Jay Rodriguez scored a brace to help Burnley produce one of the most comfortable football results of the weekend in the Championship. Vitinho, Rodriguez, and Anass Zaroury put a stop to the Swans’ run of four straight victories, and top scorer Joel Piroe was given a straight red card for violent behavior with 15 minutes left to play. The Clarets’ streak of victories extended to 12 games in all competitions as Vincent Kompany executed his game plan flawlessly in what was described as a matchup of two of the Championship’s more sophisticated teams. Burnley gained control early on, foiling the Swans’ attempts to play out from the back and revealing a weakness on their sides. As a result, Burnley went to the top of the league.
After 15 minutes, the defense hesitated as Maatsen whipped a dipping cross over the face of the six-yard box. The ball popped up perfectly onto the head of the advancing Vitinho, who fired it past Steven Benda. After 24 minutes, Vitinho was instrumental in the second goal as well after seizing a loose ball and driving deep into Swans’ territory. Josh Brownhill’s snap shot from 25 yards was expertly deflected over by Benda, preventing a third goal for the Clarets, but they did score again in time added at the end of the first half.
Swansea’s defense had been acting nervously, so Tella pounced when Cabango mishit a pass while trying to play against more deft pressing. Josh Brownhill received the loose ball and calmly lay it to the left for Zaroury to score the team’s first goal. When Josh Cullen slid a cross down the inside left channel, the England international escaped his defender, and Rodriguez shot left-footed into the far corner, he scored his second goal for the Clarets in the 57th minute.
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