Five greatest Premier League moments: Burnley
They may have only been in the Premier League for three seasons, but that hasn’t stopped Burnley putting in some dazzling displays in the top flight.
From upstaging the big boys to securing survival in the Premier League for the first time, we pick out their five greatest moments of their higher echelon football.
Blake thunderbolt has United rocking
The 2009/10 season marked Burnley return to top flight football for the first time in 33 years and their first home game was against reigning champions Manchester United.
Fergie’s Red Devils had strolled to three consecutive Premier League titles and the task facing Owen Coyle’s men was a daunting one.
But a raucous Turf Moor atmosphere was whipped up into a frenzy when Robbie Blake walloped a fine volley past Ben Foster into the net.
The ground was rocking as the Clarets announced themselves on the biggest stage with a shock victory.
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Boyd brilliance upsets City
Burnley returned to the Premier League after a four-year absence in 2014 under new management in the shape of Sean Dyche.
The Clarets welcomed defending champions Manchester City to Turf Moor in a match the Citizens needed to win to keep tabs with a rampant Chelsea at the top of the table.
What they found was a Burnley side in inspired form who produced a dogged display to compound Manchester City to another defeat.
The game was finely poised at 0-0 when George Boyd struck a sweet half volley through a crowd of players into the bottom corner of Joe Hart’s net.
Liverpool stunned by blistering Burnley
Another year and another survival from Burnley as they looked to finally cement themselves as a Premier League club.
Burnley welcomed Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool side, who were in fine form after thrashing Arsenal at the Emirates.
But there was to be no repeat of that demolition at Turf Moor as first Sam Vokes and then Andre Gray put Liverpool to the sword.
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It was a famous victory for Sean Dyche’s side as they enjoyed just 19 per cent of the possession, the lowest total by a winning side since Opta began recording the statistic in the 2003-04 season.
Sensational Etihad comeback
Many of Burnley’s greatest Premier League moments have come at Turf Moor.
But perhaps their greatest away performance came in December 2014 when they took on reigning champions Manchester City.
Goals from David Silva and Fernandinho put Man City in cruise control at half-time as they looked to maintain their charge for another title.
But the Clarets, who were sitting 19th at the time, produced a stunning second half comeback thanks to George Boyd and Ashley Barnes to leave the Etihad stunned.
Burnley secure safety – at last
Burnley’s home form had been sensational throughout the 2016/17 campaign but a torrid away return meant the Clarets were still not safe with four matches to play.
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The Turf Moor side had never survived a Premier League season and as they headed to Crystal Palace, who were in also in the midst of the survival dog fight, three points would be crucial.
And Burnley found the perfect time to win their first away match of the season with a clinical display at Selhurst Park.
Former Brighton man Barnes opened the scoring before Andre Gray sealed all three points in the final five minutes to help Burnley secure another season of Premier League football.
