Fulham has finally broken a long-standing jinx. Meanwhile, Burnley’s struggles in this challenging Premier League season appear far from over following their 3-2 loss.

With a stellar performance from Harry Wilson, Fulham ended a 74-year drought at Turf Moor, claiming their first league victory there since a 2-0 triumph back in April 1951.

The Turf Moor faithful experienced a brief moment of excitement when Lesley Ugochukwu equalized Emile Smith Rowe’s early goal, marking Burnley’s first home goal since mid-October.

Our sports correspondent, Nathan Salt, was at Turf Moor to highlight some key observations from the match.

Harry Wilson produced a man-of-the match performance to add to Burnley’s top-flight woes

BURNLEY NEED TO TURN A CORNER

Burnley’s inability to score enough goals was evident once more as they conceded twice through avoidable errors in a concerning first half.

The first, coming nine minutes in through Smith Rowe, saw everyone in claret and blue switch off. 

Lacking the glamour and stakes of when Trent Alexander-Arnold and Divock Origi bamboozled Barcelona in the Champions League for Liverpool, this inswinger from Wilson still bore similarities.

Even Fulham’s second goal, which was initially cleared out of the box as far as Antonee Robinson, found its way back to corner taker Wilson and he had the easiest of jobs to lob it up onto the head of Bassey in the six-yard box for an easy header.

Both of those goals beg the question of how well prepared Burnley actually were for set-pieces, not least given the fact that only Arsenal have scored more (8) from corners than Marco Silva’s side.

Burnley’s survival hopes already look non-existent but if they can’t fix the issue at corners – only West Ham have been more hopeless from them (10) than Burnley (7) – they really will have no hope.

It is alarming just how much of a soft touch Burnley look when trying to defend corners

WILSON ON A ROLL

Try making a list of current Premier League players who are better in the final third right now than Harry Wilson. You’ll find you have a very short list.

The most striking step forward that Wilson has taken is how mature his performances are now and he is adding consistency to match.

Responsibility is clearly something he wants at 28, the prime years of a player’s career, and both Fulham and Wales are reaping the reward.

His pair of assists and goal here mean Wilson’s been involved in eight goals in 15 Premier League games this season (five goals, three assists), more than he was in 25 appearances last season (six goals, one assist).

Only in 2023-24 (10) has Wilson been involved in more in the top-flight.

… BUT BLUNTED BROJA IS CAUSE FOR CONCERN

For all the nice touches and clever bits of movement Armando Broja may showcase, ultimately the only metric which counts as the centre forward of a struggling team is goals and the 24-year-old is miles off it in that department.

The things Broja does well often occur in the least threatening areas of the pitch and while Scott Parker publicly talks up the former Chelsea striker, his barren run in front of goal is now at 39 Premier League games and counting.

Not since finding the net, ironically, against Fulham in October 2023 has Broja scored a top flight goal.

This was only Broja’s second league start of the season, his first coming a week ago at Newcastle, so call it rust if you want. But Parker simply cannot keep picking a player with such little goal threat.

‘I think it was the best version we’ve seen of Armando,’ Parker said last week.

If this is Broja’s best then Burnley fans have every right to be worried.

Armando Broja hasn’t scored a Premier League goal since scoring vs Fulham in October 2023

Cottagers end Turf Moor hoodoo

Fulham had remarkably not won at Turf Moor in their last 34 visits prior to Saturday’s triumph.

Bassey admitted post-match that the Fulham squad had been aware of the dismal record heading into the clash.

‘We tried not to think about the 74 years but we were reminded about it. We just played our game, but we needed that.

‘There wasn’t pressure but in the last four or five games we have played well but haven’t got the results. Hopefully, it starts to go our way.

‘I hadn’t scored for a while. I had been working on my celebrations with Emile so was happy to get one. [Harry] Wilson is clutch.’

Calvin Bassey admitted the Fulham squad had been aware of their dismal record at Turf Moor

MATCH FACTS

Burnley XI: Dubravka 6; Tuanzebe 5 (Sonne 77, 7), Ekdal 5, Esteve 5, Hartman 4.5; Cullen 6.5, Florentino 6 (Edwards 62, 6.5), Ugochukwu 6.5 (Tresor 83); Foster 6 (Flemming 62, 6), Broja 5, Bruun Larsen 5 (Anthony 77, 6)

Goals: Ugochukwu (22), Sonne (86)

Booked: Cullen

Manager: Scott Parker 6

Fulham XI: Leno 6.5; Tete 6, Bassey 7, Andersen 6, Robinson 6.5; Berge 6, Iwobi 7 (Lukic 79); Wilson 9 (Adama 89), Smith-Rowe 7.5 (Castagne 89), Chukwueze 7; Jimenez 6 (King 79)

Goals: Smith Rowe (9), Bassey (31), Wilson (58)

Booked: Andersen, Tete

Manager: Marco Silva 8

Referee: Michael Oliver 7

Att: 19,379