Burnley 1-1 Brighton: Arijanet Muric's mistake cancels out Josh Brownhill strike as the Clarets fall six points from Premier League safety in draw at Turf Moor
- Burnley and Brighton can't be separated as they fight out a 1-1 draw at Turf Moor
- Arijanet Muric's horrendous own goal cancels out Josh Brownhill's opener
- Which Premier League sides will be relegated this season? Listen to the It's All Kicking Off podcast
Aro Muric will never live it down. Add this one to the list of great goalkeeping howlers, to the worst footballing moments of Gary Sprake, Massimo Taibi, Peter Enckelman.
No exaggeration: The goal Muric conceded at Turf Moor will still be shown in 50 years’ time.
It came 11 minutes from the end of a match Burnley needed to win to maintain realistic hopes of Premier League survival. And they were winning it, thanks to a piece of opportunism from Josh Brownhill in the 74th minute.
But then came every goalkeeper’s worst nightmare. Midfielder Sander Berge, under no pressure, played a pass back to Muric. Somehow, it rolled past the goalkeeper’s boot, and travelled on, gently, into the net.
Brighton’s supporters, behind the goal, cheered with disbelief. Burnley’s fans howled with anguish. Manager Vincent Kompany, serving a one-match touchline ban, could only watch helpless. It was left to Craig Bellamy, his assistant, to try to find some positive words for his goalkeeper.
Arijanet Muric's mistake saw Brighton earn a draw and Burnley miss out on a vital win
The Kosovan misjudged a pass and let the ball go under his foot and into the back of the net
Josh Brownhill had put the home side ahead with could have been a vital winner for the Clarets
‘It’s not his mistake, It’s our mistake,’ Bellamy said. ‘It’s how we play. He’s scored goals for us doing what he does.
‘You might find it an issue but honestly, don’t. We believe in this way of football. It might be naïve. I have a three-year-old girl who still believes in rainbows and unicorns. Maybe that’s with me. But I genuinely believe were going to stay up. Maybe I’m the one who believes in rainbows and unicorns.’
It was Muric’s second major error in successive Saturdays. A week earlier, he had botched an attempted clearance against Everton, the ball rebounding off Dominic Calvert-Lewin and looping over his head for the only goal of the game.
Burnley, six points from safety with five matches now to play, cannot afford to be chucking away opportunities like this.
But this is the way Burnley play; they want a goalkeeper who is confident with his feet. Such a style comes with its dangers.
‘Aro’s a top goalkeeper,’ Bellamy said. ‘We all make mistakes. It’s how you respond to it. I’ve got nothing but praise for him, because he’s willing to keep going.’
Burnley’s disappointment wasn’t all Muric’s responsibility; Jacob Bruun Larsen and David Datro Fofana had both failed to take clear first-half chances, and an early penalty shout had been denied when the excellent Wilson Odobert tumbled under Pervis Estupinan’s challenge.
Brighton, after a slow start, improved significantly after half-time, and looked the likelier scorers when they went behind following a defensive error of their own.
It was a goal, strangely, that had echoes of the one Muric conceded at Goodison; Brighton keeper Bart Verbruggen attempted to clear under pressure from Carlos Baleba’s loose back pass, and Brownhill charged down the kick to score.
‘Carlos is improving,” Brighton head coach Roberto de Zerbi said. ‘We cannot forget he is 20 and we have to expect that.
‘If you play a lot of inexperienced players, they will make mistakes. But next season we will see another Carlos Baleba.’