Burnley 0 - 1 FT Crystal Palace

Muñoz's Clinical Strike Punctures Burnley's Siege

Skip It Futmetrix Score: 23/100. One moment of Palace precision amid 90 minutes of toothless dominance from the hosts.

When Possession Becomes a Curse

Burnley controlled the ball like a team fighting for their lives—because they are. Fifty-eight percent possession. Nine shots. Four on target. Yet Crystal Palace needed just three attempts to find the net, with Marc Guéhi threading D. Muñoz through at the stroke of halftime. The Intensity was suffocating for all the wrong reasons: Burnley's relentless attacking siege (9-3 shot advantage) crashed against Palace's suffocating defense without rhythm or reward.

The Stakes were unforgiving. Burnley sits 19th with 10 points from 14 games, five consecutive defeats dragging them toward the abyss. Palace, perched fifth with 23 points, arrived as the clear favorite—and executed with the efficiency of a side that knows how to kill games. There was no Upset here, just inevitability wrapped in a single, lethal pass.

What made this match unwatchable wasn't the scoreline—it was the chasm between effort and execution. Burnley's xG of 0.80 versus Palace's 0.59 tells the real story: the hosts peppered shots from everywhere, yet Chris Richards and Adam Wharton turned Selhurst Park's visiting section into a fortress. Palace's Balance was surgical: one lead change at minute 44, then lockdown. No late drama. No momentum swings. Just a slow asphyxiation of hope.

Burnley's five-game losing streak ends in name only. This defeat carries the weight of a team drowning in the Premier League's basement, their possession-heavy approach exposed as toothless against organized opposition. Palace, meanwhile, proved why they belong in Europe's conversation—they don't need to dominate. They just need to finish.

Survival on the Line: Burnley's Escape Bid Meets Palace's Momentum

Worth Watching Futmetrix Score: 54/100. A genuine six-pointer with contrasting narratives—one team fighting for Premier League life, the other seizing a top-six opportunity.

The Setup

Burnley sits 19th with 10 points from 13 games, clinging to survival hopes by a thread. Their Form reads LLLLW—a single win in five matches that barely masks a deeper malaise. Crystal Palace, by contrast, occupies 6th with 20 points and the momentum of a team ascending. Their Stakes are equally high: a win here cements top-six credentials and distances them from the chasing pack. This isn't a title race or a European qualification battle—it's pure table survival versus consolidation, which makes the Stakes brutally clear. Our Balance analysis reveals this is tighter than the odds suggest; Burnley's desperation at home could unsettle Palace's rhythm.

Key Battle

Zian Flemming versus Jean-Philippe Mateta—two strikers who've found the net four times each in their last five matches. Flemming carries the weight of Burnley's survival on his shoulders; Mateta glides with the confidence of a player in a winning side. Whoever dominates the aerial and ground transitions will dictate the tone. Flemming's hunger could trouble Palace's backline, but Mateta's movement and Palace's superior build-up play suggest the visiting forward edges this duel.

Our Prediction

Palace edge this one 1-0 or 2-1. They'll control possession early, absorb Burnley's desperate lunges, and exploit the spaces Burnley's desperation creates. Mateta or a supporting midfielder breaks the deadlock; Burnley claws back but falls short. Dean Henderson's form (10 saves in five games, 3 clean sheets) provides Palace with a safety net. The result stings Burnley's survival hopes but doesn't eliminate them—yet.