Parker praises ‘ruthless’ Clarets after big victory

Braces from Zian Flemming and Josh Laurent plus a Josh Cullen effort put the Clarets out of sight by half-time.

And their biggest away win of the season kept them within three points of leaders Leeds United ahead of Monday’s meeting at Turf Moor.

Parker was pleased to see his side ‘execute the game plan’ as the Clarets blew their hosts away with five first-half well-worked goals at Home Park.

“I thought we were superb,” he told the club website. “I thought first-half, everything about us was fantastic. We came here with a clear idea and a game plan. As coaches we set that up and it’s down to the players to then execute it.

“They were first class and they executed it so well. We needed to come here with a mindset and mentality about us.

“It’s a tough place to come and while people may look at the table and say different, it’s a new manager, an aggressive team and we knew it would be a challenge.

“We were just ruthless, everything about us. The movements that we made, the detail we played at, exploiting spaces, creating chance after chance and then the most important bit of putting the ball in the back of the net five times.”

Flemming now has eight goals for the season and five in his last four games and Parker praised the striker’s efforts.

“Some really fantastic finishes, they really were,” he said. “ I’m pleased for Zian; his main driver is goals and that’s what he’s got tonight. He’s on a good streak at the moment and he’s continued that.

“I think he has brilliant habits and he played in a little bit of a higher position with us asking him to exploit spaces. He’s someone that you can give information to and he will take it on board and he did that tonight perfectly.

“I’m really pleased for him to get two goals tonight; he’s been superb since he walked in here and he’s continuing that.”

While Burnley did the ‘goals for’ column no harm, the win also saw a 19th clean sheet of the 2024/25 campaign - and Parker said that was down to the hard work of the players.

“That’s been one of the main topics of this season so far, our defensive record,” he said.

“It’s nothing short of remarkable really and that comes down to the hard work these players put in week in week out.

“I’m just pleased that tonight we have come away from here with a few goals to go with the clean sheet.”

Burnley remain in third place, two points behind Sheffield United and three behind leaders Leeds United who they face on Monday in an eagerly anticipated top-of-the-table showdown.

“Every game is going to big for us from now on,” added Parker. “We now go into a massive game (against Leeds).”