Fulham vs Burnley. Premier League.
Craven CottageAttendance23,438.
Highlights and report as Jean Michael Seri and Andre Schurrle also score
Monday 27 August 2018 00:03, UK
Aleksandar Mitrovic scored a quick first-half double as Fulham beat Burnley 4-2 to seal their first win of the Premier League season.
The Whites looked the better side from the outset after a thunderous strike from Jean Michael Seri inside three minutes, although Jeff Hendrick (10) got Burnley level not long after.
Two quickfire strikes from Mitrovic (36, 38) ultimately decided the game, but Burnley put the pressure on again when James Tarkowski tapped home in the 40th minute.
The second half saw just the one goal - a strike from Andre Schurrle (83) - as Fulham won their first league game of the season, while Burnley have now gone eight top-flight games without a win.
In a goal-laden first half, it was Seri's opening strike in the third minute that was the pick of the strikes. Luciano Vietto laid the ball off to the midfielder and he hit his effort towards goal, which rifled into the top corner, scoring with his first-ever Premier League shot.
Seven minutes later and Hendrick got Burnley level. It was a great run down the field from Aaron Lennon, who picked out Hendrick on the left of the area. His initial effort was blocked by the knees of Denis Odoi before he scored the rebound on the angle.
The game looked to be meandering towards half-time when there was a flurry of goals. Mitrovic kicked things off in the 36th minute as Seri played a short corner to Tom Cairney at the top of the box. His curled cross towards the back post was then glanced home by Mitrovic.
He added the second two minutes later as Fulham went on the break with Vietto again involved, whipping a superb ball into the area which Mitrovic again nodded home, this time more emphatically.
There was more to come, though, as Tarkowski pulled one back for Burnley with five minutes of the half to play. Charlie Taylor's corner was nodded back across the area by Ben Mee, allowing his fellow defender to tap home from point-blank range.
There were fewer goals in the second half, but Andre Schurrle rattled the crossbar in the 55th minute, rounding Tarkowski before taking aim. Mitrovic could have completed his hat-trick in the 74th minute, but could not convert Timothy Fosu-Mensah's fizzing cross, ending up in the back of the net himself.
After plenty of shots, Schurrle finally made the breakthrough in the 83th minute to round off the win. Mitrovic did well in the build-up, seeing his strike ping off the crossbar, but the rebound landed at the feet of the German who fired home.
It was a superb performance from Schurrle, who is starting to find his feet again after some disappointing seasons back in Germany. He was pulling the strings in the middle of the park for the first half and got into the right-back position on a number of occasions to cover his team-mates.
His focus shifted in the second period and he was purely attack-minded, having a huge number of efforts, including one which pinged against the crossbar. He finally got his goal late on and it was much deserved. He will be a star for Fulham if he keeps the same level for much of the season.
Fulham take on Exeter in their midweek Carabao Cup fixture before facing Brighton on Saturday in the Premier League. Burnley play the second leg of their Europa League play-off tie against Olympiakos on Thursday before welcoming Manchester United to Turf Moor in the Premier League on Sunday.
