Burnley's bleak opening to the campaign under manager Nicky Hayen persisted, but a late surge from Bristol City turned the tide, delivering a 2-1 win in a nervy encounter at Turf Moor. The home side appeared poised to finally spark a positive run when Aaron Ramsey found the net in the 56th minute, giving the Clarets a deserved lead.
However, the Robins responded in the 82nd minute when defender Rob Dickie headed in from a corner, restoring parity. The drama intensified as substitute Yu Hirakawa unleashed a spectacular strike during stoppage time, sealing a third consecutive triumph for Michael Skubala’s side and propelling them into the league's top four. The disappointment was palpable among the Burnley faithful, who quickly directed their frustration at club owner Alan Pace. The late collapse left the Clarets with just two points from five games under the Belgian coach, anchoring them at the bottom of the Championship only months after their relegation from the Premier League.
Among the notable line‑ups, Japanese midfielder Reo Hatate made his Burnley debut after completing a deadline‑day transfer from Celtic, while veteran Kyle Walker was reinstated to the starting eleven. New signing defender Igor Julio, recruited from Brighton earlier in the week, began the match on the bench.
For Bristol City, summer acquisition Gibson Yah earned his first start, whereas recent arrival Brian De Keersmaecker was deemed not yet ready for first‑team action. The visitors pressed early, with Rio Cardines delivering a free‑kick into the danger area that was inadvertently cleared by Walker, allowing Jason Knight to linger for a potential follow‑up. Ramsey produced the first serious chance of the game in the eighth minute, striking a high, looping effort over the bar after a corner found him on the edge of the box.
Throughout the first half, City appeared the more confident outfit, reflecting the form both sides had shown in recent weeks. Lorent Tolaj unleashed a powerful low drive that clipped the post just before the 30‑minute mark. Later, Jed Wallace unleashed a brilliant shot from the edge of the area, aiming for the top corner, only to be denied by a spectacular fingertip save from Burnley keeper Max Weiss.
The ensuing corner saw Scott Twine rise above the defense but head the ball over the bar, as the Robins continued to press. Ramsey attempted another effort from the edge of the box before the half‑time whistle, sending his strike high over the crossbar, while a section of the Burnley crowd voiced their displeasure with boos as the teams headed into the break.
Hayen made tactical adjustments at the start of the second half, introducing Anel Ahmedhodzic and Armando Broja for Andreas Hountondji and Hjalmar Ekdal. The changes injected fresh energy into the Clarets and helped them regain some momentum.
The breakthrough finally arrived in the 56th minute when Hatate, positioned on the edge of the box, was spotted by Max Alleyne, who delivered a perfectly weighted pass to his right. Ramsey arrived unmarked and unleashed a ferocious strike from 15 yards, beating Sam Tickle and sending the ball into the back of the net. Burnley appeared to re‑assert control in the closing stages, but City’s resilience paid off.
In the 82nd minute, Cardines delivered a corner that found Dickie, who rose above the defense to power a header into the net, equalising for the visitors. The drama was far from over. In stoppage time, a corner again found Hirakawa, who, after a quick turn, fired a low, curling shot from about 25 yards out that slipped past the outstretched arms of the home goalkeeper, igniting fury among the Burnley supporters.
After the final whistle, Hayen addressed the media, acknowledging the fans’ frustration: "I completely understand the fans, they're frustrated and disappointed. Of course, it's not nice to experience this, but I understand and I can accept it.
The only thing we can do is keep on fighting back and showing resilience." He admitted a lack of confidence and fitness within the squad, noting that several players had not featured regularly for 15‑18 months and would need additional weeks to reach peak condition. Hayen emphasized patience, stating, "I would rather my team was ready today than tomorrow, but with all the signings that we did and even the players who were already here who didn't play for a long time, it takes time. I'm the last one who is actually asking for time, because I know how it goes in football and with results." He further expressed disappointment at the early season start, but remained optimistic: "I didn't expect this start and for me it's frustrating because I can't give the fans what they deserve. But I'm not giving up.
I have been in even more difficult situations and I turned it around and I'm 100 per cent sure when everyone sticks together that we can do it also. It takes until the international break when everyone will be 100 per cent ready in fitness and then we will be a really strong team, but you have to survive until then and at the moment we're in a really difficult situation." Skubala, on the other hand, praised his side’s performance: "For me, it wasn't a smash and grab or anything like that.
I think we deserved to win it and it was great when we got it over the line. First half they didn't cause us too many problems. And after they scored we looked really good and the team that was in the ascendancy. When we got our goal, I thought we were the ones that could go on and win it and we did that.
It's early days, but it's really encouraging to see the team fight and play some good attacking football. It shows we've got a strong group that can win matches at this level." The victory marked Bristol City's third straight win, reinforcing their position among the promotion contenders and providing a stark contrast to Burnley's ongoing struggle to climb out of the relegation zone.