Michael Obafemi scored a late equalizer to help Burnley produce one of the close football scores of the weekend in the Championship. Joao Pedro’s first-half goal gave the Hornets the advantage, but Vincent Kompany’s team managed to escape with a point when Obafemi popped up in stoppage time. Watford, one of just two teams to have beaten the Clarets this year, arrived in Lancashire with a 1-0 victory in August at Vicarage Road. That was also the last game in which Burnley failed to score, a fact that alone illustrates how dominant Kompany’s team has been this season. In fact, Burnley was attempting to make history at home as they sought their 11th straight league victory. Watford, however, was not in the mood to assist the Clarets in achieving that objective as they battled hard and came close to victory before Obafemi’s equalizer in the 95th minute.
Daniel Bachmann, who had just stopped Johann Berg Gudmundsson from scoring inside the area, expertly diverted Ashley Barnes’ drive from outside the box onto the crossbar for Burnley after just 38 seconds. As Burnley made an early declaration of intent, Bachmann recovered admirably and made just enough saves to keep Barnes from scoring. After 18 minutes, Barnes had another wonderful opportunity to score as he ghosted into the front post late at a corner but shot from close range into the side-netting. Watford, in contrast to Preston on Saturday, put in a lot of effort and initiative early on as they cut down Burnley’s intricate passing scheme in an effort to frustrate the home team.
An unmarked Pedro was able to easily tap in a goal after Keinan Davis excitedly scooped up the ball and passed it to Ken Sema out wide. Halftime came and went, with Kompany substituting Bailey Peacock-Farrell for Muric, and the Clarets undoubtedly started the second half with a newfound resolve. However, the game remained too tight to decide. After an hour, the Clarets flung bodies in all directions in an attempt to equalize, but Watford goalkeeper Bachmann did well to quickly deny a close-range Nathan Tella effort from a corner. The Hornets repelled Burnley’s many attempts in a frenzied last 20 minutes, and it seemed like they had succeeded.
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