Anass Zaroury and Manuel Benson both scored twice as Championship leaders Burnley beat Premier League strugglers Bournemouth in an FA Cup third round tie at the Vitality Stadium.
Benson’s opener for the Clarets was canceled out by a Ryan Christie effort, before Zaroury struck twice to give Burnley a 3-1 half-time lead.
Dominic Solanke cut the deficit but Benson added a fourth minute later.
Bournemouth had chances late on but Burnley held on for a deserved win.
The result will put further pressure on Bournemouth boss Gary O’Neil, with the Cherries having now lost nine of their last 11 games.
By contrast, Vincent Kompany’s Burnley, five points clear at the top of the Championship, continued to impress with a assured win over top-flight opponents, their 12th win in 14 games.
Burnley show why they are promotion favorites
Both groups of supporters will probably say that this result is not a shock.
Burnley are the top scorer in England’s top four divisions, while Bournemouth have now lost their last five games in three competitions.
Bournemouth are looking over their shoulder, just one point above the Premier League relegation zone; Burnley are flying and deserved to be in the lead thanks to Benson’s first arrival.
Christie quickly equalized, bounding off a loose pass from defender Josh Cullen, only for Zaroury to restore Burnley’s lead by completing a fine team move.
Zaroury added his second with a curling effort after good footwork just before the break, but Solanke made it 2-3 when he headed in a rebound after Bailey Peacock-Farrell saved his first one-on-one.
But just as Bournemouth gained some hope, Benson’s side-footed finish nine minutes later restored Burnley’s two-goal lead.
The hosts nearly bounced back when Christie saw a clear effort off the line and Lloyd Kelly’s follow-up header hit the woodwork.
Burnley however, who have only lost to Watford, Sheffield United and Manchester United this season, held their ground as their supporters chanted ‘we go up, you go down’.
They face Coventry in the league next Saturday, while Bournemouth, who have been booed by some full-time supporters, have a crucial game against Brentford on the same day in the Premier League.
