Burnley secured their first point of the 2023/24 Premier League season with a 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest.
The newly promoted side took the lead in the first half through Zeki Amdouni but debutant Callum Hudson-Odoi equalised in the second half with a fantastic strike.
Burnley thought they had won it with 15 minutes to go but VAR intervened to overrule the goal before later sending off Burnley striker Lyle Foster.
The result sees Nottingham Forest in 8th place just two points outside of the European places while Burnley still languish in 19th but now leaves Luton as the only Premier League side without a point.
-
Story of the Match
This was already the second meeting of these two sides this season after meeting in the second round of the Carabao Cup at the same venue with The Clarets winning 1-0 and they will have been looking for a repeat performance in this game.
After an excellent win away at Stamford Bridge before the international break, Forest manager Steve Cooper made four changes to that side with Anthony Elanga and Gonzalo Montiel coming in alongside deadline-day signings Callum Hudson-Odoi and Ibrahim Sangare.
Ahead of this game, Vincent Kompany and Burnley were still looking for their first points of the season and they made two changes for the game at The City Ground. Josh Brownhill came back into the side and was made captain with Charlie Taylor also starting and they replaced Sander Berge and Dara O'Shea.
As ever The City Ground was loud and raucous as the game began and Burnley had to try and settle into the game. And rather surprisingly Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford was yellow carded for time wasting just ten minutes into the game.
For the first 25 minutes, Forest dominated the game. Burnley looked slow and nervous in possession and Forest looked like they could do some damage. However, despite this, Forest struggled to create any clear-cut chances with Trafford in the Burnley net having just a couple of comfortable saves to make.
But the away side grew into the game as it went on and on the half-hour mark, Matt Turner was called into action to palm away a shot from Amdouni.
Burnley striker Zeki Amdouni scored his first Burnley goal at The City Ground when these two sides met at the end of August. And despite the home side being on top, Amdouni managed to open the scoring again, after forty minutes and put his side ahead.
Luca Koleosho had looked lively down the left whenever Burnley had the chance to get forward and he beat his man, got to the byline, pulled a ball back to the edge of the box, and found Amdouni, whose low effort found the bottom right-hand corner.
Arguably, the goal came against the run of play and in the remaining minutes of the first half. Forest attacked again but their only real effort was a long-range effort from Elanga that was comfortably saved meaning they trailed at the break.
Forest came out for the second half knowing they needed to improve in the final third but will have been buoyed by their first-half performance.
And the home side were level on the hour mark. Burnley had controlled the ball better in the second half and looked a bit more comfortable but they could not prevent the equaliser.
A cross came in from the right across the box and the ball was fed back to Callum Hudson-Odoi who from the corner of the box whipped a shot towards goal and found the inside of the post before going in to make it 1-1.
The equaliser woke the crowd and Steve Cooper looked to take advantage of the momentum by bringing on Divock Origi who had been known as a super sub during his time at Liverpool. All of a sudden it was the home side who looked comfortable again and it seemed like they were more likely to win it.
But with fifteen minutes to go, substitute Sander Berge pounced on a defensive error to go through on goal and he gave the ball to Lyle Foster who slotted home. However, the celebrations were short-lived as VAR ruled the goal out for a deliberate handball by Berge.
The game was finely poised as it entered the final ten minutes with both sides still feeling they could win it. Both sides had set pieces in the final few minutes that they should have done better from and will feel could have won the game for them.
With the game in injury time, Burnley appealed for a penalty but the VAR check resulted in a red card for Burnley striker Lyle Foster who elbowed his defender in the chest.
Despite having to see the last few minutes out with ten men, Burnley never looked under too much pressure meaning there was a point apiece for both sides but both will feel they could have had three.
-
Player of the Match - Callum Hudson-Odoi
On your debut you are always looking to make an impression on your new supporters and Hudson-Odoi certainly did that with his stunning equaliser. Hudson-Odoi looked threatening all game and created several chances and won the majority of his duels.
