Match Reports

Albion 0 Burnley 0

a

Albion and Burnley cancelled each other out with a 0-0 draw in Monday evening’s Premier League fixture at The Hawthorns.

Both teams had guilt-edged opportunities to win it, with Karlan Grant even denied a debut goal after being flagged for offside when he headed home during the first-half, but neither the Baggies nor the Tykes could find that elusive goal in the end.

The result leaves Albion on two points from four games heading into next week’s trip to Brighton.

Slaven Bilić opted to make six changes to the side who were defeated at Southampton, with Branislav Ivanović, Conor Gallagher, Filip Krovinović and Karlan Grant earning their Premier League debuts for Albion and Ahmed Hegazi and Darnell Furlong also coming into the XI.

And it was the much-changed Baggies that created the opening few chances; Krovinović saw an early effort deflected narrowly wide, Grant blasted off-target and Matheus Pereira shot straight at Nick Pope.

Burnley then tested Sam Johnstone for the first time, the goalkeeper reacting well to tip Ashley Barnes’ half-volley past the post, before Albion actually had the ball in the net - Grant guiding Grady Diangana’s cross home but looking across to see the assistant referee’s flag in the air. A lengthy look from VAR confirmed that the Baggies’ new front man was marginally offside so the sides went into the break goalless.

Johnstone comfortably saved a tame Chris Wood header and Gudmundsson’s low free-kick as the visitors made a good start to the second period, though Albion then went incredibly close to breaking the deadlock on the hour mark. 

Diangana showed great skill to beat his man and find some space in the area to shoot, and a mixture of Pope and several Burnley defenders showed equally great bravery to block his effort and Ivanović’s powerful rebound.

The Baggies were given a huge let-off midway through the half when Wood skimmed the top of the crossbar, and soon after Johnstone had to make a fantastic save to deny Barnes when he looked set to score.

Pereira nearly netted for Albion with 12 minutes to go, his volley from Townsend’s excellent cross superbly denied by Pope, and substitute Sawyers curled one over as the match looked set to be the first without a goal in the top flight this season.

Both sides continued to press in the closing stages, but they had to settle for a point as Albion recorded  successive home draws in the league.

Albion: Johnstone, Furlong, Ivanović, Hegazi, Townsend; Gallagher, Livermore, Krovinović (Sawyers 79); Pereira (Phillips 88), Grant (Robinson 73), Diangana.

Substitutes: Button, O’Shea, Bartley, Ajayi.