Chris Wood’s early strike proved the difference as Burnley ended their long wait for a first Premier League win of the season by edging out a Crystal Palace side that lacked a cutting edge in Wilfried Zaha’s absence. Palace manager Roy Hodgson revealed Zaha had been ruled out of the Turf Moor trip after testing positive for coronavirus and although they created enough chances to claim a point, it was clear they missed their talisman. Johann Berg Gudmundsson clattered the crossbar on his 100th Premier League appearance, which meant Burnley were hanging on as full-time approached. But Nick Pope saved brilliantly from Michy Batshuayi – Zaha’s replacement – and substitute Christian Benteke in the second half to ensure the Clarets claimed their first league win since July 18. That allowed James Tarkowski to nip in and snuff out the danger, enabling Burnley to celebrate an overdue victory.

Source: Irish Independent November 23, 2020 19:41 UTC