Burnley suffered a hammer blow to their English Premier League survival hopes on Sunday as Wes Morgan scored a 90th minute winner for Leicester City at a stunned Turf Moor.
With only three EPL games, the focus was very much at the foot of the table with fourth-bottom Burnley and Newcastle United having opportunities to ease the pressure.
While Burnley slumped to a 2-1 defeat, 13th-placed Newcastle United earned a point in a 2-2 draw at Bournemouth after a superb late equaliser from former Bournemouth player Matt Ritchie.
Bottom club Huddersfield Town looked on course for only their fourth league victory of the season when they led 3-1 at West Ham United.
But they capitulated late on to lose 3-4 and stay 16 points below Burnley.
Burnley’s fourth successive league defeat left them perched perilously above the drop zone, two points above 18th-placed Cardiff City who now have a game in hand.
It looked good for Burnley when Leicester City’s Harry Maguire was given a straight red card in the fourth minute for bringing down Johann Berg Gudmundsson.
In spite of their numerical disadvantage, Leicester City went ahead through James Maddison’s 33rd-minute free kick.
Dwight McNeil swept in a 38th minute equaliser to settle home nerves and Burnley had several penalty kick claims turned down in the second half as they chased a winner.
Morgan’s header then gave Brendan Rodgers his second win in three games as Leicester City manager, keeping his side in 10th spot.
With three of their last four games of the season against Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal, Sean Dyche knows something has to be done now.
His side will have to emerge from their slump as a matter of urgency.
A home game against mid-table Leicester City had looked like a good opportunity but Dyche said the early sending-off of Maguire had actually thrown his team.
“It can play with you psychologically when someone gets sent off so early, and we didn’t get to grips with the game in the first half,” he said.
“You need results, we are in a tough spell now and you want to come away with something especially against 10 men.”
Salomon Rondon gave Newcastle United the lead in first half stoppage time with a superb free kick, while Bournemouth levelled through Josh King’s dubious penalty kick.
When King struck again in the 81st minute, Newcastle United looked sunk.
But Ritchie’s superb volley from DeAndre Yedlin’s cross sent the Magpies fans into raptures.
West Ham trailed 3-1 in the 75th minute at the London Stadium with some home fans heading for home.
But Angelo Ogbonna headed in before substitute Javier Hernandez struck twice.
West Ham had actually taken the lead through Mark Noble’s early penalty kick.
But Huddersfield belied their lowly position with Juninho Bacuna and Karlam Grant scoring before halftime.
Youngster Grant thumped home a 25-metre shot and a rare Saturday afternoon to savour looked likely for the Terriers.
But West Ham were not in the mood to be fall guys and finished with a flourish to move to within two points of seventh-placed Wolves.
Reuters/NAN.
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