Pope Back With A Bang

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Keeper picks up where he left off as Clarets claim valuable point

2020-12-07T11:02:43.957Z

Pope Back With A Bang

Keeper picks up where he left off as Clarets claim valuable point

2020-12-07T11:02:43.957Z

Clarets keeper relishes Anfield return as Clarets bid to end Liverpool run

Nick Pope was delighted to be able to resume normal service as he returned to help the Clarets earn the point which lifted them a place up the Premier League table.

Pope missed his first top-flight game since May, 2019 when concussion protocols following a late injury sustained as he kept a clean sheet in Burnley’s win over Crystal Palace forced him to sit out the 5-0 defeat Manchester City five days later.

But the England man was given the all-clear to return to starting duty against Everton on Saturday and he played a key role in the Clarets’ 1-1 draw, which saw them move up to 18th place and within a point – and a few goals – of a place outside the bottom three.

“I missed out last week, which was disappointing for me,” said Pope, who capped an impressive display with an excellent late save from Everton substitute Gylfi Sigurdssom to make sure the Clarets would have something to show for one of their best performances of the season.

“I played every minute last year and I was really proud of that, so it was disappointing to miss a game, but that’s how it has to be.

“It’s something that’s part of football. It’s something that happened right at the end of the Crystal Palace game and with the quick turn-around of games it was never going to be a possibility.

“It was something that was taken out of my hands and rightly so.

“It was great to be back out there today and get a point on the board.” Sean Dyche’s men certainly deserved the point set up by Robbie Brady’s fine early strike.

It could have been all three but for some equally important interventions from Everton keeper Jordan Pickford, as the two England internationals laid bare their credentials in front of watching national-team boss Gareth Southgate.

“I spoke to him (Jordan) after the game,” added Pope.

“He’s a good friend of mine and he put in a good performance.

“We both made saves and we were both busy. It was a good game, end-to-end it felt like, so there was plenty for the manager to see.”

The Clarets made it back-to-back home games without defeat and have now lost just one of their last league games as they continue to recover from their disappointing start to the season.

And Pope is encouraged by their recent form as they prepare for a trip to London next Sunday to face an Arsenal side which has had its own problems in the opening months of the campaign.

“We put in a good performance and I think that was key for us as well, not just the result, but to put in a good performance,” he said.

“The performance level was right up there. That’s important. If you can’t win games, don’t lose and have a good performance to carry into next week and take a bit of momentum from.

“There were so many positives which gives us a bit of momentum and forward-thinking into next week.”