When Brentford manager Keith Andrews said before his side’s 1-1 draw with Arsenal this month that he “likes creating chaos”, he certainly would not have meant this.
A visit to Burnley, languishing in 19th, turned into one of the matches of the Premier League season. Brentford had it… before they didn’t. Burnley thought they had it… but Brentford hit back. And there was still time for more.
Breathless as it sounds, that does not do justice — nothing might unless you were among those at Turf Moor to witness it first-hand — to the chaos of Burnley 3-4 Brentford. The Athletic breaks down the key moments from an instant classic that had everything you love and might hate about modern football.
The game’s first opening arrived seven seconds in. Igor Thiago’s kick-off went horribly wrong, and Zian Flemming raced forward before shooting wide of Hakon Valdimarsson’s post.
Burnley’s strategy early on was to suffocate the visitors high up the pitch but Brentford played through them with ease before showcasing all their best traits as the half progressed.
A 10th-minute corner set the wheels in motion. As Dango Ouattara swings the delivery in, Brentford crowd the six-yard box, which leaves Mikkel Damsgaard free to head home past Martin Dubravka.
Burnley responded well through Jaidon Anthony, who curled over the bar and then forced a Valdimarsson save.
But at the other end, Brentford’s strategy was paying dividends. Their three forwards – Ouattara, Thiago and Kevin Schade – and Damsgaard lined up against Burnley’s back five. That meant Brentford constantly had a free man in midfield.
Thiago’s ability to drag the centre-backs out of position also saw him slip Ouattara in behind, but his cross for Schade was stabbed wide by the Denmark international. Moments later, it was 2-0.
In the moments leading up to Schade’s miss, Damsgaard dropped behind his frontline, with Burnley’s defenders unsure whether to push up and midfielders unsure whether to retreat. That indecision meant he was perfectly positioned to assist Thiago with a through-ball in the 25th minute.
Boos rang around, mostly directed at Thiago, who gave Joe Worrall a torrid time, but also at their team, down once again at Turf Moor, having won just twice at home in the league all season.
Less than 10 minutes later, the same crowd could only let out an exasperated groan. Sepp van den Berg flicked on a Michael Kayode long throw towards goal. Lucas Pires desperately slid in at the goal-line to keep it out, but his attempt fell straight to Schade, who poked home.
Wider Brentford smiles, louder Burnley boos.
But Burnley’s new-found resilience since the turn of the year that has helped them draw with Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea sparked them back into life via some good fortune.
In the final seconds of stoppage time, Laurent cushioned the ball to Anthony on the right. He struck it well first time, but the shot looked to be headed wide of the far post before Kayode failed to sort out his feet and put it into his own net.
Game on.
Within seconds of the restart, Burnley had again fashioned a chance from kick-off. Flemming, Anthony and substitute Lyle Foster combined to set up Hannibal, whose shot from the edge of the box flew just over.
Turf Moor applauded the effort. A minute later, it roared.
Hannibal, on the right wing this time, drifted away from his man and crossed into the box. Flemming and another substitute, Lesley Ugochukwu, caused enough confusion for the ball to bounce through to Anthony, who scored at the far-post via a Kayode deflection.
Suddenly, Burnley had switched places with their opponents. Flemming and Foster were causing Brentford’s centre-backs problems. Hannibal and Ugochukwu could repeatedly get on the ball in space. Frustrated groans and boos were replaced by applause and anticipatory “ooh”s.
Brentford were feeling the strain too. Valdimarsson passed the ball out of play from a goal-kick. Yehor Yarmoliuk did the same under no pressure.
The atmosphere had changed and by the hour mark, the scoreline had once again too.
Anthony’s neat first-time pass found Hannibal in space on the left. Using Anthony’s run as a decoy, he sliced a cross for Flemming, who ran in behind Van den Berg to head it home at the far-post.
Scott Parker’s reaction on the sidelines was limited to a smirk, while co-owner JJ Watt smiled after looking pensive for most of the game.
Burnley then thought they had the lead in the 78th minute. A clever free-kick routine released Anthony on the left and his cross into the box was flicked up in the air by Ajer from in front of Valdimarsson. Flemming attacked it and bundled it home on the volley. Turf Moor rose to its feet with a deafening chorus of joy, which Watt seemed to capture on his phone.
But VAR Paul Tierney brought that to a standstill, with a three-minute check ending in referee Sam Barrott blowing his whistle for an offside. The semi-automation offside image showed Anthony’s arm extending beyond the last man.
That seemed to awaken Brentford and deflate Burnley, with the visitors to fashioning one last good chance in the third of seven minutes added on.
Brentford worked the ball out wide for Henry to cross. Burnley’s defence failed to deal with it or track Damsgaard’s run into the box and the Denmark international took a touch and scored.
Surely that was the end? Not quite.
Within a minute, the cheers were replaced by boos as a VAR check got underway for a potential handball. Animated conversations followed on the pitch, while a fracas broke out on the benches, with Foster and Yarmoliuk booked after the melee.
The clock ticked over 100 minutes as VAR continued to pore over the footage.
Barnes could be seen telling Barrott and the players that his hand was by his side. Parker was down on his haunches by the sideline as the check continued.
Barrott eventually announced his decision with the clock at 102:35. “After review, Burnley (No) 35 accidentally handles the ball. That leads to a direct goal. My final decision will be a defensive free-kick to Brentford,” he said.
Barnes gestured in disappointment before asking Barrott for more time to be added on due to the delay, only to eventually turn away in frustration realising that was not forthcoming. By the time play restarted with a Valdimarsson free-kick, the clock read 103:31.
Barrott blew his whistle 10 seconds later, leading to heated exchanges between players on both sides and jeers from the crowd to conclude one of the Premier League’s wildest recent matches.