Stoke City vs Burnley. Premier League.
Bet365 StadiumAttendance27,306.
Saturday 3 December 2016 21:45, UK
Stoke claimed their fifth Premier League win in seven games with a 2-0 victory over a below-par Burnley.
Stoke took the lead through Walters' expert first-time finish on the 20-minute mark - his first goal since March - before Marc Muniesa (35) connected with Marko Arnautovic's low cross and arrowed in a stunning volley to score his first Premier League goal.
While the in-form Potters are ninth in the table, the Clarets sit three points above the relegation places after a fifth defeat in six on the road.
Burnley, buoyed by the return of Andre Gray, had set up well, yet they had a scare after 10 minutes when Bruno Martins Indi met Xherdan Shaqiri's cross. He should have buried it, but instead it was easily cleared by Scott Arfield.
When Stoke's opener did come, it came from an unlikely source, Walters guiding Mame Biram Diouf's cross over the head of Paul Robinson and into the far corner to become the first Stoke player to reach 40 Premier League goals.
This sparked Mark Hughes' men into action, as Arnautovic almost played Walters in again just moments later, but the referee flagged for offside.
Ben Mee helped to keep the scoreline as tame as possible, but despite his best efforts, he was helpless to prevent Muniesa doubling the lead 10 minutes before the break.
Arnautovic entered the 18-yard box and crossed to the ex-Barcelona man, whose first-time volley beat Robinson to secure the points for the hosts.
Minutes prior to the break, Jeff Hendrick attempted to lob Lee Grant from close range, but he summed up his side's lack of attacking purpose, with a weak execution that Grant managed to palm away calmly.
The second half began much like the first as Burnley enjoyed some early possession but the promise ebbed away when they were unable to force a way through the Potters' equally solid defence.
Gray was outmuscled time after time, while Ashley Barnes - making his first start of the season - was continually frustrated, and visibly so.
Just after the hour mark, Barnes found himself lucky to still be on the field after a dangerous elbow in the face of Martins Indi, just moments after Hendrick received his final warning for a virtual headlock on Walters.
Stoke's unlikely top scorer, Joe Allen, entered the fray, along with Peter Crouch and the pair had chances to set one another up; Crouch reminding everyone what he is capable of with a thumping volley that was just blocked off by Mee.
Sean Dyche brought on his own top scorer in Sam Vokes late on, but it proved to be too little too late, as his side recorded a third straight defeat and continued their miserable away run.
Player ratings
Stoke: Grant (7), Johnson (6), Martins Indi (7), Muniesa (8), Diouf (7), Adam (7), Imbula (6), Pieters (6), Shaqiri (7), Walters (8), Arnautovic (8)
Subs: Allen (6), Crouch (6), Whelan (5)
Burnley: Robinson (6), Flanagan (5), Keane (5), Mee (7), Ward (5), Arfield (6), Hendrick (6), Marney (5), Boyd (5), Barnes (4), Gray (5)
Subs: Tarkowski (4), Kightly (5), Vokes (5)
Man of the match: Marc Muniesa
