Burnley came from behind to make sure the ignominy of finishing bottom of the Premier League went to Wolves as the two relegated sides fought out a 1-1 draw at Turf Moor.
This was a battle for pride – plus about £2.6m extra in merit payments – and Rob Edwards’ side took an early lead through Adam Armstrong’s penalty. But interim Burnley coach Mike Jackson saw his team produce a spirited second-half display in which Zian Flemming equalise after the break.
Wolves started on the front foot and were ahead after in the fifth minute. Mateus Mané’s misdirected corner was retrieved by Ladislav Krejci and his header struck the outstretched arm of Florentino.
The referee, Andrew Kitchen, needed to take a look on the pitchside monitor after being summoned by the video assistant referee and after he pointed to the spot, up stepped Armstrong to send Clarets goalkeeper Max Weiss the wrong way. It was Armstrong’s second Premier League goal for the club he joined from Southampton in February.
Mané thought he had doubled Wolves’ lead when his curling shot from 25 yards beat Weiss but bounced back off a post. Lesley Ugochukwu finally gave the home fans something to cheer when his shot was blocked Santiago Bueno. But Wolves continued to threaten and Yerson Mosquera’s header was deflected over.
When Mané delivered a corner in from the right, Krejci’s knockdown fell perfectly to David Møller Wolfe, only for the Norwegian’s half-volley to be kept out by Weiss’s flailing hand.
Jaidon Anthony forced José Sá into a save in first-half stoppage time, when his snap volley from 20 yards flew straight at the Wolves keeper. Sá was in action again when he plunged to his left to divert Florentino’s drive to safety after the midfielder had marched on to Ugochukwu’s short pass.
Burnley drew level in the 48th minute when Flemming swapped passes with Ugochukwu on the edge of the box and fired a crisp shot just inside Sá’s right-hand post. It was the Dutchman’s 11th Premier League goal of the season and sixth in his last 11 appearances.
Burnley went close when Florentino’s floated cross drifted beyond Flemming’s outstretched boot and struck the far post. The visitors escaped again just after the hour, when Hannibal Mejbri’s shot squirmed under Sá only for the Wolves keeper to recover and snatch the ball up as it rolled towards the line.
Wolves were rescued by their keeper again when substitute James Ward-Prowse picked out Lucas Pires with a cross only for his volley to be blocked by Sá’s legs. The visitors almost snatched victory late on when Mane sent a 20-yard effort flashing inches wide, before Sá saved with his legs again to keep out substitute Ashley Barnes’s close-range effort.
