Burnley 4-0 Huddersfield: Vincent Kompany’s Clarets looked two divisions above sorry visitors… with Neil Warnock’s men suffering comedown after last week’s thrilling win
- Burnley showed their class at the top of the Championship with thumping win
- Ashley Barnes, Conor Roberts and captain Josh Brownhill scored in the first half
- Michael Obafemi nabbed the fourth against Neil Warnock’s struggling visitors
Neil Warnock has never been the sort of manager who needs a reality check, but Burnley decided to give him one anyway.
After the 74-year-old’s return to Huddersfield brought a thrilling win over Birmingham last weekend, this was quite the comedown.
To say that Warnock’s side were outclassed by the Championship’s runaway leaders would be an understatement.
The teams looked as if they were two divisions apart. Come August, they may well be.
Burnley took just six minutes to asset their superiority, as Anass Zaroury delivered a devilish inswinging cross from the right, which bounced all the way into the far corner of the net as Ashley Barnes made a run across the front of goalkeeper Nicholas Bilokapic.
Ashley Barnes scored the opener for Burnley just seven minutes into the Championship clash
New Huddersfield Town boss Neil Warnock spoke to his Burnley counterpart Vincent Kompany
Burnley’s Johann Gudmundsson put in a man of the match performance in their 4-0 victory
The keeper then beat away a Barnes near-post flick following a Johann Gudmundsson corner, but was exposed by those in front of him as Burnley extended their lead.
Hjalmar Ekdal was given time and space to play the through ball, Gudmundsson went round the corner, only to have the goal pinched from him as Connor Roberts nipped in to finish.
When Josh Brownhill controlled and steered in Gudmundsson’s pass to make it 3-0 after 31 minutes, the game was up. Ian Maatsen hit the post before half-time; it could have become embarrassing.
Huddersfield at least showed some fight in the second half, with Danny Ward’s rising angled drive forcing a fine save from Aro Muric.
The one setback for Burnley was an injury to Maatsen, carried off on a stretcher after slipping and suffering a nasty fall while chasing back with substitute Brahima Diarra. On an otherwise perfect day, Burnley manager Vincent Kompany was crossing his fingers that the Chelsea loanee’s injury was not as serious as it looked.
Kompany’s team continued to create chances in a quieter second half, adding a lovely fourth goal as Roberts’ pass down the right freed Nathan Tella, who cut back for substitute Michael Obafemi to sweep in.
MATCH RATINGS
Burnley (4-2-3-1): Muric 7; Roberts 7, Ekdal 8, Beyer 8 (Vitinho 78, 7), Maatsen 8 (Taylor 59, 7); Brownhill 8 (Obafemi 67, 7), Cullen 7; Gudmundsson 8.5, Tella 8 (Twine 78, 7), Zaroury 8; Barnes 7.5 (Foster 67, 7).
Substitutes not used: Peacock-Farrell, Cork.
Huddersfield (4-3-3): Bilokapic 5; Edmonds-Green 5, Lees 5, Helik 5, Headley 5; Kasumu 5.5 (High 46, 6), Rudoni 6, Camara 5; Hungbo 5 (Diarra 46, 6), Ward 6 (Waghorn 75, 5.5), Koroma 5.
Substitutes not used: Vaclik, Hogg, Rhodes, Boyle.
Booked: Koroma, Headley
Star player: Johann Gudmundsson
Referee: Matthew Donohue (Greater Manchester) 7
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