 100% boosted our hopes of survival.

If we play like we did for the majority of the game against Brentford, if we keep Arijanet Muric in the team, and if we keep clear of any more injuries to what now finally seems like a settled squad, we're in with a shout.

We still have to play Everton and Sheffield United who are down there with us, and have home games against Wolves, Brighton and an out form Newcastle United, before what could be a mouth-watering final day clash against Forest.

We have nine cup finals left.

Joe Redmond can be found at TurfCast, external

Natalie Bromley
Fan writer

Did bringing Championship title-winning goalkeeper Arijanet Muric into the Burnley starting line-up on Saturday directly cause the Clarets to win only their fourth game this season?

Probably not. Or, if it did, that would be a pretty bold claim to try and back up with facts.

But did it give this Burnley side greater edge, more stability at the back and a drive to their play that we have not seen much of this season? Absolutely. And I am frustrated beyond words that we are only seeing him with 10 games to go.

This is a change that should have been made months ago. Vincent Kompany has made a big error in his goalkeeping selection this year - in my opinion, anyway.

As noted by many pundits this weekend, Burnley are an in-possession team and the success we had last year (albeit, I recognise, in a lower league) started with Muric's ability to hold the ball and get it out quickly.

It just alleviates so much pressure on his defenders. He did that again this weekend, and we were able to control the game, rather than have it controlled for us.

Our keeper situation is an odd one. Who gets the nod next season as number one, assuming we are back in the Championship as many expect?

Can it only be James Trafford, given Kompany's loyalty to him this season and prior refusal to change him? If that is the case, bringing Muric in now seems an odd move. But if Muric now has a claim for number one, doesn't that make the decision to stick with Trafford so long bizarre?

Perhaps Kompany has one eye on the outcomes for Nottingham Forest and Everton regarding their points deductions and therefore he hopes for the greatest of all great escapes.

Watch this space.

Natalie Bromley can be found on No Nay Never podcast, external

Tom Gayle
Match Of The Day commentator

Image source, Getty Images

In addition to a massive three points, Burnley also made history on Saturday. Arijanet Muric became the first Kosovan goalkeeper to play in the Premier League.

Born in Switzerland, Muric represented Montenegro at under-21 level before making the decision to play for the Kosovo national team.

Having joined Manchester City's academy as a 16-year-old and making just five appearances for the senior side, which all came during the 2018-19 Carabao Cup campaign, he made the permanent switch to Turf Moor before their 2022-23 season in the Championship.

Muric started 41 of the 46 league games which eventually saw Burnley crowned Champions, keeping 19 clean sheets along the way.

Prior to the weekend's win over Brentford, his opportunities this season had been dramatically reduced to cup competitions, with James Trafford playing every single minute in the league.

Before kick-off, manager Vincent Kompany said the 25-year-old "deserved a chance" and, from what I witnessed up on the gantry, he did more than enough to merit starting their next game away at Chelsea.

It was a performance that had everything. His athleticism helped prevent what would have been a second own goal of the season for Dara O'Shea. Then, he kept his cool to make a fine save when Yoane Wissa was played through one-on-one. As is the modern way with elite goalkeepers, he was never afraid to hold an extremely high line - at one point he was around 40 yards away from his goal, watching on as Burnley attacked.

Ball distribution was on point and standing at 6ft 5 in tall he held a commanding presence within the penalty area, not afraid to, quite literally, put his head where it hurts when on the receiving end of Ivan Toney's boot as he denied the England striker late on.

Kompany told me afterwards that the change between the sticks "wasn't a big decision, because we have two very good goalkeepers. It's a luxury position, and we chose the player that was ready for this game."

While the manager is keen to play down any future difficulties regarding selection decisions between the pair, the regular chants of "Muric, Muric, Muric" heard from the home support suggests to me they feel the Kosovo international should be the first choice goalkeeper for their run in.

Nottingham Forest have slipped into the relegation zone after being deducted four points for breaching the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules, BBC Sport understands.

The deduction leaves, which leaves Nuno Espirito Santo's side on 21 points, lifts Luton Town out of the drop zone by one point.

Burnley remain in 19th and are four points behind Forest with 10 games remaining, while Sheffield United are seven.

Everton, who were previously deducted six points, are now three points clear of Forest but the Toffees could still be deducted further points for a second breach.

Brentford remain in 15th on 26 points.

Read the full story over here

We asked for your thoughts on Saturday's game between Burnley and Brentford in the Premier League.

Here are some of your responses:

Burnley fans

Jack: This was a match we clearly would've lost if Brentford weren't down to 10 men. Kompany is the luckiest manager alive. He has to go. Again we missed chances, there has to be a reason.

Mike: Muric made the game for Burnley. His position, speed and distribution was head and shoulders above Trafford. This decision should've been made at least 10 games ago. He's probably not enough to stay up but he will help give us a fighting chance, instead of succumbing to our fate.

Shaun: That was a fully deserved win. Muric made three good saves but Fofana should've had it sewn up in the first half for Burnley.

Andy: With Kompany as our manager, we will continue to get relegated until he either learns from his many errors, which is already too late this season, or goes, which is my preferred option. To not build on last season's triumph and bring in experienced players was unforgivable, as was his treatment of Andros Townsend.

Brentford fans

Tim: Another incoherent and inept performance from a side desperately short of any sort of belief. We have been crippled by injuries for most of the season and the wisdom of our recruitment strategy is seriously in question. How Onyeka still gets a game beats me. He is slow to react, doesn't tackle and doesn't run. Get rid.

Thomas: The Bees only showed up for the last 10 minutes when Mbeumo came on. Up to that point, they had no energy, imagination or apparent will to win. I question what Frank was thinking, waiting until the 80th minute to bring on Mbeumo in a must-win game. It can't be that he was only fit enough to play 10 minutes? Poor game management.

George: A frustrating day out. That might be this season's softest red card and our optimism walked off the pitch alongside Reguilon. We lacked creativity. Brentford once had an odd habit of beating the best teams and losing to the worst. But this season, despite always digging deep towards the final whistle, we have been unable to beat either.

Dan: Yes we are in a relegation scrap, but our performances have picked up lately. I honestly feel that we would've got something today with 11 men on the pitch, even with 10 men we threatened. The back-to-back games against Sheffield United and Luton will be massive.

Image source, Getty Images

Former Women's Super League midfielder Fara Williams believes Burnley "couldn't have asked for a better debut" from 25-year-old goalkeeper Arijanet Muric, who made his first Premier League appearance in their 2-1 win over Brentford.

"He was really impressive. As debuts go, I don't think they could've asked for a better one," Williams said on Match of the Day.

"Really early on, you don't want your centre-half playing those types of passes, and [then he was] having to clear one off the line. He was obviously in that position [off his line] because his team were in possession, so it was an early one to have to deal with.

"I think his presence was felt. He had a really aggressive starting position. He was taking the ball and making big saves early on in the game. After going a goal up, he really kept his team [in the game].

"But what's also impressive is that he showed the other side of his game, the in-possession [side of it]. We didn't know much about that from him. Burnley are an in-possession team.

"You could see his team-mates at the end of the game congratulating him because he did keep them in the game in big moments."

Catch up on Match of the Day on BBC iPlayer

Gary Lineker introduces highlights and analysis from Saturday's three Premier League fixtures.

If you missed Match of the Day, you can catch up on the action on BBC iPlayer.

Listen back to Saturday's BBC Radio 5 Live and 5 Sports Extra match commentary in full:

Luton Town v Nottingham Forest

Burnley manager Vincent Kompany has been speaking to Sky Sports following the win: "It had been coming. We started the game well and there was a lot of energy in the team.

"On another day, we could have scored more. We didn't make life easy for ourselves, but we get to celebrate with three points and look forward to the next game.

"These teams are always able to do something with their quality, but we did what we had to do to manage this game.

"Fofana could've made it 2-0 [for us], but those are the things where we still have to sharpen our tools a little bit."

On Jacob Bruun Larsen’s penalty: "He is a set-piece specialist. We felt very confident with him taking [the penalty]."