We’ll always have that other 2020-21 match with Liverpool.
The Result:
Liverpool 3, Burnley 0
How It Happened:
It was closer than the score indicated. Burnley created some good chances, but never capitalized, and eventually Liverpool started breaking through. It wasn’t close close, but not a terrible showing by the lads.
What It Means:
For Liverpool, it means that the Champions League is still a possibility. The Reds are tied with Leicester but lead on goal differential for the last spot, and trail Chelsea by a point for the third spot (there are four, there is no team between Chelsea and Liverpool). Liverpool hosts Crystal Palace on Sunday while Chelsea goes to Aston Villa and Leicester welcomes Tottenham.
For Burnley, it makes a 17th-place finish that much more likely. They now trail Brighton by two points (and 17 in goal differential) and Newcastle by three points (and three in goal differential), with Brighton set to visit Arsenal and Newcastle going to Fulham on Sunday.
What’s Next:
While those matches are going on, Burnley will visit Sheffield United in their own season finale.
Other News:
Nick Pope sat again with his knee injury, which Burnley keeps calling no big deal (Burnley wants Pope starting in Euro 2020 for England this summer). Will Norris started instead of Bailey Peacock-Farrell in a possible sign of what’s to come should Nick Pope get plucked by a better-resourced club this offseason (or just, you know, when he needs a backup).
We learned Ashley Barnes was arrested for drunk driving (which the British call drink driving) a few hours after the Fulham match. Really disappointing. If he has a problem, hopefully he gets help. If he does not have a problem…is he sure about that?
And in happier news, Burnley has announced partnerships with four clubs around the British Isles. I’m unsure of how common or uncommon this is, but the idea is that this will help Burnley’s development within the islands, and people seem to think it’s a good move. For our purposes, it’s fun because it allows us to distantly follow footie in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and regular Ireland. The clubs are Ayr United, who narrowly avoided a relegation playoff in Scotland’s second tier this year, Cobh Ramblers, who have started the season ninth of ten clubs in Ireland’s second tier (it’s a summer league, and it doesn’t appear relegation is an annual thing). Portadown F.C. is ninth of twelve in Northern Ireland’s premier league and doesn’t appear to be in any danger of relegation with what appears to be two matches remaining. Llandudno F.C. is in the northern division of Wales’s second tier, and while this year’s season was canceled, the lads finished tenth out of 17 clubs last year. Piecing all that together, it sounds like Cobh is our focus for the time at hand. Ramble on, ramblers. Ramble on.
General Thoughts:
I keep coming back to perplexity at why some animals evolved to not need to wipe and we have to wipe.
Burnley Thoughts:
Thank goodness Burnley survived relegation. Makes this weekend very low-stress.
