Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up
NBCSports Header Logo

Three things we learned from Burnley - Brighton

uOL12WiUXjCu
Johann Gudmundsson responded to Lewis Dunk's opener as Burnley and Brighton played to a stalemate at Turf Moor.

Burnley - Brighton was the tight, tense encounter we thought it would be as the Clarets and Seagulls were both happy to take a point as they sit just above the relegation zone.

[ MORE: How to watch PL in the USA ]

Brighton took the lead through Lewis Dunk but Johann Berg Gudmundsson equalized and Burnley couldn’t quite find a winner late on.

With the draw Brighton have 25 points, while Burnley are on 23.

WATCH BURNLEY - BRIGHTON FULL REPLAY


Three things we learned

1. Battling Burnley deserved more: This was a very good display from Burnley, as they were more dangerous throughout and deserved to grab all three points. With Chris Wood out injured, they are missing a key man in their attack but Sean Dyche’s side had others step up as Dwight McNeil buzzed around and Matej Vydra and Ashley Barnes were a nuisance and created chances throughout. Burnley have played a lot worse than this and won plenty of games.

2. Seagulls sluggish: Brighton will head home happy with a point because Graham Potter’s side weren’t at their best. But that’s okay. Tough conditions at Turf Moor has seen many slick, attack-minded teams come unstuck in the past and the same happened to Brighton. Aside from a few counter attacks they weren’t able to build play from the back to create chances like they usually do. After a win at Liverpool and a point at Turf Moor, four points from this week was a very good return for the Seagulls.

3. Both teams have enough to stay out of bottom three: Burnley are too robust to get sucked into the relegation battle, while Brighton have too much quality in midfield and attack to not pick up plenty of points between now and the end of the season. Simply put: even though these teams are just above the relegation zone, it seems very unlikely they will get dragged into the bottom three.

Man of the Match: Dwight McNeil - Created so many openings for Burnley and has that extra quality to link midfield with attack seamlessly. Great deliveries into the box too.


Neal Maupay went close but he nodded wide, while soon after Brighton went close as Maupay’s shot deflected off Ben Mee.

Ashley Barnes fired off target for the hosts but at the other end the Seagulls took the lead.

A fine header from Brighton skipper Lewis Dunk put the visitors ahead, as a barrage of corners finally saw Burnley come unstuck.

Burnley responded well to going behind as Dwight McNeil was denied by Robert Sanchez, while Brighton were dangerous on the break as Nick Pope pushed Aaron Connolly’s low shot wide.

[ VIDEO: Premier League highlights ]

Brighton looked dangerous at the start of the second half as Maupay went close to heading home, then Connolly twice fired over.

But just as Brighton threatened to run away with things, Burnley equalized as several shots were blocked and then Gudmundsson smashed home to make it 1-1.

Barnes thought he had put Burnley ahead but his goal was ruled out for an offside in the build up, as the Clarets were all over Brighton in the closing stages but couldn’t find a winner as Sanchez was brave on several occasions.

Follow @JPW_NBCSports