Football

Burnley secure an immediate return to the Premier League

by
Abraham Odhiambo
April 8, 2023

Burnley secure an immediate return to the Premier League. Photo/ ESPN.

Burnley secured a return to the English Premier League for the first time of asking following the 2-1 win over Middlesbrough
Burnley, who suffered a tough start to the 2022-23 season, now sit 11 points clear at the top of the Championship table

Burnley secured a return to the Premier League for the first time of asking following the 2-1 win over Middlesbrough on Friday.

An earlier 0-0 draw between fellow promotion hopefuls Millwall and Luton City on Friday meant that Burnley would receive promotion if they beat Michael Carrick’s side.

Burnley players celebrate after victory over Middlesbrough which saw them return to England’s top flight. Photo/ ESPN.

Burnley, who are unbeaten in the Championship since November, opened the scoring last evening through Ashley Barnes in the 12th minute. Chuba Akpom then scored a penalty three minutes after the start of the second half to equalize for the hosts. But it was Connor Roberts who became the hero following his winning goal after the hour mark to earn Burnley an automatic promotion with seven games remaining.

Speaking after the win, Burnley manager Vincent Kompany admitted that they didn’t expect a return to the Premier League this fast.

“It’s Easter and there’s seven games to go and we’re already celebrating. We didn’t expect it. We wanted to experience this at some point but quicker is better sometimes as well. There’s a couple of logical rules we all know, if you don’t have squad cohesion at the beginning then it takes time. There’s 46 games so you have the stress of games that help you improve quicker. It wasn’t easy. They’re celebrating like kids and that’s fun to see.” BBC Sports quote Vincent Kompany.

Burnley, who suffered a tough start to the 2022-23 season, now sit 11 points clear at the top of the Championship table. Vincent Kompany’s side are also 19 points clear of third place. They are on 87 points and face second-placed Sheffield on Monday.

Burnley are on course to hit 100 points, a feat no team has achieved in England’s second tier since Leicester City during the 2013-14 season. The Foxes hit 102 points that season as they earned promotion to the Premier League.

How Burnley Beat Middlesbrough

After Luton were held to a goalless draw at Millwall, Burnley had to beat Middlesbrough to seal their Premier League return. And it took just a dozen of minutes for Vincent Kompany’s side to open the scoring.

It started by Anass Zaroury beating Tommy Smith down the left wing before they worked the ball well across the pitch. Captain Brownhill then hit a low shot towards goal and Barnes was at the right place to divert it past goalkeeper Zack Steffen.

Tella nearly doubled Burnley’s lead a few minutes later after he broke clear of the defence but his effort went wide. Middlesbrough restored parity four minutes after the restart, thanks to Akpom’s penalty. This was after a scramble in the box saw Cullen tangle his legs with Archer’s leaving the referee with no option but to reward the home team a penalty.

Both teams played brilliant attacking football afterwards but it was Vincent Kompany’s side who restored their lead in the 66th minute. Tella was once again involved as he crossed for Roberts to tap into an empty net. The goal, which turned out to be the winner, sparked celebrations between Burnley players and their fans.

Connor Roberts celebrates with his teammates after scoring the winning goal. Photo/ BBC.

Related TopicsBurnley Championship Featured Football Middlesbrough Premier League Vincent Kompany

Abraham Odhiambo

Abraham Odhiambo is an avid sports fan who loves to write about football, boxing and wrestling. He's a big supporter of Manchester United. He's pursuing a bachelor's degree in Communication and Media at Egerton University.

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