Burnley’s quest for a first league win since February was thwarted in dramatic fashion when Derby County’s Mohammed Fuseini struck in stoppage time to secure a 1-1 draw at Turf Moor in the English Championship. The Ghanaian winger, who arrived on loan from Belgian side Union Saint-Gilloise on the final day of the transfer window, delivered an angled finish from the far post that marked his inaugural goal for the Rams. The match had seemed to tilt in Burnley’s favour after Switzerland forward Zeki Amdouni headed home from a corner in the 34th minute.

Amdouni’s powerful header, directed to the far post, slipped past Derby goalkeeper Josh Vickers after a Lucas Pires corner was only partially dealt with. The goal appeared to give manager Nicky Hayen, who took charge only in July, a much‑needed lift and a chance to silence growing doubts about his tenure.

However, Fuseini’s last‑gasp equaliser erased that optimism, leaving Burnley still languishing at the bottom of the table without a single point from the match Hayen had labelled a "must‑win" before kickoff. The draw meant the Clarets remain winless in the Championship, a situation that intensifies scrutiny on Hayen’s future. Hayen entered the game with six changes, hoping to revive a side that had suffered a defeat at Swansea the previous weekend.

He dropped goalkeeper Max Weiss and former Manchester City defender Kyle Walker, while reinstating winger Marcus Edwards, who had been omitted from Burnley’s 25‑man EFL squad earlier in the month but was re‑registered for this encounter. Derby, also entrenched in the bottom three and battling a lengthy injury list, generated the opening chances just after the 15‑minute mark. Midfielder David Ozoh unleashed a shot from outside the box that was deflected wide, and a subsequent corner delivered by Joe Ward saw defender Dion Sanderson meet the ball at the far post, only to head it back across the goalmouth.

Amdouni’s header soon put Burnley ahead, but Derby threatened to level before the interval. Former Blackburn striker Sammie Szmodics broke away on a long pass from Ward, only to collide with defender Gregoire Coudert, who had dropped his guard. With the goalkeeper momentarily out of position, Ryan Hedges’ follow‑up was blocked by defender Igor Julio, and Carlton Morris’s loose ball was cleared to Szmodics, whose tight‑angle effort was subsequently cleared from within the six‑yard area by Anel Ahmedhodzic.

The second half began with Ozoh again testing the Derby defence, charging down the left flank and unleashing a fierce angled shot that Coudert saved at the near post. Hedges then produced a good chance from 12 yards, but his effort drifted wide as Burnley struggled to cope with a long throw from the visitors.

Burnley continued to press for a second goal. Substitute Largie Ramazani found space but was denied by a well‑timed block from Sanderson after Jacob Bruun Larsen combined with Pires to set up the chance. Later, Coudert produced a spectacular low‑save to his left, denying Bobby Clark’s 20‑yard drive inside the final quarter of the hour. The decisive moment arrived when Rhian Brewster sent Fuseini on a run down the right wing.

The Ghanaian winger cut inside and, from close range, slotted the ball past Vickers to level the score at 1‑1, sealing the point for Derby. After the match, Burnley manager Nicky Hayen was asked about his prospects when the team returns from the three‑week international break for an upcoming fixture against Watford on October 10. Hayen replied, "I don’t know.

I really hope so because I work very hard for this club and I want to give back to the fans for their patience. I understand how disappointed they are and that they even blame me. I don’t have a problem with it." Hayen reiterated that he had described the Derby game as a "must‑win" but admitted he could not predict the repercussions of failing to secure the victory. "I don’t know," he said.

"You have to ask this question to other people, but I speak a lot with those people also. We always do a recap of the game, have feedback and always have an honest conversation.

So I don’t know what’s going to happen. I know the fans are disappointed. We have had a really bad start and this is also not what I expected. But I’m always resilient.

I’m always a fighter. Tomorrow I come back with a new positive energy. That’s always how I’ve worked, and that’s the energy I want to bring to the players and to this club." Derby County manager John Eustace praised his side’s defensive effort, noting, "We defended properly for the majority of the game, apart from the goal, which is another soft goal on our part, and limited Burnley to no opportunities, really. David Ozoh switched off for their goal.

Part of his development is learning. Games are won and lost on set pieces, which everyone knows. If we had lost today from that, it would have been a real kick in the teeth.

It was a great finish from Mo for the equaliser." Eustace also commented on Fuseini’s celebration, recalling that the winger had performed a cartwheel after scoring in previous highlights. "I saw in his highlights reel that he likes to do a cartwheel when he scores, and I said he won’t be doing it again. But when he scored, I asked him if he did his cartwheel, and he said yes. So I hope there’ll be a few more cartwheels to come," he added with a smile.

The draw leaves both clubs still fighting to escape the relegation zone, with Burnley remaining at the foot of the table and Derby clinging to the bottom three. Both managers will look to regroup during the international break, hoping to return with fresh ideas and renewed confidence to secure the points needed to survive the season. For fans eager to follow the action, the Championship continues to offer free highlights and live streaming options on mobile devices, ensuring supporters can keep up with every twist and turn of the league’s dramatic narrative.