Daniel Munoz’s first-half header was enough for Crystal Palace to leave Turf Moor with a 1-0 win as Burnley slumped to a fifth straight Premier League loss.
Munoz turned in Marc Guehi’s cross moments before half-time, a rare moment of quality in a poor game, as Palace rebounded from back-to-back defeats against Strasbourg and Manchester United.
As Oliver Glasner lobbies for more investment in his squad, the win moves Palace up into the thick of the fight for European places at this early stage of the season, but Burnley’s losing run keeps them second bottom of the league and among the favourites for the drop.
Burnley had the vast majority of the early possession but desperately little of it was in the Palace half as Glasner’s side looked happy to wait for their opportunities on the break against the shot-shy hosts.
The first such chance came in the 14th minute as Palace quickly moved the ball through midfield and Jean-Philippe Mateta rolled away from Hjalmar Ekdal before striking a powerful low shot which Martin Dubravka pushed around the post.
Burnley responded immediately with their first real chance, but Jaidon Anthony saw his curling shot pushed over the crossbar by the diving Dean Henderson.
Palace still looked the more dangerous of the two teams on the break, but Yeremy Pino squandered a fine chance in the 21st minute, charging into the box after being found by Mateta, but with the shot on he looked to square it and Burnley cleared.
The Clarets wanted a penalty when Chris Richards stretched to stop Anthony hoovering up a loose ball in the box but referee Tom Kirk, taking charge of his first Premier League game, was right to say that Richards won the ball.
There was no surprise that Palace’s opener came from another counter-attack seconds before half-time. Guehi delivered a curling ball into the box from deep and Munoz broke away from Anthony at the back post to head in his fourth goal of the season.
Palace started the second half on top and should have doubled their lead 10 minutes in. Munoz turned provider as he cut the ball back from the byline, but Dubravka got down smartly to keep out Mateta’s strike, with Daichi Kamada unable to stretch to turn in the rebound.
Burnley needed a wake up as Turf Moor grew increasingly restless.
Lyle Foster’s strike was charged down by Tyrick Mitchell before the South African’s long-range effort deflected wide. Burnley played the resulting corner short but it eventually came to substitute Jacob Bruun Larsen, who cracked a right-footed strike off the crossbar.
A rash challenge from Eddie Nketiah on fellow substitute Lesley Ugochukwu gave Burnley a free-kick on the edge of the box late on, but Marcus Edwards sent a tame free-kick into the wall.
As the game moved into stoppage time Henderson came for a long ball and failed to get it, but Richards was on hand to hack Armando Broja’s header clear.
