Burnley 1-1 Wolves: Clarets extend unbeaten run to four matches but Rayan Ait-Nouri denies Vincent Kompany's men vital three points in fight for survival
- Burnley's Jacob Bruun Larsen opened the scoring in the 37th minute
- Rayan Ait-Nouri headed his side level moments before the half-time break
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Vincent Kompany’s hopes of leading Burnley on an unlikely late-season survival charge was undone by Wolves’ in-form goalscorer Rayan Ait-Nouri at Turf Moor on Tuesday night.
The Algerian international scored his third goal in four games for Gary O’Neil’s side as they bounced back after falling behind to an opening goal from Kompany’s struggling Clarets.
With Burnley visiting Everton on Saturday, this always seemed a pivotal week in the Premier League relegation race and, after Jacob Bruun Larsen fired them in front on Tuesday night, the situation was improving for the Clarets - especially as the score filtered through from Newcastle during the first half.
But the Wolves equaliser, and results elsewhere, left Burnley six points from safety, and nudged Kompany closer to the Championship.
Yet his side, suddenly believing they might have a chance of escaping the drop after recent improvements, started brightly with plenty of intent.
Rayan Ait-Nouri (C) scored the equaliser as Wolves drew 1-1 with Burnley on Tuesday
Ait-Nouri (2nd left) headed home in first half injury time to level the scores at Turf Moor
And they were rewarded when Bruun Larsen shot them in front on 37 minutes, from a direct but brilliantly executed goal.
Keeper Arijanet Muric found Dara O’Shea around the halfway line and the defender advanced before delivering a superb cross that was met by Bruun Larsen on the volley.
The devastating finish gave Jose Sa no chance and the goal had been achieved with three Burnley players involved and nobody from Wolves remotely close to getting a significant touch.
It was also consolation for those Burnley fans at the opposite end, in the Jimmy McIlroy Stand, who had been forced to evacuate their section, due to a dangerous piece of metal hanging down from the underside of the roof.
It was also a far cry from the dismal Turf Moor form at the start of the season, when nine defeats in 10 home games seemed to have doomed Burnley to relegation even before their season had properly begun.
But this is also a Burnley team that had kept just one clean sheet at home all season - that against rock-bottom Sheffield United - and Wolves were always liable to pose a threat.
Sure enough, they should have been in front on 26 minutes from a Pablo Sarabia corner, which Matt Doherty headed back across goal and Joao Gomes nodded wide from a promising position.
And, after the shock of going behind, Wolves finally fought their way back level in the last of the three minutes of first half added time.
Sarabia’s free-kick should have been dealt with by the home defence but Ait-Nouri was unmarked and able to steer a well-placed header past Muric from just outside the six-yard box.
Ait-Nouri had won the free-kick himself, after a foul from O’Shea which Burnley hotly contested, and Kompany approached referee Thomas Bramall to air his views on the half-time whistle.
Jacob Bruun Larsen (right) had given the home side the lead 10 minutes earlier
Larsen celebrates after breaking the deadlock in Tuesday's Premier League clash
Vincent Kompany's men are unbeaten in four but desperately need wins in their situation
Gary O'Neil, Jose Sa and Matheus Cunha looked pleased with the point at full-time
The Burnley manager had bemoaned the current standards of Premier League officiating before the game and remained similarly unimpressed after the restart.
His mood would have worsened on 53 minutes if Ait-Nouri had accepted a brilliant chance to score his and Wolves’ second after Max Kilman’s pass sent him sprinting away from his defender.
But, with only Muric to beat, the Burnley keeper spread himself large and made a solid, goal-saving block.
At the other end, Sa was forced into similar important stops - sticking out a boot to deny Bruun Larsen and then showing good reactions to scoop away a fierce hit from Wilson Odobert.
Muric was sharp again, racing well out of his area to beat Sarabia to a long through ball, while Odobert struck a shot straight at Sa, from a promising position.
As both sides pressed for a winner, Mario Lemina headed wide from the visitors’ best chance while Sa did well to tip away a strong shot from substitute Manuel Benson.
