When the draw for the Third Round of the League Cup was made, Burnley away was viewed as just about the worst tie we could have got – a long trip up to Lancashire to play in front of a small crowd and virtually no chance of progress into Round Four.
Well, the gallant few who made it from south Wales to north west England to take in the game were rewarded with what I believe to be our first win over a Premier League side in a cup game since we won at Newcastle in the Third Round of the FA Cup in 2014 when we were a top flight side ourselves.
As for a “giant killing” when we were a Championship club, I believe we last beat a Premier League team back in 11/12 in a League Cup tie with a poor Blackburn side in our run to the Final that season.
The most satisfying thing about tonight for me was that we were good value for our win. I say this despite most of the stats going against us (e.g. 15/9 in goal attempts in Burnley’s favour and 8/3 for the home team when it came to on target efforts). However, the possession figure of 53/47 in our favour was a hint to how we kept an element of control on proceedings even when the home side came on strong after they had reduced their 2-0 half time deficit early in the second half.
It almost goes without saying these days that it was a shadow Burnley side that we beat as Scott Parker made eleven changes from Saturday’s draw with Forest, but players such as Hannibal, Humphreys, Lucas Perez, Edwards and Flemming were important members of the side that got promoted last season with more than 100 points and the team they went with would have been considered short price favourites to see off their third tier opponents.
As for City, BBM picked a stronger team than I was expecting, but you wouldn’t call it his strongest eleven by any means. Nathan Trott was a surprise choice in goal and Perry Ng was always likely to start given Ronan Kpakio’s injury (Ronan and Isaak Davies both signed new contracts lasting until 2029 with us yesterday), Callum Chambers returned as captain to partner Will Fish in central defence and gave probably his best display so far this season, while Joel Bagan was left back once again. Ryan Wintle kept his place as the midfield pivot with the Colwill brothers operating in front of him, Isaak Davies came in on the right and, somewhat surprisingly, Cian Ashford kept his place while switchng to the left, while Callum Robinson was rewarded for his effective substitute appearance on Saturday with a start at centre forward.
The team left me wondering what on earth is going on with Alex Robertson this season? BBM had confirmed that he’s back in training and gave the impression in his pore game media briefing that he would feature (that’s how I read it at least), yet he wasn’t even selected as a substitute tonight.
Right from the first minute, City’s attitude looked better than on Saturday as they kept Burnley penned back with a strong and effective press which they kept up throughout a fine first half showing.
Robinson shot not far wide with not much more than a minute played as City swarmed all over a sluggish home side and there was bravery as well as ability shown as we continually pushed our opponents back.
Burnley and their supporters were getting frustrated as a team they had beaten 5-0 at Turf Moor early last season and finished fifty odd points clear of continued to have the better of things.
All that was missing was a City goal, but it arrived on the half hour mark after three of our back four combined after an Isaak Davies corner had been half cleared to Ng who scooped in a ball which Fish headed on to Chambers stood beyond the far post and he nudged the ball across to Joel Colwill who netted from five yards.
Burnley responded to the shock of going behind with a marvelous pass by Marcus Edwards which sent Armando Broja through for a chance he really should have put away, but Trott was able to save.
The home side were left to further rue that miss on thirty five minutes when a bewildering passing move coming infield from our right saw both Colwill’s and Ashford involved before Rubin picked out Robinson who finished sweetly first time from eight yards to score for the third straight game.
Davies forced Max Weiss into an urgent save as City chased a third, but the final action of the half saw Trott make his second good save as Zain Flemming turned and shot from ten yards.
City would have been pleased to see the second half start quietly, but a self inflicted wound on fifty six minutes when Trott made his first serious mistake of the season from our play out from the back approach. Our keeper’s pass, meant for Bagan I presume, instead went straight to Edwards who fed the ball to Flemming who scored with a fine, precisely placed effort from twenty yards.
I’m thinking that if you’re a manager who goes out of their way to sign a keeper like Trott, you’ve got a figure in mind for goals he is responsible for below which his signing can be considered a success – go above it though and questions will be asked. Well, Trott is on one now and I suppose the fact it was in a Cup game that we won makes it more bearable.
Trott didn’t show many signs that his mistake had affected him as he made a couple of decent saves to deny home sub Tresor and the younger Colwill and Chambers both shot narrowly wide as City showed Burnley they hadn’t gone away as an attacking force.
In truth, City held on to their lead a lot more comfortably than I expected them to in gthe aftermath of Flemming’s goal, but they now go into the Fourth Round draw tomorrow and I wonder if the competition has ever had a year before where three of the last sixteen are Welsh clubs following Swansea’s comeback win last week and Wrexham’s victory over Reading tonight.
In a possibly unique happening, City’s under 21’s were simultaneously entertaining Burnley in EPL Cup game that kicked off at 7 o clock. I watched most of the goalless first half in which any Burnley dominance seemed more down to them being bigger and stronger than us, whereas City’s good spells were founded on the better quality football they played.
As it turned out, the outcome was another 2-1 away win with Mannie Barton equalizing Burnley’s opener before the visitors clinched it with a goal five minutes from time. It was a good cup tie based on the bits of it I saw and, unlike Burnley’s “first team”, I thought our under 21s had a right to feel hard done by based on what I saw of the match.
