Burnley's winless run in the Premier League at Turf Moor has been extended to 14 games as an underwhelming display allowed Norwich City to pick up their first point of the campaign.
Ahead of this contest, both teams lacked confidence after difficult starts to the season. This was evident during the 90 minutes through a lack of quality in both boxes, making it a tough watch for all supporters. In particular the home fans who vented their frustration after the final whistle with a chorus of boos.
It's no surprise then that the main talking point during the first half was instead a referring decision. Burnley felt they should have had a penalty when goalkeeper Tim Krul caught Matej Vydra with a punched clearance. No spot kick was given however, something which will frustrate Sean Dyche who feels such moments don't fall in The Clarets favour enough.
Burnley upped the intensity in the second half, Dwight McNeil testing Krul with a shot straight away. A winning goal couldn't be found however as a lack of composure in critical moments was apparent throughout the game by to many players wearing claret and blue.
Whilst Canaries fans will view this result as a platform to build from, it's ultimately a big opportunity missed for Burnley. Especially with the annually dreaded trip to the Etihad stadium next up following the upcoming international break.
How both sides set up
Burnley chose to go with their traditional 4-4-2 formation. A notable change however was the choice of strike partner to play alongside Chris Wood following last week's 2-2 draw at the King Power Stadium. Sean Dyche opted to go for Vydra, looking to run in behind through any knock downs and stretch The Canaries defence. Such a game plan only lasted 34 minutes though due to the Czech Republic striker being forced off the pitch with Injury. It was no surprise to see his replacement being Jay Rodriguez, following his recent goal fest against League 2 Rochdale. The striker also got a late winner against Norwich City 10 years ago during his first spell with Burnley, a feat which could not be repeated today.
As for the visitors, a 5-3-2 system was deployed to deal with Burnley's aerial threat and to provide a solid base at the back. The Canaries defended resolutely throughout, throwing bodies in the way of shots. They were also not afraid to clear the ball out for a corner in the confidence of being able to deal with the hosts direct play, as a suppose to trying to play out from the back and invite pressure. As the game progressed, it was clear Norwich City will content on securing their first point to get off the mark, with a reluctance to push men forward when an opportunity came to pose a threat on the counter.
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Frustrating afternoon for McNeil
Dwight McNeil has yet to have found the scintillating form this season which he showed when bursting onto the Premier League stage as a teenager.
A lack of composure to grasp an opportunity which fell his way just outside of the Norwich City goal in the second half summed up how things are going for not only himself but also those around him recently. It's easy to forget how young McNeil still is though and such inconsistency is to be expected.
The start made by summer signing Maxwel Cornet shows encouraging signs of a burden being lifted of the homegrown winger who has been Burnley's go to threat over the past few seasons. With the Ivory Coast international still recovering from a hamstring injury however, attention will once again turn to McNeil as being the player to get The Clarets season properly up and running.
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Gibson's Turf Moor return
If there was ever a player in the Norwich City team determined to prove a point in this fixture, it would have been Ben Gibson.
A transfer record for Burnley back in the summer of 2018, the central defender's career at Turf Moor never took off. His only Premier league appearance for the club came in a 5-1 home defeat to Everton on Boxing day.
His time at Burnley ended on a sour note after being given permission to train with Middlesbrough despite still being contracted with The Clarets.
A promotion with The Canaries last season from the EFL Championship following a season long loan meant Gibson signed for Norwich City on a permanent basis this summer. Despite receiving a hostile reception from the home crowd throughout the game, a first clean sheet of the season and a solid performance will have satisfied the defender upon his return to a place he will likely regard as the toughest period of his entire career when hanging up his boots.