West Bromwich Albion continued their impressive early-season form with a thrilling 3-1 comeback victory over promotion favourites Burnley at the Hawthorns, with Isaac Price stealing the show in a dominant second-half display.
The Northern Ireland international scored twice after the break, having already played a key role in Albion's first-half equaliser, as the hosts extended their unbeaten start to the campaign to three consecutive wins across all competitions. The result lifts Albion to second in the Championship table, trailing leaders Millwall only on goal difference.
Burnley, missing star striker Zian Flemming through injury amid swirling transfer rumours surrounding his future, struggled to live up to their tag as one of the division's leading contenders, particularly after the interval.
The match burst into life early, with two goals inside the opening 18 minutes. Callum Styles turned the ball into his own net in the eighth minute, unable to avoid contact with Jacob Bruun Larsen's cross after Oliver Sonne had threatened to reach it first. The ball cannoned off Styles's heel and beyond his own goalkeeper. Albion felt aggrieved in the buildup, arguing that Hannibal Mejbri had fouled Felix Horn Myhre far from the incident, though the goal stood after several phases of play.
Albion were level within ten minutes. Harry Whitwell's low finish from 12 yards, following Jimmy-Jay Morgan's flick-on from a Price delivery, caught Burnley flat-footed after Bashir Humphreys failed to clear the danger. It was the 20-year-old's first league goal for the club.
Burnley came closest to restoring their lead before the break when Bruun Larsen's sidefooted effort, created by Marcus Edwards's probing cross, cannoned off the base of the post.
The second half told a very different story, as Albion emerged with renewed purpose and quickly seized control. Price gave the hosts the lead for the first time in the 46th minute, curling a precise finish beyond goalkeeper Max Weiss, who had strayed from his line, and into the far corner. The goal stemmed from a loose ball after Morgan attempted to assist Styles in dealing with a cross, with Hannibal pouncing on the opportunity.
Burnley's manager responded with a triple substitution in the 57th minute, introducing Ugo Raghouber, Zeki Amdouni and Dastan Satpayev in an attempt to change the game's momentum. Amdouni came close to an equalizer with a rising, curling shot from 20 yards, but it flew straight into the grasp of Albion goalkeeper O'Leary.
Instead, it was Albion who struck the decisive blow. Humphreys brought down Whitwell in the box, giving the referee no choice but to award a penalty. Price stepped up and confidently converted, sending Weiss the wrong way as he fired low into the corner to complete his brace and put the result beyond doubt.
The win underlines Albion's impressive start to the season and their credentials as genuine promotion contenders, while Burnley will need to regroup quickly, both in terms of results and resolving the uncertainty surrounding Flemming's future, as speculation over a potential departure continues to swirl around the club.
Based on reporting from Guardian Football.