Scott Parker and Burnley’s woes go on as West Ham secure important victory | OneFootball

West Ham moved to within three points of safety and pushed Burnley a step closer to relegation with a 2-0 win that saw sections of the Turf Moor crowd turn on Scott Parker.

Crysencio Summerville scored for a fifth straight game 13 minutes in and when Taty Castellanos doubled the lead 13 minutes later, it felt like game over not just for the afternoon, but for Burnley’s season as a whole as they were left 11 points adrift of 17th place.

Without a win in 16 league matches – one shy of a club record that dates from 1889-90 – Burnley could not take advantage of a home fixture against a West Ham side who travelled north with only one win in their last 10 on the road, but who left within touching distance of Nottingham Forest.

Many Burnley fans have now seen enough. Late in the first half, substitute Jacob Bruun Larsen tried to fire up fans behind the goal while warming up. Instead they responded with a chant of ‘You’re not fit to wear the shirt’. Moments later, they followed it with ‘We want Parker out’.

The anger came during a flat first half which offered no sign that Burnley have the quality to dig themselves out of trouble as West Ham scored with their first two attempts at goal.

Matheus Fernandes strode through the midfield and slipped a simple ball forward to the in-form Summerville, who had the pace to flick the ball over Martin Dubravka to become the first player to score in five straight for West Ham since Jesse Lingard in 2021.

Thirteen minutes later Summerville’s flick allowed El Hadji Malick Diouf space to cross and Castellanos applied the headed finish.

West Ham should have been there to get at for Burnley. After blowing a 2-0 lead to lose 3-2 at Chelsea last weekend, Nuno Espirito Santo dropped goalkeeper Alphonse Areola to the bench and brought in Mads Hermansen.

On-loan Chelsea defender Axel Disasi – who had not played a minute before his January move – made his debut in place of the suspended Jean-Clair Todibo. The visiting defence looked nervous dealing with balls into the box, yet Burnley could not capitalise.

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They did not register a shot on target until Florentino’s effort deflected into Hermansen’s hands in the 32nd minute. A curling effort from Marcus Edwards looked more dangerous but landed the wrong side of the post.

Burnley at least started the second half with some endeavour. Zian Flemming’s header was blocked by Disasi before Hermansen turned Edwards’ shot around the post.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka then stopped another Edwards effort as West Ham looked stretched, and from the resulting corner Hermansen stopped a Flemming header on the line.

But the initiative petered out and Jarrod Bowen should have killed off the game just after the hour but after breaking free of Humphreys, tried to find Summerville when the shot was on.

Burnley must already be thinking about life back in the Championship. West Ham have given themselves hope they can yet avoid joining them there.