December 12, (THEWILL) –Â The Burnley-West Ham game ended in a stalemate, putting the visitors’ chances of finishing in the top four in question for another weekend of English Premier League ties.
With a victory, West Ham would have moved four points clear of Manchester United , but the draw means Ralf Rangnick’s side has cut the margin to just one point after 16 Premier League games.
It is a relatively good result for Burnley, who are currently only two points behind Watford in 17th position and out of the relegation zone.
Chris Wood had a golden opportunity to put the hosts ahead early on, heading a Dwight McNeil corner over the bar, while Issa Diop’s header was brilliantly saved by Nick Pope at the other end.
Just before the break, there was a cry for a penalty when McNeil seemed to collide with Craig Dawson inside the box, but referee Graham Scott waved play on.
The second half was a duller affair with Declan Rice coming closest to breaking the deadlock with a long-range shot that narrowly missed the target. But, nothing came of it and there was not so much to highlight as the stalemate lasted until the final whistle.
As the Hammers prepare for their next game against Arsenal on Wednesday, they stay in fourth place, a point clear of Champions League-chasing Manchester United.
Burnley, on the other hand, remain two points short of safety ahead of their next match against Watford but will be encouraged by Newcastle’s hammering of Leicester today.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
