Aston Villa 1-1 Burnley (Buendia 48’ | Barnes 45’ pen)
If Burnley lose their proud Premier League status, they will look back at the 85th minute at Aston Villa as one of the reasons as to why.
Connor Roberts’s shot was turned onto the post by Emiliano Martinez, then substitute Wout Weghorst’s follow-up was somehow diverted wide by Tyrone Mings.
On such moments futures are decided.
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Before that, Burnley must be glad they have seen the back of Emiliano Buendia – even if he did throw them a potential lifeline.
Aston Villa’s club-record £33million signing scored a delightful equaliser after gifting the Clarets a penalty, less than two weeks after a goal and an assist in a 3-0 Burnley defeat at Turf Moor.
Villa made a rousing start to proceedings, dismissing any notion that they have hit the beaches early.
Player ratings
Aston Villa (4-1-2-3): Martinez 7; Cash 6, Chambers 6, Mings 6, Digne 7; Douglas Luiz 6; McGinn 8, J Ramsey 6 (Coutinho 71 minutes, 6); Buendia 7, Chukwuemeka 6 (Traoré 57 minutes, 6), Watkins 6 (Ings 78 minutes, 6).
Burnley (5-3-2): Pope 7; Roberts 6, Long 6, Collins 6, Tarkowski 6, Taylor 6; McNeil 6 (Lennon 79 minutes, 6), Brownhill 7, Cork 7; Cornet 6 (Lowton 85 minutes, 6), Barnes 7 (Weghorst 71 minutes, 6).
Buendia, who scored one and set up another in Villa’s 3-0 win at Turf Moor less than two weeks ago, had two half-chances.
First Buendia’s angled shot was blocked, before his flick was deflected wide as Villa piled on the pressure.
Villa midfielder John McGinn forced the first save when Nick Pope palmed away his curling effort in the 17th minute.
Burnley belatedly showed as an attacking force soon afterwards however, when Dwight McNeil’s curling half-volley – which was heading for the top corner – was headed behind by Matty Cash.
It was Cash who had their next opportunity, flashing a fierce angled drive narrowly over the bar.
Burnley were struggling to stem the flow of deliveries from Villa’s left and this time an excellent cross from Jacob Ramsey found McGinn 20 yards out for a rising shot that was superbly clawed away by Pope.
The breakthrough surprisingly went Burnley’s way as they took the lead against the run of play.
Buendia showed his impetuous side when he conceded the 43rd-minute penalty from which Burnley took the lead.
The former Norwich City playmaker needlessly dangled a leg onto Maxwel Cornet’s shin for a clear spot-kick, which was expertly despatched by Ashley Barnes for his first goal since February 2021.
Buendia was quick to atone for his error, equalising within three minutes of the restart.
Sprinting forward unchallenged into the Burnley penalty area, he met a beautifully-flighted pass from McGinn full on the volley.
The power was too much for Pope, who got a good hand to the shot but couldn’t prevent the ball bouncing past him.
Josh Brownhill tested Martinez shortly afterwards with Burnley’s first serious attempt in open play.
But Villa soon pushed for the winner. Pope tipped over a powerful half volley from Ollie Watkins and substitutes Bertrand Traore and Danny Ings drilled wide, before Pope tipped away Traore’s header.
Then came the drama at the other end when Burnley were left ruing missed chances of their own, ones that look like proving very costly indeed.
Former Villa right-back Matt Lowton was sent off for a late challenge on Calum Chambers just six minutes after coming on as a substitute, but thankfully it didn’t affect the outcome.
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