Jeff Hendrick finished off a magnificent Burnley team move to beat Everton at Goodison Park as the Clarets’ impressive start to the season continued.
After withstanding some early pressure, Sean Dyche’s side took the lead against the run of play with build-up play which included a series of 24 passes.
Everton’s Nikola Vlasic was caught ball-watching as Stephen Ward cut it back into the box for Hendrick, who smartly sidestepped Morgan Schneiderlin’s poor attempt at a challenge and placed it into the net from 15 yards.
It is Burnley’s best ever start to a Premier League season as they move to sixth in the table and have eight away points, more than they accumulated in the whole of last season.
The Toffees have now lost four of their last five Premier League games and are two places above the relegation zone.
Everton struggle after bright start
Everton made a lively start to the game inside the opening 20 minutes, a contrast to some of their slow and lacklustre performances so far this season, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s pace causing Burnley early problems.
Oumar Niasse, who scored two goals as a substitute against Bournemouth last week, bent a shot from outside the area straight into the hands of Nick Pope in the Burnley goal.
The Senegal striker then attempted a dink over the goalkeeper from close range, with his effort cleared off the line.
The Toffees’ record signing Gylfi Sigurdsson then missed a chance to put his side in front after his side-footed effort was easily saved by Pope. The Icelandic midfielder, making his 250th league appearance, is yet to register an assist or score in the Premier League for Everton.
Everton struggled in the second-half as they chased the equaliser. Calvert-Lewin and Niasse failed to make any real impact and Sigurdsson’s performance was best demonstrated by a long-range shot which was blasted well over the bar.
Wayne Rooney came on as a second-half substitute but could not find a way through Burnley’s stubborn defence.
Everton did have two late penalty shouts, firstly when a Rooney header glanced off the raised hand of Matt Lowton and a Williams header seemed to strike Lowton on the chest rather than the hand.
Former Everton and Scotland winger Pat Nevin described Everton’s performance as being “painful to watch”.
“If you are a striker it doesn’t matter if you get the ball or not you have to work your socks off. You have to create space for your partner or other players to run into the space you vacate. You have to do horrible miles for others,” Nevin said on the BBC.
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Source: BBC Sport