UK Edition
Burnley 1 Crystal Palace 0: Frank de Boer faces sack as Palace become first top-flight side in 93 years to lose first four matches without scoring
Will Frank de Boer be turfed out after this defeat at Turf Moor? The oddness of this encounter is that Crystal Palace were undeniably the better side, were markedly improved from their crushing home loss to Swansea City which almost saw De Boer sacked as manager on the spot and there was the demanded compromise in formation, approach and personnel which made them feel far more familiar.
But they lost. Again. And they did not score a goal. Again.
Four games into this Premier League campaign and Palace have become the first team in its 25-year history, and the first top-flight team since Preston North End in 1924, to fail to register.
An away day at Burnley was always going to be a tough task to save your job but that is what De Boer faced in this most unforgiving of leagues.
What will hurt is the nature of the loss. If he goes then the Palace owners will stand accused of blundering in appointing him in the first place – no manager has ever lasted just four Premier League matches – and understandably so. But if the owners have shot themselves in the foot then the way this game unfolded proved another example of that happening on the pitch.
From the goal Palace conceded to the opportunities they spurned they were the victims of their own hapless downfall. They gifted Burnley the chance to go ahead and then wasted two golden chances to draw level and saw two others cleared off the line. Defender Scott Dann was involved in three of those incidents and when he somehow headed wide from just a couple of yards out, as he was found by Yohan Cabaye with a precise cross, it was the most profligate of all. He held his head in disbelief. It was in the 89th minute and it was desperate from Dann.
It was desperate from Palace at the start, in fact. In a game with so much riding on it they blew up. They blew it. The goal came inside three minutes with a woefully under-hit back-pass by Lee Chung-yong – making a first start since February and for some reason running back towards his own goal - presenting Chris Wood with the opportunity to score on his first Premier League start since his £15million move from Leeds United. Wood took it, sweeping the ball confidently, first-time past the onrushing goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey from a full 25 yards out.
It meant the New Zealand striker had – with his injury-time goal against Tottenham Hotspur on his debut – scored two goals within four minutes for his new club. Not a bad immediate return for Burnley.
Palace were in shock – although they could have quickly drawn level if Dann’s shot on the turn from a corner not been hacked off the goal-line by Matt Lowton. What was strange was how disjointed Burnley, who changed their own approach by playing two strikers, then became with their manager Sean Dyche later admitting that Palace, with Andros Townsend impressive, had been the better team.
Even so the game meandered for an hour, it was hardly as if Palace were dominant or urgent, with the visitors failing to capitalise on the loss of Burnley goalkeeper and captain Tom Heaton who fell awkwardly and suffered a suspected dislocated shoulder.
His replacement, Nick Pope, was making his Premier League debut and faced little pressure until, finally, the ball broke through to Christian Benteke, who kind of passed to himself, and who found himself clear on goal. The striker attempted to side-footed past Pope but the goalkeeper stuck out his left boot and superbly turned it away before, soon after, he beat out a drive form Cabaye.
Jeffrey Schlupp also blazed over and the agony for Palace was capped by Dann’s poor header which followed another shot from him being cleared off the goal-line by James Tarkowski. The efforts on goal count stood 23 to four – Burnley really did lack ambition - in Palace’s favour and they certainly did not deserve to lose. But lose they did with their players – who could not be faulted for their effort - slumping to the Turf Moor turf in frustration at the end as De Boer marched defiantly across it.
Burnley's good start continues
They were under a lot of pressure in the second half but saw off the South London side very well. That's Burnley's second win of the season, building on opening day victory at Chelsea and a point against Spurs last time out. The home fans will be pleased. The away fans will be miserable, especially after that miss from Dann late on.
FULL TIME: Burnley 1 - 0 Crystal Palace
Michael Oliver blows the final whistle and makes it four defeats from four for Crystal Palace. They still haven't scored a goal. They worked hard to get their way back into this game but an awful pass back from Lee in the first half and a terrible late miss from Scott Dann mean Burnley take the three points.
Palace are the first side ever to lose their first four games without scoring a goal in the Premier League.
77 minutes
Burnley have been the better side for the last 10 minutes. They win a free kick just in the Palace half. Palace win back the ball after it's taken and attack after Oliver plays advantage. Burnley belligerent in defence and the ball is cleared upfield. Palace are growing frustrated. McArthur commits a foul in the centre circle. Another Burnley free kick.
SECOND HALF
A fairly even first half with one absolute disaster. That pass back from Lee will not have improved de Boer's mood one bit. Palace fought to get back into the match, having the better chances throughout the half. Stephen Ward caused them problems from the left, though.
The away team get things underway for the second half.
12 minutes
Schlupp wins Burnley a corner from the left-hand side. Puncheon puts it out to Cabaye on the edge of the area, but he cannot control it, takes his shot but it is deflected for another corner. Burnley see off the danger momentarily before Schlupp makes it into the penalty area again. He couldn't get his shot away. Well defended in the end from Burnley.
Sean Dyche speaking before the match
On this season's successes so far:
"We've got a bit more depth in the squad and experience in the squad."
On playing two up front:
"We want to be flexible. Today we think it's relevant with the two centre-forwards. We think it's worth changing [to two centre-forwards] today."
Early season form
A very different picture for both sides so far. Burnley took a fantastic three points away at Chelsea on the opening day, going 3-0 up at half-time before winning 3-2. They then lost at home West Brom away before a late goal at Wembley secured a point against Spurs.
Crystal Palace, on the other hand, have yet to register a point or indeed a goal, losing 3-0 at home to Premier League newcomers Huddersfield first up. Then came a 1-0 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield. It didn't get much better in their next game, either, as they lost 2-0 at home to Swansea. A heavy defeat today could see them at the foot of the table.
De Boer under pressure
Crystal Palace manager Frank de Boer is under pressure just three games into the Premier League season. The Dutchman replaced Sam Allardyce as Eagles manager in June this year but the South London side have lost all three league games this season - without scoring a goal.
Today's visit to Turf Moor presents de Boer an opportunity to relieve some of that pressure, with his team's first points of the season. The Palace manager cited Pep Guardiola's start with Barcelona and compatriot Louis van Gaal's early results with Manchester United as examples of managers who have turned it around and stuck to their principles. Read more of de Boer's thoughts in Sam Wallace's article.