Burnley 0-0 Sunderland: Clarets keeper James Trafford saves two Wilson Isidor penalties

Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford dramatically saved two penalties from Sunderland's Wilson Isidor to ensure a 0-0 draw. The first save came in the 86th minute, with Trafford denying Isidor's powerful shot. In the fifth minute of added time, Trafford successfully saved again, with the French forward once more aiming for the goalkeeper's right side.

These two penalty saves helped Burnley maintain their unbeaten home record and saw them draw level with Leeds United at the top of the Championship table, though with an inferior goal difference. However, Isidor's misses meant the "Black Cats" missed an opportunity to leapfrog their opponents and draw level with the Yorkshire team, remaining in fourth place, two points behind the joint leaders, with Sheffield United in between.

The "Black Cats" won the first meeting between the two sides in August, which was the first indication of their improvement this season, following the arrival of the relatively unknown Regis Le Bris. Five months later, nobody really expected them to still be in the fight for automatic promotion, but they have shown admirable resilience in the interim. That Saturday afternoon game at the Wellside was also Scott Parker's first defeat as Burnley manager. Notably, they have only lost once in the subsequent 23 matches.

The "Clarets" have been defensively resolute, conceding just nine goals in 26 games and only four at home, which has laid the foundation for their return to the top flight. On an atmospheric night, both teams displayed strong confidence. French centre-back Maxime Esteve demonstrated excellent defensive ability, making a crucial clearance after Isidor latched onto Chris Rigg's long pass and went past the onrushing Trafford.

Burnley also had their chances, with Connor Roberts' shot straight at Anthony Patterson after a Chris Mepham clearance error. Subsequently, Patterson made a brilliant save, denying Jayden Anthony's shot that looked destined for the far corner after a pass from Lyle Foster. A criticism of Parker's side is their lack of ruthlessness in front of goal. Any promotion-winning side at any level usually has a higher goal-per-game ratio than their 1.19. In comparison, their final goal-per-game ratio when Vincent Kompany led them to the Championship title in 2023 was 1.89.

A few minutes into the second half, Josh Brownhill headed down for Zian Flemming, who volleyed wide from 10 yards when he should have hit the target, ultimately leading to Burnley's eighth 0-0 draw of the season. Sunderland's loan signing from Roma, Enzo Le Fée, made his debut, with the midfielder showing some nice touches and delivering a great pass that put Isidor in for their best chance, but he hit the outside of the post. If Isidor should have taken that chance, it was nothing compared to what was to follow.

He grabbed the ball after being brought down by CJ Egan-Riley, possibly outside the 18-yard box, and from the first look, he opted for power, but Trafford guessed correctly and pushed it away. In added time, the pair were again the protagonists, with Anthony Backhouse awarding a second penalty after Dennis Cirkin was fouled by substitute Oliver Thorne. Isidor again grabbed the ball, but had to wait as Trafford needed treatment, then was booked for time-wasting, before shooting to the same side again, albeit closer to the corner, but Trafford saved again, further showcasing his heroics.

It was Trafford's first penalty save since the 2023 European U21 Championship final, when he saved Abel Ruiz's spot-kick as England beat Spain. While Trafford was basking in the praise, Isidor, Sunderland's top scorer this season, was dazed in the final minutes, unable to comprehend what had happened, and needed consoling at the final whistle. What effect this will have on him and his team's promotion hopes, only time will tell.

Burnley manager Scott Parker said: "In terms of the course of the game, it's a huge point for us. The two penalties could have made the game look very different if it wasn't for James Trafford and his saves. There are no words to describe what he did. I don't think I've been involved in a game like that at the end. Both penalties were brilliant, and Trav flew to make the saves. We owe him one tonight in terms of those crucial saves."

Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris said: "We created five or six chances, so we are disappointed not to score, but it shows we can compete away from home against a strong team. Wilson is disappointed, like the team. But that's football. You can make mistakes, but you have to learn from them. It's the best way to progress and grow. I'm sure he can put this behind him, 100%. You have to deal with difficult experiences. The goalkeeper made two great saves, they were not bad penalties."