Burnley faced Nottingham Forest at Turf Moor in the fifth game of the Premier League season. The visitors, who recently replaced Nuno Espírito Santo with Ange Postecoglou, came into the match struggling — making this a crucial game for both sides fighting near the bottom of the table.
Florentino Luís Makes His First Start
The biggest change in Burnley’s lineup was that deadline day signing Florentino Luís made his first start for the club. The Portuguese midfielder looked composed and quickly made his presence felt in midfield.
First Half: Early Setback for Burnley
The game started in the worst possible way for Burnley. In the very first minute, Nottingham Forest earned a corner taken by Douglas Luiz. The Brazilian swung the ball into the box, and after a failed clearance, it landed at the feet of an unmarked Neco Williams, who struck the ball via a deflection to make it 0–1. A devastating start for the Clarets.
Burnley Fight Back
Burnley responded well. Florentino Luís showed his quality with a beautiful long pass across the pitch to Hartman, whose half-volley forced Matz Sels into a fine save.
The game then evened out, with both sides creating chances. After a mistake near Burnley’s penalty area, Bakwa fired a shot on goal, but Dúbravka made a comfortable save.
Burnley kept pushing forward, and the equalizer finally came. Hartman crossed the ball into the box, where Loum Tchaouna got a touch before it fell to Jaidon Anthony after the ball went through the legs of Foster, the shot was deflected off Zinchenko, but still crossed the line — 1–1! Not the prettiest goal, but they all count.
Late First-Half Chances
Forest almost regained the lead when Bakwa curled a shot toward the far corner, but Dúbravka made an excellent diving save. Former Burnley striker Chris Wood then missed a golden opportunity from close range, firing straight at the keeper.
Just before half-time, Burnley came close to turning the game around. After earning a free kick, Tchaouna curled a fantastic shot over the wall, only to see it crash against the crossbar. So unlucky for the Frenchman, who is still waiting for his first goal for Burnley.
Second Half: Dúbravka to the Rescue
Burnley started the second half brightly, pressing higher and linking up well through Tchaouna, Anthony, and Foster. Anthony had a huge chance inside the box, but once again Sels denied him.
Nottingham Forest responded strongly. Substitute Igor Jesus met Elliot Anderson’s cross with a powerful header, but Dúbravka pulled off another superb save to keep the score level. The Slovakian keeper was in top form throughout the match.
Nottingham Forest Pushing for the Win
As Forest increased the pressure, Burnley were forced to sit deeper. Anderson crossed from the left, and Neco Williams struck a fierce half-volley, only for Dúbravka to make yet another acrobatic stop.
In the final minutes, Hartman crucially blocked a shot from Kalimuendo whose chance came from a low cross from Anderson. Nottingham pushed hard for a late winner, but Burnley’s defence held firm.
The match ended 1–1 — a fair result given the balance of play. Considering Nottingham’s poor form, fans may have hoped for three points before kickoff, but after watching the performance, a draw feels like a decent outcome.