Norwich City 2-0 Burnley: Pierre Lees-Melou and Teemu Pukki keep Canaries’ hope alive

Bottom club Norwich City kept alive their slim hopes of avoiding a quick-fire return to the Championship and dealt a blow to fellow strugglers Burnley with a crucial win at Carrow Road.

Pierre Lees-Melou’s first goal since signing from Nice for £3.5m last July and Teemu Pukki’s 86th-minute finish settled a tense relegation scrap – and earned the Canaries only their fifth Premier League victory since winning promotion last season.

French midfielder Lees-Melou’s ninth-minute deflected shot, which went in off the post, put the hosts on their way before Pukki drilled home the second to give Norwich a glimmer of hope of staying up, with Dean Smith’s side now seven points from safety with seven matches left.

Burnley had their moments, with Maxwel Cornet, the match-winning hero against Everton in midweek, missing a glorious chance from three yards out.

In what was a must-win game, Norwich’s defence came under relentless pressure at times but recorded back-to-back clean sheets in the league for the first time since October.

The result leaves the Clarets 18th in the table, four points from safety with eight matches remaining.

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Gritty Norwich show fight – but have they left it too late?

With struggling Everton beating Manchester United on Saturday, Norwich started Sunday’s game 10 points from safety with eight matches left.

But Smith’s side passed the pressure test in style with a first win in nine league games.

It will still require a monumental effort for them to survive. Three of their final seven matches include teams challenging for Europe – West Ham (home), Tottenham (home) and Manchester United (away).

Smith said before the match he still had belief, and his players responded with a thoroughly professional performance against a team with renewed belief following their win over Everton.

Even before Lees-Melou’s goal, Milot Rashica forced Nick Pope into a diving save, while the Burnley keeper denied Pukki by saving with his legs.

Just as impressive for Smith was his side’s performance at the back.

Norwich made several vital blocks to frustrate Burnley, including one by former Clarets defender Ben Gibson to keep out Ashley Westwood’s volley.

In the closing stages, Norwich’s Grant Hanley headed against the bar while Pope denied Rashica before Pukki had home fans celebrating a rare win.

Burnley’s survival hopes suffer major setback

Cornet will have nightmares about his 65th-minute miss, just days after he left the pitch at Turf Moor with fans singing his name following his late winner against Everton on Wednesday.

He looked certain to equalise as he slid to meet Dwight McNeil’s lovely pass, but somehow put it wide as Burnley failed to score for the 15th time in the league this season.

Earlier, Cornet was denied by Tim Krul, but the Norwich keeper was not tested nearly enough in what was a high-stakes game.

Sean Dyche will still believe his side can climb out of trouble in the closing weeks, and they still have to meet fellow strugglers Watford on 30 April. But Burnley’s survival hopes fade with each game without a win.

Substitute Matej Vydra headed against the bar in the closing moments before Josh Brownhill was frustrated by Krul, but the damage was already done.

Player of the match

PukkiTeemu Pukki

with an average of 7.53

Norwich City

1. Squad number22Player namePukki

2. Squad number5Player nameHanley

3. Squad number20Player nameLees-Melou

4. Squad number21Player nameWilliams

5. Squad number23Player nameMcLean

6. Squad number1Player nameKrul

7. Squad number17Player nameRashica

8. Squad number10Player nameDowell

9. Squad number16Player nameNormann

10. Squad number4Player nameGibson

11. Squad number30Player nameGiannoulis

12. Squad number3Player nameByram

13. Squad number18Player nameTzolis

14. Squad number7Player nameRupp

Burnley

1. Squad number1Player namePope

2. Squad number9Player nameWeghorst

3. Squad number20Player nameCornet

4. Squad number11Player nameMcNeil

5. Squad number27Player nameVydra

6. Squad number5Player nameTarkowski

7. Squad number19Player nameRodriguez

8. Squad number22Player nameCollins

9. Squad number17Player nameLennon

10. Squad number3Player nameTaylor

11. Squad number8Player nameBrownhill

12. Squad number2Player nameLowton

13. Squad number18Player nameWestwood

14. Squad number10Player nameBarnes

Line-ups

Norwich

Formation 4-2-3-1

1Krul

3Byram5Hanley4Gibson30Giannoulis

23McLean16Normann

10Dowell20Lees-Melou17Rashica

22Pukki

• 1Krul
• 3Byram
• 5Hanley
• 4Gibson
• 30GiannoulisSubstituted forWilliamsat 84′minutes
• 23McLean
• 16Normann
• 10Dowell
• 20Lees-MelouBooked at 26minsSubstituted forRuppat 69′minutes
• 17Rashica
• 22PukkiSubstituted forTzolisat 89′minutes

Substitutes

• 2Aarons
• 6Zimmermann
• 7Rupp
• 18Tzolis
• 19Sørensen
• 21Williams
• 28Gunn
• 45Springett
• 46Rowe

Burnley

Formation 4-4-2

1Pope

2Lowton22Collins5Tarkowski3Taylor

17Lennon18Westwood8Brownhill20Cornet

19Rodriguez9Weghorst

• 1Pope
• 2Lowton
• 22Collins
• 5Tarkowski
• 3TaylorBooked at 78mins
• 17LennonSubstituted forMcNeilat 64′minutes
• 18Westwood
• 8Brownhill
• 20Cornet
• 19RodriguezSubstituted forBarnesat 84′minutes
• 9WeghorstSubstituted forVydraat 56′minutes

Substitutes

• 4Cork
• 10Barnes
• 11McNeil
• 13Hennessey
• 14Roberts
• 16Stephens
• 27Vydra
• 28Long
• 37Thomas

Referee:

Michael Oliver

Attendance:

26,361

Live Text

1. Match ends, Norwich City 2, Burnley 0.

2. Second Half ends, Norwich City 2, Burnley 0.

3. Attempt saved. Josh Brownhill (Burnley) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Maxwel Cornet.

4. Corner, Burnley. Conceded by Tim Krul.

5. Attempt missed. Brandon Williams (Norwich City) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Milot Rashica.

6. Matej Vydra (Burnley) hits the bar with a header from the left side of the six yard box. Assisted by Matthew Lowton.

7. Foul by Maxwel Cornet (Burnley).

8. Sam Byram (Norwich City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

9. Substitution, Norwich City. Christos Tzolis replaces Teemu Pukki.

10. Offside, Norwich City. Tim Krul tries a through ball, but Milot Rashica is caught offside.

11. Foul by Matthew Lowton (Burnley).

12. Milot Rashica (Norwich City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

13. Josh Brownhill (Burnley) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

14. Foul by Mathias Normann (Norwich City).

15. Goal! Norwich City 2, Burnley 0. Teemu Pukki (Norwich City) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Mathias Normann with a through ball.

16. Foul by Matej Vydra (Burnley).

17. Sam Byram (Norwich City) wins a free kick on the right wing.

18. Substitution, Burnley. Ashley Barnes replaces Jay Rodriguez.

19. Substitution, Norwich City. Brandon Williams replaces Dimitris Giannoulis.

20. Corner, Norwich City. Conceded by Matthew Lowton.

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Pierre Lees-Melou cost Norwich about £3.5m from Nice in the summerBottom club Norwich City kept alive their slim hopes of avoiding a quick-fire return to the Championship and dealt a blow to fellow strugglers Burnley with a crucial win at Carrow Road.Pierre Lees-Melou’s first goal since signing from Nice for £3.5m last July and Teemu Pukki’s 86th-minute finish settled a tense relegation scrap – and earned the Canaries only their fifth Premier League victory since winning promotion last season.French midfielder Lees-Melou’s ninth-minute deflected shot, which went in off the post, put the hosts on their way before Pukki drilled home the second to give Norwich a glimmer of hope of staying up, with Dean Smith’s side now seven points from safety with seven matches left.Burnley had their moments, with Maxwel Cornet, the match-winning hero against Everton in midweek, missing a glorious chance from three yards out.In what was a must-win game, Norwich’s defence came under relentless pressure at times but recorded back-to-back clean sheets in the league for the first time since October.The result leaves the Clarets 18th in the table, four points from safety with eight matches remaining.Reaction from Carrow Road, plus the rest of Sunday’s Premier League gamesVisit our Norwich City pageGo straight to all the best Burnley contentGritty Norwich show fight – but have they left it too late?With struggling Everton beating Manchester United on Saturday, Norwich started Sunday’s game 10 points from safety with eight matches left.But Smith’s side passed the pressure test in style with a first win in nine league games.It will still require a monumental effort for them to survive. Three of their final seven matches include teams challenging for Europe – West Ham (home), Tottenham (home) and Manchester United (away).Smith said before the match he still had belief, and his players responded with a thoroughly professional performance against a team with renewed belief following their win over Everton.Teemu Pukki’s goal was his 20th for Norwich in the Premier League, moving him ahead of Mark Robins (19) as the club’s third top scorer in the competition (after Chris Sutton 33 and Grant Holt 23)Even before Lees-Melou’s goal, Milot Rashica forced Nick Pope into a diving save, while the Burnley keeper denied Pukki by saving with his legs.Just as impressive for Smith was his side’s performance at the back.Norwich made several vital blocks to frustrate Burnley, including one by former Clarets defender Ben Gibson to keep out Ashley Westwood’s volley.In the closing stages, Norwich’s Grant Hanley headed against the bar while Pope denied Rashica before Pukki had home fans celebrating a rare win.Burnley’s survival hopes suffer major setbackCornet will have nightmares about his 65th-minute miss, just days after he left the pitch at Turf Moor with fans singing his name following his late winner against Everton on Wednesday.He looked certain to equalise as he slid to meet Dwight McNeil’s lovely pass, but somehow put it wide as Burnley failed to score for the 15th time in the league this season.Earlier, Cornet was denied by Tim Krul, but the Norwich keeper was not tested nearly enough in what was a high-stakes game.Burnley have won just four Premier League matches all seasonSean Dyche will still believe his side can climb out of trouble in the closing weeks, and they still have to meet fellow strugglers Watford on 30 April. But Burnley’s survival hopes fade with each game without a win.Substitute Matej Vydra headed against the bar in the closing moments before Josh Brownhill was frustrated by Krul, but the damage was already done.Player of the matchPukkiTeemu Pukkiwith an average of 7.53Norwich CitySquad number22Player namePukkiSquad number5Player nameHanleySquad number20Player nameLees-MelouSquad number21Player nameWilliamsSquad number23Player nameMcLeanSquad number1Player nameKrulSquad number17Player nameRashicaSquad number10Player nameDowellSquad number16Player nameNormannSquad number4Player nameGibsonSquad number30Player nameGiannoulisSquad number3Player nameByramSquad number18Player nameTzolisSquad number7Player nameRuppBurnleySquad number1Player namePopeSquad number9Player nameWeghorstSquad number20Player nameCornetSquad number11Player nameMcNeilSquad number27Player nameVydraSquad number5Player nameTarkowskiSquad number19Player nameRodriguezSquad number22Player nameCollinsSquad number17Player nameLennonSquad number3Player nameTaylorSquad number8Player nameBrownhillSquad number2Player nameLowtonSquad number18Player nameWestwoodSquad number10Player nameBarnesLine-upsNorwichFormation 4-2-3-11Krul3Byram5Hanley4Gibson30Giannoulis23McLean16Normann10Dowell20Lees-Melou17Rashica22Pukki1Krul3Byram5Hanley4Gibson30GiannoulisSubstituted forWilliamsat 84’minutes23McLean16Normann10Dowell20Lees-MelouBooked at 26minsSubstituted forRuppat 69’minutes17Rashica22PukkiSubstituted forTzolisat 89’minutesSubstitutes2Aarons6Zimmermann7Rupp18Tzolis19Sørensen21Williams28Gunn45Springett46RoweBurnleyFormation 4-4-21Pope2Lowton22Collins5Tarkowski3Taylor17Lennon18Westwood8Brownhill20Cornet19Rodriguez9Weghorst1Pope2Lowton22Collins5Tarkowski3TaylorBooked at 78mins17LennonSubstituted forMcNeilat 64’minutes18Westwood8Brownhill20Cornet19RodriguezSubstituted forBarnesat 84’minutes9WeghorstSubstituted forVydraat 56’minutesSubstitutes4Cork10Barnes11McNeil13Hennessey14Roberts16Stephens27Vydra28Long37ThomasReferee:Michael OliverAttendance:26,361Live TextMatch ends, Norwich City 2, Burnley 0.Second Half ends, Norwich City 2, Burnley 0.Attempt saved. Josh Brownhill (Burnley) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Maxwel Cornet.Corner, Burnley. Conceded by Tim Krul.Attempt missed. Brandon Williams (Norwich City) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Milot Rashica.Matej Vydra (Burnley) hits the bar with a header from the left side of the six yard box. Assisted by Matthew Lowton.Foul by Maxwel Cornet (Burnley).Sam Byram (Norwich City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.Substitution, Norwich City. Christos Tzolis replaces Teemu Pukki.Offside, Norwich City. Tim Krul tries a through ball, but Milot Rashica is caught offside.Foul by Matthew Lowton (Burnley).Milot Rashica (Norwich City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.Josh Brownhill (Burnley) wins a free kick in the attacking half.Foul by Mathias Normann (Norwich City).Goal! Norwich City 2, Burnley 0. Teemu Pukki (Norwich City) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Mathias Normann with a through ball.Foul by Matej Vydra (Burnley).Sam Byram (Norwich City) wins a free kick on the right wing.Substitution, Burnley. Ashley Barnes replaces Jay Rodriguez.Substitution, Norwich City. Brandon Williams replaces Dimitris Giannoulis.Corner, Norwich City. Conceded by Matthew Lowton.Our coverage of your Premier League club is bigger and better than ever before – here’s everything you need to know to make sure you never miss a moment