Isaac Price proved to be the decisive factor as West Bromwich Albion turned a 1‑0 deficit into a 3‑1 triumph against promotion hopefuls Burnley in the Sky Bet Championship. The Northern Irish midfielder found the back of the net twice in the second half and also set up Harry Whitwell’s equaliser, effectively erasing the own‑goal that had put Burnley ahead early on.
The match began at The Hawthorns with both sides eager to stake an early claim on the season’s opening weekend. Burnley, missing their key striker Zian Flemming because of a calf problem and amid reported interest from French side Lille, struggled to impose the dominance that pre‑match pundits had expected.
In the eighth minute, Callum Styles inadvertently turned his own net after a cross from Jacob Bruun Larsen looped into his path, handing the home side a premature lead. West Brom promptly protested that Hannibal Mejbri had fouled Felix Horn Myhre far up the pitch, but the referee allowed the goal to stand. Only ten minutes later, Albion’s 20‑year‑old Whitwell restored parity.
Receiving a low pass from the right, he slotted the ball past Burnley keeper Max Weiss from just inside the box, marking his first league goal for the club. Burnley responded with a near‑miss when Marcus Edwards delivered a dangerous cross that saw Bruun Larsen’s foot glance off the post. The first half ended 1‑1, with both teams having tasted both advantage and disappointment.
The second half belonged entirely to West Brom. The momentum shifted when Price, who had been quiet in the opening 45 minutes, struck just after the restart. In the 46th minute he curled a precise shot beyond a stranded Weiss, who had been caught too far off his line, sending the ball into the top corner and giving the hosts a 2‑1 lead.
The goal sparked a surge of confidence among the Albion players, who began to dominate possession and win the majority of duels. Burnley’s manager, Nicky Hayen, attempted to revive his side’s fortunes by making three substitutions at the 57th minute, introducing Ugo Raghouber, Zeki Amdouni and Dastan Satpayev.
The changes, however, failed to produce the desired effect. Instead, West Brom’s Bashir Humphreys was awarded a clear‑cut penalty after Whitwell was brought down inside the box.
Price stepped up and calmly dispatched the spot‑kick to the right of Weiss, who dived the wrong way, extending the lead to 3‑1. The match concluded with a comprehensive win for the home side, marking their third consecutive victory across all competitions and their second league win of the campaign. The result placed West Brom in second place on goal difference, just behind Millwall, as the early league table began to take shape. In post‑match interviews, West Brom manager James Morrison expressed satisfaction with his team’s resilience.
He told Sky Sports, "When you start the pre‑season and see the fixtures come out and see the opposition you're like, 'Oof, welcome back!' But it was an opportunity to impose ourselves, and we've been doing that, and it's my job to keep us firmly on the ground. It's been two games, and it's going to be a long, hard season with ups and downs, but we've got to keep working hard on the training pitch and see what happens." Burnley’s boss Hayen was more reflective, acknowledging his side’s lack of intensity.
"It was totally deserved. They had much more energy than us, winning duels and second balls.
We played too slowly and were far away from the level last week. If we play at our best, we're a top team, but if you play like this, you're an average team, and we have to go back to what we did last week because today we weren't good enough," he said.
The defeat also raised questions about the future of Zian Flemming. With the transfer window set to close on September 1, Hayen admitted uncertainty about whether the striker would remain.
He told Sky Sports, "If there is an offer that suits the finances of the club, then maybe the transfer can be done, but I want him to stay. Everyone has the ambition to play in the Premier League, so if he can make that step then okay, everything should be in place, but as long as that's not the case, Zian stays with us." Overall, the match highlighted West Brom’s ability to respond swiftly to setbacks, with Price’s brilliance serving as the catalyst for a memorable comeback.
Burnley, meanwhile, will need to regroup quickly under Hayen’s guidance if they hope to fulfill the lofty expectations placed upon them this season.