Derby County’s Mohammed Fuseini struck deep into stoppage time at Turf Moor to deny Burnley a victory they had appeared to have secured, a result that leaves the Clarets bottom of the Championship and their head coach, Nicky Hayen, facing fresh questions about his future.
Burnley had looked to have the game sewn up after Zeki Amdouni peeled around the back post to head home Lucas Pires’ corner in the first half. But Fuseini, introduced as a Derby substitute, produced a stunning late strike to sour the mood, meaning Burnley’s winless home league run could now reach a full year. Their last victory at Turf Moor came on 18 October, and their last win in any competition inside 90 minutes was on 11 February.
The draw left Hayen, an under-fire head coach, under further scrutiny. He vowed to fight for his future and revealed he would speak with the chair, Alan Pace, but could offer no assurances that he will still be in charge for Burnley’s next game at Watford on 10 October, following an extra-long international break. “I can understand the fans are angry after a start like this, it’s not what they want to see from their team or from myself,” Hayen said. “It’s my responsibility. But I’ve always shown resilience and I’m always going to fight. We need this [international] window to change a lot of things.”
For all that Hayen carries the immediate pressure, the majority of supporters are expected to direct their anger towards Pace, given the financial problems and off-field turmoil that have plagued the club through a disruptive summer. In his programme notes before the game, Pace called on fans to “unite and show togetherness” after they had chanted for his removal during the home defeat by Bristol City a fortnight earlier.
Hayen’s own position is a remarkable one in context. He was managing Haverfordwest County in the Welsh Premier League four years ago and was not Burnley’s first choice to replace Scott Parker. Accused of muddled selections during his tenure, he made several brave calls against Derby, dropping the club captain, Kyle Walker, and the struggling goalkeeper Max Weiss, and recalling Marcus Edwards, who had been jettisoned after featuring in the campaign’s opening two games. Those decisions were nearly vindicated, right up until the moment Fuseini pounced. “It is really difficult [to take],” Hayen said. “You saw the reaction of the players after the game, sitting on the ground, disappointed. We wanted to give the fans the win, I wanted this for them, I can accept their frustration. I want to give back to the fans, I feel we can give back a lot. You saw we were close, we wanted to do it just before the international break.”
Before kick-off, the greatest moments of Burnley’s history had been beamed on to a big screen at Turf Moor, accompanied by famous lines of commentary. The final clip, capturing the moment promotion was sealed under Scott Parker in April 2025, was soundtracked by: “Burnley are back in the big time.” That feels a long time ago now, with a return to the Premier League a remote prospect.
The wider picture is stark. There remain unanswered questions about the £142m of external debt the club owes, as well as the £81m owed to Burnley by Pace’s firm, ALK Capital, following a leveraged buyout in December 2020, and comparisons have been drawn with the Glazers’ takeover and ownership of Manchester United. The recent departure of James Holroyd after 15 months as chief executive feels reflective of a worsening malaise in the boardroom; he previously worked under the Glazers at United.
Despite two promotions under the current regime, and three relegations, the Clarets’ financial situation has deteriorated, with some fans now harbouring genuine fears of total extinction if debts are not repaid. Parachute payments may help for a time, but Burnley no longer have the cash reserves they boasted in their debt-free era before Pace and ALK, when they enjoyed five successive seasons in the Premier League under Sean Dyche. Money has been spent on transfers and squad turnover has been high in recent seasons, yet there was particular concern when the £20m sale of Zian Flemming was not reinvested in a new striker, with 39-year-old Jamie Vardy hastily arriving on a free transfer after the transfer window had closed.
Hayen ushered on Vardy and the loan signing Largie Ramazani to retain a counterattacking threat against Derby as Burnley hung on. But with a slender lead going into stoppage time, their confidence appeared brittle, and goalkeeper Grégoire Coudert had already been forced into a couple of late interventions after Ryan Hedges should have equalised for Derby on the hour mark. Then, just when it seemed Burnley’s winless streak would be broken, Fuseini’s rocket snatched two points away. “It’s hard to take,” said Hayen. “It’s frustrating.”