By Mohammad Hassan
League One’s Cardiff City claimed a deserved Premier League scalp, beating Burnley 2-1 at Turf Moor to reach the Carabao Cup fourth round. Composed on the ball and ruthless when it mattered, the Bluebirds outperformed a fully rotated Clarets team.
It was a disappointing way for the Clarets to bow out of the Carabao Cup as they had shown real determination in their draw with Nottingham Forest at the weekend, but Parker opted to overhaul his entire starting XI.
It was a bold move aimed at testing squad depth, but it backfired against a Cardiff side eager to respond to their setback against Bradford at the weekend.
Cardiff City
Cardiff Manager Gary Barry-Murphy also rotated, though with just five changes his team retained cohesion and that proved decisive under the lights on the road.
From the first whistle the visitors played with assurance. Cardiff moved the ball crisply and pressed Burnley high, unsettling a side that struggled to string together any meaningful sequences.
Within minutes of the kick off, Cardiff forward Callum Robinson had a sight of goal, sending an effort just wide and it became clear that Burnley’s makeshift line up was short on rhythm. A bizarre early incident, when Axel Tuanzebe lost his boot in the middle of play drew a murmur from the crowd but neatly summed up the home side’s disjointed start.
Burnley’s attacking threat was minimal. Lesley Ugochukwu tried his luck from range after ten minutes, but his tame strike was easily gathered by Cardiff keeper Nathan Trott. That would set the tone for much of Burnley’s play in the first half.
Cardiff by contrast, grew stronger through each phase of play. Their midfield, led by brothers Ruben and Joel Colwill, consistently won second balls and recycled possession with a calmness Burnley lacked.
The opening goal arrived at the half hour mark. A corner caused chaos in the Burnley box and when the ball wasn’t properly cleared, Joel Colwill pounced. Alive to the opportunity, he jabbed the ball home from close range to put the visitors ahead.
It was a simple finish, the type where you’d be more surprised if he somehow missed, but it was the product of Cardiff’s greater sharpness and hunger.
Just five minutes later they struck again, this time with a goal of real quality. Working the ball neatly down the left, Cardiff carved Burnley open. Robinson, who had been lively throughout, darted onto a clever pass inside the box and finished first time past Max Weiss.
At 2–0, the sparsely populated away end erupted and Turf Moor fell silent save for the groans of the home faithful who couldn’t believe what was unfolding before them..
Burnley Fightback To Stay In The Carabao Cup?
Burnley finally stirred into life and almost pulled one back before the break. Marcus Edwards threaded a neat pass through for Armando Broja, but the striker’s shot lacked conviction and Trott saved comfortably.
Zian Flemming also saw an effort blocked in a crowded penalty area just before half time meaning Cardiff reached the interval with their advantage intact.
The second half began with Burnley looking sharper and more urgent. Edwards signalled their renewed intent by sending a left footed curler just past the post after finding his way into the box.
Their reward came in the 56th minute, Edwards again at the heart of it, he seized on a loose clearance by Trott near the edge of the box and teed up Flemming, who bent a well placed strike into the far corner beyond Trott’s reach. Turf Moor finally found its voice.
Sensing an opportunity, Burnley pressed for an equaliser. Edwards tumbled in the box shortly after but his appeals for a penalty were waved away, a decision few of his team mates contested.
Parker turned to his bench, introducing Tresor and Banel with the pair almost combining to dramatic effect. With six minutes left, Banel’s industry won back possession and Tresor darted into the box, only to be denied at the near post with team-mates waiting in space. It proved the last clear chance for the hosts.
Cardiff managed the closing stages with maturity. Chambers marshalled the back line superbly, while substitutes Kellyman and Willock carried the ball forward intelligently to relieve pressure. Even as Burnley poured forward in the dying moments, the visitors never lost their shape.
When the whistle went, it was Cardiff’s players who celebrated in front of their travelling support, knowing they had secured a sweet Carabao Cup upset.
For Burnley, a sobering night that will sharpen Parker’s mind ahead of this weekend’s trip to the Etihad. For Cardiff, it was a night to savour. A controlled, clinical display away from home that earned them a deserved place in the last sixteen of the competition.
Only a season ago these sides were Championship members, on tonight’s showing you’d be forgiven for not knowing who currently resides where. Cardiff City march on in the Carabao Cup.
