Burnley and Leeds both take a point in goalless draw as Leeds remain 2 points clear at the top of the Championship.
Burnley were heading into this one on the back of a 0-5 away win vs Plymouth last week in which both Zian Flemming and Josh Laurent netted a brace, but on paper they were in for a tougher test tonight against table-topping Leeds United in front of a packed out Turf Moor, it was a highly anticipated Monday night clash with both Sheffield United and Sunderland dropping points in the illustrious Championship promotion race.
Undeniably, it was a game where chances were few and far between, and was not for the feint-hearted as the game left both sets of fans with very little to shout about. Burnley Centre-Back Maxime Esteve was comfortably the best player on the pitch as he helped Burnley keep out the most prolific attack in the league.
Leeds United found themselves in a couple of good situations in transition but struggled to create a clear-cut opportunity in the first ten minutes of the game, unlike in midweek when they scored within 45 seconds vs Norwich, but their fans would have been pleased with how they dominated possession and limited any Burnley threat in the early stages. They certainly looked more threatening than their hosts in the first 10 minutes, but it was always going to be tough to break down a side who have conceded 9 goals in 27 games – a record in English football which has not been achieved in over 150 years. They had not conceded a goal since before Christmas going into tonight!
The first real opportunity did come for Burnley as former Leeds player Jaidon Anthony produced some great work down the right-hand side in the 11th minute and provided a cross only for Dutch Striker Zian Flemming to disappointingly head wide. This was the story of the night, a game of half-chances.
Unlike other teams at this level both sides looked to build from the back, resulting in both sides cancelling each other out in what won’t go down as the greatest first half of the season for either team, as Burnley’s magnificent defence was cutting out the spaces for the Leeds United attacking threat. Both sides looked very comfortable on the ball with Leeds’s aggressive press ineffective.
However, the Whites were out for revenge, with the visitors only home loss this season being inflicted by the Clarets when the sides faced off in September, and Leeds United were high on confidence boasting an 11-game unbeaten run themselves. Leeds right back Jayden Bogle had a great first half with his average position well into the attacking half providing width for Leeds
The Whites were encouraged when they opened up Burnley’s defence on the 18th minute resulting in the in-form Daniel James dragging a shot wide, but it was defences on top as neither team managed to have a shot on target at all in the first half with the most exciting moment coming when Manor Solomon received a yellow card for Dissent towards match referee Joshua Smith in the 31st minute or when Zian Flemming shot the ball into Row Z in the 42nd minute. The first half was not one anyone would want to sit through again that is for certain, but still, the three points to play for in the second half.
In the 50th minute it marked 10 hours since Burnley last conceded a goal but you will struggle to find a scrappier 10 minutes in English football than the first 10 of the second half and it looked as though nothing was going to happen! A lot of meaningless passes from Leeds as Burnley stood off the visitors.
Everyone was wondering when Daniel Farke would use his exceptional squad depth especially when Daniel James cynical foul on CJ Egan-Riley resulted in a booking for the Welsh International and he turned to his bench with 20 minutes to play
The game was quickly getting drowned out and looking like it was going to end in a goalless draw as in the 88th minute neither side had yet registered a shot on target, a draw would of been a good result for both sides and it played out where no player was taking any risks.
In the 88th minute James Trafford produced a routine stop to prevent Daniel James sending the travelling fans into pandemonium, this would be the only shot on target all night!
The match ended 0-0 in a game not great for the neutral, as Burnley will look to return to winning ways when they travel to Portsmouth, whilst Leeds United take on Cardiff City at Elland Road.
By Fionn Woodward [2303377]