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Chris Wood’s first strike proved the difference, as Burnley ended their long wait for the season’s first Premier League win of the season by beating a Crystal Palace side that lacked leading edge in the absence of Wilfried Zaha.
Palace manager Roy Hodgson revealed that Zaha had been ruled out of the Turf Moor trip after testing positive for coronavirus and while they created enough opportunities to claim a point, it was clear that they lost their talisman.
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The decisive moment of the game came already in the eighth minute, when Wood found the back of the net after being crossed by his attacking partner Jay Rodríguez, making his first start in the league in two months, when the Clarets won 1-0 .
Burnley came into this encounter as the lowest scorer in the division and this was only their fourth goal in eight games, and first in five games, but it was enough to get them out of the relegation zone.
Johann Berg Gudmundsson hit the crossbar in his 100th Premier League appearance, which meant Burnley held on as full time approached.
But Nick Pope brilliantly saved Zaha’s replacement Michy Batshuayi and replaced Christian Benteke in the second half to ensure the Clarets clinched their first league win since July 18.
Pope was called into action within the first 90 seconds, his palms itched from Nathaniel Clyne’s effort from distance, but Burnley ended his long scoreless streak, scoring at home for the first time in the league this season.
Gudmundsson directed a hopeful ball into the box, but the lopsided Palace defender Cheikhou Kouyate got in the way of Rodriguez, whose clever kick allowed Wood to enter and slip in.
Palace responded well by falling behind with Batshuayi making life difficult for the hosts, only failing to put a finishing touch when James McArthur rolled the ball across the six-yard box.
After Burnley’s defenders lagged behind, Batshuayi’s shot missed only Pope’s right post, while the goalkeeper had to be on the alert as he capsized a curled, sunken effort from Andros Townsend’s distance.
Pope’s rival Vicente Guaita was perhaps a bit lucky: An ill-timed punch from an innocuous Dwight McNeil corner kick didn’t end at the back of the net as the Clarets finished the half firmly on top.
Burnley boss Sean Dyche was furious on the touchline after an awkward challenge from Kouyate prevented Rodriguez from passing clean and going unpunished, but replays showed the match took place just outside the box.
However, it was an encouraging start to the second half for Burnley and Gudmundsson should have doubled his lead when McNeil chose his teammate with plenty of room, but a first-time effort shot off the crossbar.
They were given a major foul on the hour when an errant backward pass from McNeil put Batshuayi one-on-one with Pope, who slipped out of line quickly and was helped by the loaned Chelsea forward who brushed the shot straight into him .
It was becoming an end-to-end affair and Guaita did it brilliantly to clear a Wood header after Kouyate failed to intercept an Ashley Westwood dink in the area.
As the game approached added time, Benteke was denied point-blank by a Pope’s left arm with open arms and the Palace substitute then turned down another opportunity after receiving a bad touch when he passed.
That allowed James Tarkowski to step in and eliminate the danger, allowing Burnley to celebrate a lost victory.
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