Amid a series of defeats, pressure was mounting on Burnley to quickly reverse their fortunes to avoid falling further behind.
They began positively at Turf Moor, but as has often happened this season, they conceded the game’s first major opportunity.
Jean-Philippe Mateta was too strong in his duel with Hjalmar Ekdal, brushing him off inside the box before unleashing a shot that required a sharp save from Martin Dúbravka.
Burnley responded by testing Dean Henderson at the other end, with Jaidon Anthonycurling a shot that forced the Palace keeper to dive and parry the ball away safely.
Scott Parker’s squad felt slightly aggrieved 10 minutes before halftime when Anthony went down under a challenge fromChris Richards inside the penalty area, but neither the referee nor VAR found any fault.
The disappointment was compounded when Palace took the lead just before the break. Marc Guéhidelivered a teasing ball to the far post, and as Daniel Muñoz got ahead of his defender, he had the easiest task of heading the ball across goal and into the far corner.
Bringing on Jacob Bruun Larsen at halftime showed Parker’s dissatisfaction with his team, but a like-for-like substitution didn’t seem the remedy Burnley needed to get back into the match.
The Clarets were fortunate to still be in the contest at the hour mark after Mateta broke free and was only stopped by an incredible save from Dúbravka.
Brief moments of hope came for the hosts, including a close-range shot from Bruun Larsen that struck the post shortly after the hour.
That was one of the few bright spots for Burnley, who appeared completely lacking in creativity in the final third—a growing concern for Parker, who now faces pressure to keep his position.
The result was hardly unexpected for Palace, who have lost only once in their last 18 matches against newly promoted teams in the Premier League and continue to demonstrate why they are contenders for European qualification.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Daniel Muñoz (Crystal Palace)
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