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| Norwich City's Pierre Lees-Melou (left) and Burnley's Wout Weghorst battle for the ball during the Premier League match at Carrow Road, Norwich. Picture date: Sunday April 10, 2022. |
Bottom club Norwich City kept alive their slim hopes of avoiding a quick-fire return to the Championship and dealt a blow to fellow strugglers Burnley with a crucial win at Carrow Road.
Pierre Lees-Melou's first goal since signing from Nice for £3.5m last July and Teemu Pukki's 86th-minute finish settled a tense relegation scrap - and earned the Canaries only their fifth Premier League victory since winning promotion last season.
French midfielder Lees-Melou's ninth-minute deflected shot, which went in off the post, put the hosts on their way before Pukki drilled home the second to give Norwich a glimmer of hope of staying up, with Dean Smith's side now seven points from safety with seven matches left.
Burnley had their moments with Maxwel Cornet, the match-winning hero against Everton in midweek, missing a glorious chance from three yards out.
In what was a must-win game, Norwich's defence came under relentless pressure at times but recorded back-to-back clean sheets in the league for the first time since October.
The result leaves the Clarets 18th in the table, four points from safety with eight matches remaining.
