Stoke no match for leaders Burnley, losing 0-1

Vincent Kompany’s Clarets bulldozed Stoke, who failed to make an impression on the league leaders. A goalmouth scramble on the hour gave Burnley the points. City never really got close. Alex Neil’s post-World Cup run (as it were) comes to an end. Here’s how the game unfolded in real time:

–

Goodbye 2022, and for many good-riddance! Stoke are as perilous as they have been in the last 4.5 years in the Championship, 17th and only 5 points from relegation. However, 5 from 9 points since the World Cup break (or “unbeaten” as Alex Neil sees things) means that the season is still in the balance. It could still be good or just the normal disaster… To compound things, here are top of the table Burnley, who’ve won 5 of their last 6… Stoke have won only 2.. Black arm bands and a minute’s applause for Pele, the greatest footballer ever (apart from Stan Matthews, of course).

–

2.00 Stoke playing a back-4 of Fox, Wilmot, Souttar and Clarke, with Tymon left winger and Brown up front. Everyone else is free to go where they like, as I understand it.

–

5.02 Burnley fans criticising Stoke’s, to avoid noticing that their players aren’t up to scratch presently. Stoke fans awake! So, this isn’t a library afterall!

–

6.10 Tyrese tries to squeeze the ball home from the tightest of angles after a long ball confuses keeper Arijanet Muric.

–

12.15 Actually seeing skilled and assertive football from Stoke players. Neil will be impressed. Perhaps.

–

14.18 Ben Wilmot’s slack pass to Fox results in Morgan swinging at the ball and missing, but did he kick Benson as he swept past? Ref says no, replay inconclusive. Stoke caught napping and pretty lucky too.

–

20.12 Burnley again try and burst down Stoke’s right, suspecting that Clarke might be a weak link, but the jury is still out.

–

22.50 Ball in the Burnley net from a corner (Tyrese, of course), but ref already blown as Fox had fallen over his man.

–

33.01 Crazy Ashley Barnes lunges in on Souttar and is rightly carded. Unpleasant, to say the least. Hands (& boots!) off our ‘Arry!

–

37.36 Great save by Muric from a Baker corner, but a goalmouth scramble cannot produce a goal. Burnley’s manager Vincent Kompany scurries off to hide.

–

44.11 Burnley free-kick straight at Bonham is a complete waste. Clarke then gets a really silly yellow for kicking the ball away. Childish.

–

HT 0-0 anyone’s game.

–

48.40 Brown decides foolishly to let the ball bounce, missing the chance of a lob, and then claims the keeper punched him! Big miss.

–

Attendance 21,464, which seeing only 2500 are Burnley fans, I firmly doubt. As always.

–

60.50 0-1 !! as Stoke fail to clear a goalmouth scramble, with Clarke particularly culpable, belting the ball at Bonham’s back. Josh Cullen says thanks very much. Laughable.

–

65.10 Tymon rescues the ball, then his cross is intercepted by none other than Taylor Harwood-Bellis. Problem is that it looks like it hits his arm. Ref can’t see so can’t give it, but looked a clear penalty from here.

–

70.35 Laurent, Fosu and Delap on for Smallbone, Tymon and Brown. Blimey. Didn’t know Neil knew how to make substitutions! A certain amount of rust needs to be brushed off these three, judging from their first few minutes of action.

–

78.40 Nick Powell on for Jordan Thompson. Much more interesting.

–

83.05 Burnley’s Josh Brownhill takes ages teeing up a free kick, only to slip hilariously as he takes it. Off it flies over the bar. Tragic.

–

87.10 Josh Laurent tries to be a left winger with inevitable consequences. Runs it straight into touch. Stoke fans leaving in droves, as they have been doing for 20 minutes. At least that’s sorted the gridlock.

–

90+4 FT Stoke 0 Burnley 1. Inevitable?…