Burnley are staring at a second Premier League relegation in three seasons after being humbled at Turf Moor by a rampant Newcastle United.
Vincent Kompany’s men won the Championship last term and had a glimmer of survival hope before Saturday’s game, but following this wretched collapse at home and Nottingham Forest’s 3-1 win at Sheffield United, they sit five points from safety with two games remaining.
The Clarets started brightly but could not capitalise as Jacob Bruun Larsen’s effort in the third minute was smothered by Martin Dubravka, while Kompany was left incensed after referee Anthony Taylor did not award a penalty for Bruno Guimaraes’ shove on Lorenz Assignon in the box.
The visitors took the lead with their first attack of the game as Callum Wilson reacted quickest to slot in after Arijanet Muric parried Alexander Isak’s effort back into the danger area.
Eddie Howe’s men looked devastating each time they poured forward and took total control by netting twice more before half-time courtesy of first-time finishes by Sean Longstaff and Guimaraes.
Josh Brownhill tugged Anthony Gordon’s shirt in the box in the second half and though Isak’s penalty was saved by Muric, the Swede lashed in soon after for his 20th league goal of the campaign.
Dara O’Shea’s header gave Burnley a late consolation goal but Newcastle’s emphatic victory moves them up a place to sixth, two points ahead of Manchester United who travel to Crystal Palace on Monday (kick-off 20:00 BST).
Burnley crumble on home soil
Some Burnley supporters had started to believe the great escape was on after a run of one defeat in eight games clawed their side to within two points of safety.
But as the story has been time and again this season, Burnley got off to an upbeat start yet could not find the breakthrough before crumbling at the other end of the pitch.
Burnley head to Europe-chasing Tottenham next Saturday and host Forest on the final day of the season, but it is a big ask now for them to take it to the wire in the unlikeliest of survival stories.
The Clarets needed to win on Saturday and the result may have been different if Larsen had been able to convert early on or official Taylor had pointed to the spot when Assignon went down in the box.
The French full-back was in the thick of the action and nearly gave his side the breakthrough, cutting on to his left foot and firing a shot at goalkeeper Dubravka.
Newcastle, though, kept their composure and took their opponents apart with some incisive play which puts them in the mix for Europa League football next season.
