Burnley 1 Brighton 1: Clarets’ relegation woes worsen as Muric’s second howler in two games sees crucial points dropped
ARO MURIC might have thought it was impossible to top his howler at Everton last week – but he did. By a mile.
The Burnley keeper was embarrassed at Goodison Park a week ago when his attempted clearance hit Dominic Calvert-Lewin and looped into the net for a winner.
But the equaliser he gifted Brighton was a whole lot worse – so bad, it will haunt him for the rest of his career.
There was no danger at all as Sander Berge rolled a pass back to the Kosovan keeper with 11 minutes left.
But somehow, Muric allowed the ball to roll under his boot and into the net – as Burnley’s fans howled in anguish.
It came just five minutes after substitute Josh Brownhill looked to have given the Clarets a glimmer of hope in their survival bid as he pounced on an error at the other end.
The midfielder charged down Bart Verbruggen’s attempted clearance to score after the keeper had been sold short by Carlos Baleba’s underhit back pass.
But no-one will remember Verbruggen’s moment of misery, because Muric surpassed it.
Vincent Kompany’s side desperately needed a lucky break, with games running out and the drop looming – but this wasn’t their day.
Fortune was against them when the lively Wilson Odobert tumbled over Pervis Estupinan inside the area early on, with Simon Hooper turning away the penalty appeals, and a VAR check backing up the referee.
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But Burnley had only themselves to blame as they passed up two glorious chances in the first half.
Danish winger Jacob Bruun Larsen failed to score in the 17th minute, when he was left unmarked at the far post yet somehow swept Wilson Odobert’s cross wide from three yards out.
Then right on half-time, Chelsea loanee David Datro Fofana darted into the centre to meet another superb ball in from French teenager Odobert, only for the ball to whizz past off the top of his boot.
But in between, Burnley had to see off plenty of first-half pressure from a Brighton side who had failed to score in five of their previous eight matches.
Simon Adingra’s burst down the right took him past Vitinho and within sight of goal, and although Muric blocked his shot, there was then a nervy moment for the keeper, who had to clear quickly in a crowded box as Maxime Esteve fired a back pass at him.
The Kosovan keeper was kept busy during the first half – he held another Adingra shot comfortably enough, then spilled a long-range effort from Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba, having to scramble to gather the loose ball.
Muric could only watch as Joao Pedro stole in behind Vitinho to glance wide from Pascal Gross’ superb angled cross, but was alert later in the half to push away Jakub Moder’s free-kick, and blocked Danny Welbeck at close range as the striker closed in from a tight angle before the break.
Esteve had to make a brilliant tackle early in the second half as Adingra raced through on goal, with Brighton starting to pick holes in the Burnley back line.
Fofana had one chance to make up for his first-half miss before being hauled off with just over an hour gone, and he flung himself at a right-wing cross from Lorenz Assignon to plant a diving header just wide.
But Brighton had a strong spell after that as the hosts got sloppy with the ball, with Gross seeing one shot deflected just wide with Muric stranded, and then having another tipped over by the keeper after Sander Berge had lost possession cheaply.
Gross took the resulting corner and caused more Burnley panic, with Joao Pedro glancing a header just wide.
Kompany sent on Jay Rodriguez in a desperate bid to find a goal, and was almost rewarded, with the striker steering a low shot, gathered by keeper Bart Verbruggen, after Odobert’s run had teed up the chance.
At that point, the game looked to be drifting towards a 0-0 draw, but then came Brownhill’s breakthrough – followed by the mother of all howlers from Muric.
