Burnley 2-1 Wolves: Ashley Barnes and Chris Wood on target as Clarets move out of the drop zone | Football news

Burnley rose from the relegation zone after a 2-1 win over the Wolves, with Ashley Barnes and Chris Wood finding the net.

Barnes hadn’t found the net since last November after a drop in form and injury, but he soared higher to return home with a perfect Charlie Taylor crossover to send Burnley on his way (35).

His attacking partner came into the act just after the break, when Wood crashed home from close range (51) after Burnley had intimidated the Lobos from a set piece.

Fabio Silva got consolation from the penalty spot after Josh Benson fouled the striker (88), but overall the visitors’ response was weak as Raúl Jiménez’s influence failed when Burnley’s brilliant defensive backbone from Ben Mee and James Tarkowski repelled everything that went into their box.

The result lifts Burnley above Fulham and Brighton to 16th place in the Premier League.

How Burnley made his way through the Wolves …

The pattern of the game was established from the first whistle, with Wolves enjoying better possession, but Burnley looking much more dangerous with it.

Rui Patricio had to save with his feet when a long punt by Nick Pope caught Romain Saiss sleeping to allow Barnes a shot on goal.

With Owen Otasowie, in his full Premier League debut, trying to replace Jimenez’s skills in a central role, the Lobos never seemed capable of creating anything that worried Pope.

Burnley’s breakthrough came shortly after the half hour mark. Taylor lunged forward to latch onto Wood’s pass, sending a deep cross to the second post where Barnes fought his way home to finish a 970-minute run without a goal.

Ruben Neves deflected a couple of long-range attempts and that was all that Nuno Espirito Santo’s team could muster before the break.

Having come in behind, a response from Nuno’s team would have been expected after the break, but they were on the back foot almost immediately.

Josh Brownhill took advantage of a Neves slip to double a shot to the crossbar before Wood doubled Burnley’s lead in the 51st minute after the visitors failed to tackle Ashley Westwood’s free kick.

Mee headed the ball back into the area where it hit Rayan Ait-Nouri before sitting down for Wood to explode on the roof of the net at point blank range.

Westwood’s pass then freed Wood, but Patrick was quick to put down the shot when Burnley threatened to unleash himself.

With Silva and Adama Traore replacing Otasowie and Ait-Nouri, the Wolves posed a greater threat, but Taylor was doing a good job of restricting Traore any room to maneuver.

His last save came when Silva slipped past Tarkowski and then fell on a challenge from Benson, only as a substitute and guilty of conceding a penalty before touching the ball.

Silva shot a low, hard shot to the left to beat Pope and the Wolves covered Burnley in the final stages, but Pope was not severely tested.

Man of the match: Charlie Taylor

An almost flawless performance from the full-back, who was robust on defense when asked to stop Pedro Neto and Traore and produced the quality moment needed to open the Wolves for Barnes’ first goal. The drive and determination he showed to join the attack is all you hope to see from Sean Dyche. Taylor personified exactly what Burnley is all about.

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• Burnley has won two of their last three Premier League matches (D1), one more than they have achieved in their previous 11 matches in the competition (D3 L7).
• Since the start of 2018-19, Wolves have failed to win any of their three Premier League away games against Burnley (D1 L2); in fact, only against Liverpool at Anfield have they suffered more away defeats in competition in this period (P3 L3).
• Burnley scored twice in a Premier League game at Turf Moor for the first time since February (3 against Bournemouth), scoring as many in this game as in his first five home games this season combined (2).
• Silva is the youngest player to score a Premier League goal for Wolves (18y 155d), while he is the second youngest player to score a penalty in the competition, after Liverpool’s Michael Owen in August 1997 (17y 238d v Wimbledon).
• Otasowie (19y 350d) is the third different teenage player to start for Wolves in the Premier League this season (after Fábio Silva and Rayan Aït-Nouri); the joint majority of any team in the competition, along with Liverpool.

Whats Next?

Burnley will travel to Elland Road on December 27 to play Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds United, while Wolves host Tottenham, both games are live. Sky sports.