Burnley vs Everton match report: Samuel Eto'o brace helps to sink Clarets

Toffees win 3-1 and climb to ninth in the table, Burnley stay joint bottom

Samuel Eto'o celebrates his first goal (GETTY IMAGES)

As the man more responsible than any other for Blackburn Rovers winning the Premier League, Alan Shearer will never be popular in Burnley. The latest issue of the Burnley fanzine When the Ball Moves carried a photograph of Shearer on its front cover, mocking his career as an analyst.

When Shearer was briefly manager of Newcastle United, he was asked to analyse why they had been relegated. He stared blankly into the camera and said: “We weren’t good enough, simple as that.” It wasn’t as simple as that. There was the resignation of Kevin Keegan, the lunatic appointment of Dennis Wise as director of football, Joe Kinnear’s misrule, the chaos in the boardroom at St James’ Park.

However, if Sean Dyche is asked the same question – and given that Burnley will be going into November without a win – the thought must have occurred to him. It will be as simple as that.

As they had in their other home games, Dyche’s side did most of what their manager could have asked of them. When Samuel Eto’o put Everton ahead in the opening exchanges, they fought back to equalise. Their endeavour was epitomised by the sight of Michael Kightly running at speed and putting the ball through Seamus Coleman’s legs before attempting to shoot.

However, long before Eto’o wrapped up the afternoon with a fabulous curling shot from 20 yards that brought some of the stardust of the Nou Camp or San Siro to Turf Moor, Burnley looked exhausted, their reserves of ability run dry. When Kieran Trippier passed straight to Eto’o in stoppage time, it displayed their level of mental tiredness.

Romelu Lukaku celebrate his goal (GETTY IMAGES)

There was, however, to be no hat-trick for Africa’s most decorated footballer. His shot, from an acute angle, struck the far post and dribbled across the face of Tom Heaton’s goal.

Dyche said: “It was a game decided by high-quality players doing what high-quality players do. I know Phil Jagielka pretty well and afterwards, he said that he thought we were terrific, particularly in the first half.

“But when Samuel Eto’o turned to score his second, there was no other thought in his mind than to put the ball in the corner of the net. That clinical side of our game is missing.”

Three months ago, Liverpool had a choice between Mario Balotelli and Eto’o and in August it seemed hard to believe that Everton would have had the better of the deal. Eto’o has now scored four goals this season, more than all of Liverpool’s recognised strikers put together.

Given Jose Mourinho’s jibes about his age and the sheer amount of money he has been paid in his career, Eto’o did not seem the obvious candidate to complete a full 90 minutes in the Europa League in Lille and then play another at Burnley.

His opening goal was almost a training exercise, which Dyche said proved the football adage: “make three mistakes and you’re in trouble”. The first came when Danny Ings lost possession and culminated with a cross from Leighton Baines that Eto’o sent cannoning into the net from the bottom of Heaton’s bar with his header.

Burnley responded manfully, though the equaliser was triggered by a mistake from Romelu Lukaku, passing straight to Lukas Jutkiewicz. His ball went through the heart of the Everton defence. Ings kept his nerve, taking the ball past Tim Howard superbly and then into the net.

Danny Ings scored his first Premier League goal (GETTY IMAGES)

“If you had to look at the difference between the two sides it was that Everton did not panic as much as we did when they conceded,” said Dyche. “They have much more experience than we do of these situations and they kept their calm and they kept their control.”

Within nine minutes, Everton were once more ahead following a move that involved 24 passes, many of them between Roberto Martinez’s front three. The finish from Lukaku was technically superb, digging the ball out as Michael Duff and Stephen Ward threw themselves at him.

It epitomised the kind of quality Dyche did not possess. “The town wanted the Premier League, we wanted it, it is here,” he said. “But it doesn’t mean it is going to be an easy ride.”

Next up is Arsenal away.