Football: Soccer-Newcastle rout sends Burnley close to the drop

BURNLEY, England (Reuters) -Alexander Isak scored his 20th Premier League goal of the season as Newcastle United moved into sixth place in the standings with a comprehensive 4-1 victory at Burnley on Saturday which left the hosts on the brink of relegation.

Newcastle, on 56 points from 35 games, kept alive their hopes of playing European football next season as Callum Wilson, Sean Longstaff and Bruno Guimaraes also got on the scoresheet, the day soured only slightly by Isak’s missed penalty.

Burnley scored a late consolation through Dara O’Shea but are five points from safety with two games left and could have their relegation confirmed when they travel to Tottenham Hotspur next Saturday.

Newcastle’s first goal was their 75th of the season, a new club record in a 38-game Premier League campaign, and they are now two points above seventh-placed Manchester United having played a game more.

Burnley had several excellent chances in the game, but unlike Newcastle were wasteful in front of goal, and their defensive frailties were cruelly exposed.

Newcastle took the lead on 19 minutes when Isak’s shot from six yards was parried by home goalkeeper Arijanet Muric, and Wilson had a tap-in for his ninth Premier League goal of the season.

The visitors doubled their advantage when Jacob Murphy provided a pull-back from the by-line and Longstaff swept the ball into the far corner of the net with a first time shot.

Two goals became three on 40 minutes as Burnley gave away possession cheaply in their half and the lively Anthony Gordon, in front of watching England manager Gareth Southgate, teed-up Guimaraes for another composed side-footed finish.

Newcastle were awarded a penalty five minutes into the second period when Gordon was hauled down in the box by Josh Brownhill.

Isak saw his effort saved by Muric low to his left and Newcastle, having scored their last 18 Premier League penalties in a row, failed from 12-yards for the first time since 2021.

But three minutes later Isak did find the back of the net with the Burnley defence in disarray, rifling the ball into the top corner.

The home side got a late goal when O’Shea headed a corner back across goal and the ball looped into the far corner, but the result leaves them close to a swift return to the second-tier Championship.

(Reporting by Nick Said, editing by Ed Osmond and Christian Radnedge)