Dull day at Turf Moor as Burnley and Huddersfield share the points
The teams met in the top flight for the first time since 1971.
Burnley and Huddersfield ground out a dreary stalemate at Turf Moor but a point apiece kept both sides comfortably ahead of gloomy pre-season predictions.
The resulted appeared to hinge on whether or not the home side’s £15million striker Chris Wood could find a finish from a selection of half-chances but he was ultimately shackled by the Terriers’ exemplary centre-half Christopher Schindler.
It was, then, a triumph for the organisation and reliability that has taken two unfashionable clubs into the top half of the top flight, though the first top-flight meeting of these sides since 1971 is not an occasion many will revisit.
What they said
Tweet of the match
Star man – Christopher Schindler
By a distance the most accomplished performer at Turf Moor. He kept touch-tight to Chris Wood for 90 minutes, tackled and intercepted judiciously and was a yard ahead of the game when making an important interception to deny the New Zealand international in the first half. His comfortable start to life in the Premier League will surely be attracting interested glances from rival clubs.
Target practice
Tom Ince came into the match with 17 shots and no goals to his name for Huddersfield this season – the highest number of unsuccessful attempts in the league. He added an 18th here, a low, fizzing and perfectly decent effort until it zipped a yard wide. The former Hull and Derby man may be better suited for creating rather than capping, though, with his fine run and offload deserving better than Laurent Depoitre’s soft finish.
Stat of the day
Only title-chasing city rivals Manchester United and Manchester City have conceded fewer goals than the Terriers’ three at this stage of the season. Jonas Lossl has already kept four clean sheets in six outings, a testament to David Wagner’s defensive drills and an inexpensively recruited back line who are proving themselves Premier League class at every opportunity.
Player ratings
Who’s up next?
Everton v Burnley (Premier League, October 1)
Huddersfield v Tottenham (Premier League, September 30)