Burnley's fate in their own hands after Villa draw

Ashley Barnes is the 14th different player to score for Burnley in the Premier League this season (excluding own goals)

Burnley secured a precious point at Aston Villa that was enough to move them out of the Premier League's relegation zone and put their fate in their own hands heading into the final game of the season.

Ashley Barnes' well-taken penalty put the Clarets in front just before half-time.

However, Villa were the better side and the least they deserved was the draw given to them by Emiliano Buendia's equaliser in the 48th minute.

Burnley's goal difference advantage over Leeds means there is no realistic chance of them going down if they beat Newcastle at Turf Moor on Sunday.

Their position would have been even better had Wout Weghorst not somehow failed to convert after being set up by Connor Roberts, whose own effort had been brilliantly saved by Emiliano Martinez.

Burnley were the ones defending desperately at the end though after substitute Matt Lowton was sent off in stoppage time - barely five minutes after coming on after catching Calum Chambers with his follow-through as he over-reached to win the ball.

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Pope keeps cool to save battling Clarets

The perceived wisdom is that Burnley have an advantage in the survival battle because they have been down this road so many times before.

The reality is they have never gone into the final day with their top-flight future at stake.

What they do have is home advantage in addition to their position in the table, which, thanks to one strike of the ball, is markedly better than it was at kick-off.

Even though Maxwel Cornet was brought down by Buendia for the spot-kick, there was no chance of the Ivorian taking it after his miss at West Ham last month.

Barnes kept his nerve despite a slight delay and found the bottom corner as Martinez went the wrong way.

There was no doubting goalkeeper Nick Pope was their man of the match though as he repelled Villa on at least half a dozen occasions.

The one-handed effort to turn away Bertrand Traore's second-half strike was superb and, as Villa pushed on for the winner, the England keeper twice prevented Danny Ings from putting the home side ahead.

While Tyrone Mings' block to turn Weghorst's late shot wide was superb, he shouldn't have been given the opportunity to keep the ball out.

If that had gone in, Burnley would only have needed a point on Sunday. As it is, Mike Jackson needs his side to get three to be certain of completing a most unlikely escape act.

Can Villa deny Man City?

Although it would take an unlikely sequence of results on the final day, Villa could still secure their first top-10 finish since 2011.

However, most attention for them will centre around whether they can shake up the Premier League title battle.

As with many teams at this time of the campaign, Villa's issue is maintaining focus. The good news for Liverpool, given the massive favour they need from Steven Gerrard and his team, is they have not relocated to the beach just yet.

They were the better side in the first half, with John McGinn drawing two excellent saves out of Pope.

And it was the Scot who delivered the precise pass through the Burnley defence that created Buendia's equaliser.

Evidently, the Clarets do not have the luxury of bringing on a substitute in the class of Philippe Coutinho or Ings, as Villa were able to do in the final stages.

Like their manager, both players have Liverpool connections.

Neither was able to fashion a winner in this game and the red half of Merseyside will hope they were saving their heroics for Sunday.

Line-upsMatch StatsLive Text

Line-upsAston Villa

Formation 4-3-2-1

1Martínez2Cash16Chambers5Mings27Digne10Buendía6Douglas Luiz41J Ramsey7McGinn33Chukwuemeka11Watkins

1Martínez2Cash16Chambers5Mings27Digne10Buendía6Douglas Luiz41J RamseySubstituted forCoutinhoat 72'minutes7McGinn33ChukwuemekaSubstituted forTraoréat 57'minutes11WatkinsSubstituted forIngsat 78'minutes

Substitutes

8Sanson15Traoré18Young19Nakamba20Ings23Coutinho25Olsen47Iroegbunam59Feeney

Burnley

Formation 5-3-2

1Pope14Roberts22Collins5Tarkowski28Long3Taylor11McNeil8Brownhill4Cork10Barnes20Cornet

1Pope14Roberts22Collins5Tarkowski28LongBooked at 55mins3Taylor11McNeilSubstituted forLennonat 79'minutes8Brownhill4Cork10BarnesSubstituted forWeghorstat 71'minutes20CornetSubstituted forLowtonat 85'minutesBooked at 90mins

Substitutes

2Lowton9Weghorst13Hennessey16Stephens17Lennon26Bardsley37Thomas39Dodgson44Costelloe

Referee:Paul TierneyAttendance:40,468Match StatsHome TeamAston VillaAway TeamBurnleyPossessionHome71%Away29%ShotsHome22Away10Shots on TargetHome9Away5CornersHome13Away6FoulsHome11Away20Live TextPost update

Match ends, Aston Villa 1, Burnley 1.

90'+7'Full Time

Second Half ends, Aston Villa 1, Burnley 1.

90'+6'Post update

Foul by Matthew Cash (Aston Villa).

90'+6'Post update

Aaron Lennon (Burnley) wins a free kick on the left wing.

90'+5'Post update

Corner, Aston Villa. Conceded by Charlie Taylor.

90'+3'Post update

Foul by Emiliano Buendía (Aston Villa).

90'+3'Post update

Jack Cork (Burnley) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

90'+2'Post update

VAR Decision: Red Card Matthew Lowton (Burnley).

90'+1'Dismissal

Matthew Lowton (Burnley) is shown the red card.

90'+1'Post update

Calum Chambers (Aston Villa) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

90'+1'Post update

Foul by Matthew Lowton (Burnley).

90'Post update

Attempt saved. Matthew Cash (Aston Villa) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the top right corner. Assisted by Lucas Digne with a cross.

89'Post update

Corner, Aston Villa. Conceded by Nick Pope.

89'Post update

Attempt saved. Danny Ings (Aston Villa) left footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Emiliano Buendía with a through ball.

88'Post update

Attempt saved. Philippe Coutinho (Aston Villa) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Douglas Luiz.

87'Post update

Attempt saved. John McGinn (Aston Villa) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Emiliano Buendía.

86'Post update

Attempt saved. Aaron Lennon (Burnley) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.

85'Post update

Corner, Burnley. Conceded by Tyrone Mings.

85'Post update

Attempt blocked. Wout Weghorst (Burnley) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Connor Roberts.

85'Post update

Attempt saved. Connor Roberts (Burnley) right footed shot from very close range is saved in the top left corner. Assisted by Charlie Taylor with a cross.

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Player of the match

PopeNick Pope

with an average of 7.56

Aston VillaAston VillaAston VillaBurnleyBurnleyBurnley

Aston VillaAvgSquad number7Player nameMcGinnAverage rating

6.58

Squad number23Player namePhilippe CoutinhoAverage rating

6.23

Squad number10Player nameBuendíaAverage rating

6.14

Squad number1Player nameMartínezAverage rating

6.12

Squad number2Player nameCashAverage rating

6.02

Squad number5Player nameMingsAverage rating

5.93

Squad number20Player nameIngsAverage rating

5.88

Squad number27Player nameDigneAverage rating

5.75

Squad number41Player nameJ RamseyAverage rating

5.75

Squad number11Player nameWatkinsAverage rating

5.74

Squad number6Player nameDouglas LuizAverage rating

5.73

Squad number15Player nameTraoréAverage rating

5.63

Squad number16Player nameChambersAverage rating

5.61

Squad number33Player nameChukwuemekaAverage rating

5.21

BurnleyAvgSquad number1Player namePopeAverage rating

7.56

Squad number5Player nameTarkowskiAverage rating

6.12

Squad number22Player nameCollinsAverage rating

6.10

Squad number10Player nameBarnesAverage rating

6.08

Squad number14Player nameRobertsAverage rating

6.06

Squad number28Player nameLongAverage rating

5.94

Squad number3Player nameTaylorAverage rating

5.89

Squad number8Player nameBrownhillAverage rating

5.85

Squad number20Player nameCornetAverage rating

5.81

Squad number4Player nameCorkAverage rating

5.79

Squad number11Player nameMcNeilAverage rating

5.78

Squad number9Player nameWeghorstAverage rating

5.36

Squad number17Player nameLennonAverage rating

5.28

Squad number2Player nameLowtonAverage rating

4.96

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Source: bbc.com