Leeds United 1-0 Burnley
There’s something quintessentially English about Sunday lunch with Yorkshire puddings.
There’s also something quintessentially English about a packed festive football programme.
So a Premier League clash on Sunday lunchtime between the pride of Yorkshire and Lancashire had all the ingredients to be a compelling encounter.
Highlights of the game
That certainly looked to be the case too when the opening goal arrived inside five minutes.
It stemmed from a rare aberration by goalkeeper Nick Pope who rushed out of his goal but brought down Patrick Bamford who dusted himself down and side-footed the resultant penalty into the top corner.
It was just the start the hosts, who must have been itching to get out and put a rout at Old Trafford out of their system, craved.
As it turned out, it would also prove to be the decisive moment as Burnley, fresh from a victory against Wolves in fine fashion, were unable to restore parity and maintain their unbeaten December.
The visitors deserved something from the contest but, in a match of few Premier League highlights, a combination of poor refereeing and less than clinical finishing cost them at least a point.
Chris Wood proved a popular figure during his time at Leeds, netting 24 goals in 44 appearances prior to joining Burnley in 2017. Yet he was not the most dangerous attacking outlet as the opportunities arose elsewhere.
After 20 minutes came the moment which so aggrieved the visitors.
Leeds goalkeeper Illan Meslier almost jumped over Ben Mee as he collected a high delivery into the box yet, amazingly, the home side were awarded a free-kick before Ashley Barnes spun and rifled the ball into the net.
It was a refereeing mistake for an imaginary foul on Meslier which angered the Clarets who could easily have fallen further behind had Pope not stopped Jack Harrison’s gilt-edged opportunity.
For all the Burnley pressure in the second period, the chances were few until eight minutes from time when Ashley Westwood helped the ball to the back post where Jay Rodriguez was waiting and fired over on the half-volley.
Meslier punched every delivery which subsequently came his way, Leeds survived the bombardment and their reaction at full-time underlined the importance of the three points, whereas Burnley cursed the ones that got away.
They remain one short of 200 Premier League goals under Sean Dyche.
Key statistics
Leeds United have now won 20 points in the Premier League this season; no newly-promoted side has ever been relegated having won as many as 20 from their opening 15 games of a Premier League campaign.
Leeds’ top-scorer Bamford made six Premier League substitute appearances for Burnley in 2016-17. He is the third English player to reach 10 goals in the Premier League this season, after Jamie Vardy and Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Bamford is also the first English player to score at least 10 goals in a Premier League season for Leeds since Robbie Fowler in 2001-02 (when he got 12).
Bamford has scored 10 goals in 15 games for Leeds in the Premier League this season; the third-fewest appearances to reach 10 in the competition for the Whites, after Mark Viduka (nine) and Tony Yeboah (14).
Only three players have scored more goals than Bamford (10) after 15 games of a Premier League season for a newly-promoted side – Alan Shearer in 1992-93 (12), Andy Cole in 1993-94 (15) and Kevin Phillips in 1999-00 (13).
This was the first English top-flight meeting between the clubs since the 1975-76 season.
This was Burnley’s first defeat against Leeds in five games and only their second defeat in eight matches, yet they have won only two of their past 17 league matches away to newly-promoted opposition.
Leeds have lost five of their previous nine league games, winning three times and drawing once.
What’s next?
It’s a quick turnaround for both sides as the festive programme continues apace.
Leeds are at West Brom on Tuesday night and then travel to Spurs – their first-ever visit to the new stadium – on Saturday (January 2).
Burnley now face two big home games in under a week with Sheffield United (Tuesday) and Fulham (January 3) the visitors to Turf Moor.
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