Wood’s typical header continued a sudden vein of form for Burnley’s forwards. Barnes’s goal was his second in 24 games, and at Fulham in the FA Cup Jay Rodriguez steered home his first goal of the season.
You know what to expect from Burnley, not least in personnel. Sean Dyche has relied on 21 players in this season’s competition; only Aston Villa’s Dean Smith, with 20, has fielded fewer. They rarely build from the back, touch the ball fewer times than other top-flight clubs, and are among the teams most flagged for offside.
People talk a lot about ‘long balls’ but it is Liverpool and Chelsea who have attempted the most passes of 30 yards or more, with Burnley fifth. However, while the Blues’ completion rate is close to 70 per cent and the Reds not far behind, Burnley’s 48 per cent suggests less precision in the aim, and they are responsible for more head-high and headed passes than any of their rivals.
Dyche’s men have made the fewest successful tackles, yet their recovery of the ball is better than Chelsea’s and indeed all but six other clubs. Only Manchester City and Everton compete for the ball better in the air.
Let’