With a crucial win at Carrow Road, Norwich City kept their slim hopes of avoiding a quick return to the Championship alive and dealt a blow to fellow strugglers Burnley.
Pierre Lees-first Melou’s goal since joining Norwich from Nice for £3.5 million last July, and Teemu Pukki’s 86th-minute strike, settled a tense relegation battle – and earned Norwich only their fifth Premier League victory since winning promotion last season.
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The hosts took the lead in the ninth minute when French midfielder Lees-deflected Melou’s shot went in off the post, 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 games remaining.
Burnley had their chances, with Maxwel Cornet, the match-winning hero against Everton in midweek, missing a glorious three-yard chance. Norwich’s defense came under relentless pressure at times in what was a must-win game, but they recorded back-to-back league clean sheets for the first time since October.
The Clarets are now 18th in the table, four points from safety with eight games remaining. Norwich began Sunday’s game 10 points from safety after struggling Everton defeated Manchester United at Goodison Park on Saturday.
Smith’s team, on the other hand, passed the pressure test with a win, their first in nine league games. It will still take a massive effort for them to survive. West Ham (at home), Tottenham (at home), and Manchester United are three of their final seven opponents (away).
Smith stated before the game that he still had faith, and his players responded with a thoroughly professional performance against a team that had renewed faith after beating Everton.
Milot Rashica forced Nick Pope into a diving save before Lees-goal, Melou’s and the Burnley keeper denied Pukki with his legs. Smith was equally pleased with his team’s defensive performance.
Norwich made several crucial saves to frustrate Burnley, including one by former Clarets defender Ben Gibson, who stopped Ashley Westwood’s volley.
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Cornet will have nightmares about his 65th-minute miss, which came just days after he left Turf Moor with fans singing his name after scoring a late winner against Everton.
As he slid to meet Dwight McNeil’s lovely pass, he somehow put it wide, as Burnley failed to score for the 15th time this season.
Cornet had earlier been denied by Tim Krul, but the Norwich goalkeeper was not put to the test in what was a high-stakes game.
