Well…at least it wasn’t worse than the last time.
The Result:
Manchester City 5, Burnley 0. Just like in June. And in January of 2019. And in October of 2018.
How It Happened:
About as you’d imagine. Quickly.
What It Means:
FiveThirtyEight’s model only bumped the relegation probability up to 41% (from 38%), but Fulham has yet to play, which could change that in either direction. With West Brom beating Sheffield, Burnley’s back into the relegation zone at 18th in the table.
It’s worth remembering that Burnley’s played one fewer match than their counterparts. It’s also worth remembering that Burnley’s yet-to-be-played match is against Manchester United, who might have things figured out by the time that one’s scheduled.
What’s Next:
Burnley gets Everton at home next, on Saturday. Long way to go. Only about a quarter of the way through the fixtures.
Other News:
Nick Pope did, indeed, sit. Josh Benson made his Premier League debut. Sean Dyche tried a different formation (4-3-3, I think), but reverted back to the 4-4-2 when things unraveled (i.e., basically immediately).
General Thoughts:
Ted Lasso’s gaining popularity here in the States, and it is both 1) charming and 2) probably going to convince idiots like me that we know how to make a team win in the Premier League.
Burnley Thoughts:
I mean, a loss was expected, and 5-0 isn’t surprising, but it does hurt the goal differential, which could get important down the line.
