Aston Villa 1-1 Burnley

Aston Villa played out a 1-1 draw against Burnley in their final home match of the 2021/22 season at Villa Park.

The Villans dominated the Premier League encounter and applied a host of pressure in search of a winner but found Nick Pope in inspired form, with the Clarets goalkeeper making a string of impressive saves throughout, most notably to deny John McGinn and substitute Bertrand Traoré.

Emi Buendía’s fourth goal of the season early in the second half cancelled out Ashley Barnes’ penalty on the stroke of half-time.

Emi Martínez and captain Tyrone Mings combined to thwart a late winner for Burnley, who saw Matthew Lowton sent off in injury time following a challenge on Calum Chambers.

Villa’s players and staff embarked on a lap of appreciation after the match and, with one defeat in the last six matches, will now round off their campaign at Manchester City on Sunday.

Buendía, Chambers, Jacob Ramsey and Carney Chukwuemeka were all named in Steven Gerrard’s starting line-up as Villa showed four changes from Sunday’s 1-1 draw against Crystal Palace.

The hosts made a positive start to the encounter, with Burnley striker Barnes fortunate to escape an elbow on Mings during an aerial challenge.

McGinn tested Pope for the first time in the 17^th minute as the Clarets keeper tipped over his curling long-range strike following a short corner.

Matty Cash diverted Dwight McNeil’s effort over the crossbar before Pope was at it again to deny McGinn with another fine fingertip save just after the half-hour mark.

Chambers and Ollie Watkins both sent half-chances off target before Burnley opened the scoring via the penalty spot on the stroke of half-time.

Buendía clipped Maxwel Cornet in the area and Barnes stepped up to send the visitors ahead with their first strike on target.

But the Villans were level within three second-half minutes as Argentina international Buendía superbly took McGinn’s clipped pass on the volley and slammed past Pope, who could only get a hand on the ball.

Gerrard turned to Traoré off the bench before Martínez got down quickly to keep out Josh Brownhill’s fierce effort in the 64^th minute.

Philippe Coutinho was introduced as Villa went in search of a winner, Watkins the next to be denied by Pope before Traoré flashed a shot wide.

Danny Ings was brought on as Villa’s third and final substitute and he almost made an immediate impact, drilling a strike narrowly off target.

Traoré saw his glancing header superbly kept out by a one-handed save from Pope as the clash entered the latter stages.

Martínez and Mings respectively then came to Villa’s rescue in the 85^th minute with incredible blocks to keep out Connor Roberts and sub Wout Weghorst, who looked destined to score.

McGinn tested Pope with a long-range strike before the stopper denied Ings and then Matty Cash as the encounter finished all square.