Muric own goal gifts Brighton point at Burnley after Brownhill opener

Burnley’s Arijanet Muric is consoled after his mistake hands Brighton an equaliser. Photograph: Craig Brough/Action Images/Reuters

Arijanet Muric is on a one-man crusade to bring back football gaffe videos but he might need to pay Bart Verbruggen some royalties, too. Last week Muric whacked a clearance against Dominic Calvert-Lewin to gift Everton three points and here he let a meek Sander Berge backpass under his foot to cost Burnley a much-needed victory over Brighton.

Verbruggen had clearly taken inspiration from Muric’s efforts at Goodison Park and gifted Josh Brownhill the opener in identical fashion at the other end, only to be outdone by his opposite number five minutes later to confirm the sharing of the points. Burnley have only lost one of their past six matches but that will probably not be enough to save them.

It was an underwhelming match made more entertaining by slapstick goalkeeping. The irony is that the Clarets have looked steadier since Muric replaced James Trafford in goal a month ago, only for his good work to be undone by unforgivable errors. The Kosovo international is more imposing and confident when coming for the ball, bringing greater calm to the defence. In a tedious first half he could switch off but was eventually required to tip a Jakub Moder free-kick from 20 yards wide.

With Vincent Kompany serving a two-match touchline suspension after his red card at Chelsea, his assistant, Craig Bellamy, was left in charge of barking orders from the technical area. He will have been pleased by what he saw in the early stages as the ball zipped around between claret shirts. Brighton struggled to cope with the speed that Burnley were playing at and Pervis Estupiñán was fortunate to not be penalised for a challenge on Wilson Odobert in the area.

Burnley should have taken the lead in the 17th minute when Jacob Bruun Larsen found himself in space at the back post to meet an Odobert cross, only to miss the target from three yards. The winger was not the only one to fail to convert from such a distance: on the verge of half-time, David Fofana slid in an attempt to reach another Odobert cross but the ball bounced over his outstretched foot.

Unfortunately for the Turf Moor faithful, Burnley’s season has been built on the three pillars of promising starts, poor finishing and defensive errors. All were on display in this draw, explaining why they have scored 33 goals in as many matches and conceded 68.

Without the suspended Dara O’Shea, Hjalmar Ekdal made his first start in moe than two months and looked comfortable against Danny Welbeck. The Swede read situations well and matched the physicality offered by Brighton, frustrating Welbeck in the process. Ekdal was helped by his centre-back partner, Maxime Estève, who is a calming presence at the heart of the defence, a testament to the 21-year-old who swapped Ligue 1 for Turf Moor in January.

Brighton improved after the break and dominated possession, keeping Burnley pinned in their own half for long periods without testing Muric. The goalkeeper was forced to tip a Pascal Gross shot over after Berge lost the ball on the edge of his own box, a sign of the tiring minds within the Burnley ranks as the pressure rose.

Finding a winner for either side looked unlikely as chances came and went, although neither goalkeeper was tested by any of the traditional methods of scoring, such as shots on target. It might explain the lapses in concentration from Verbruggen and Muric, who provided the only memorable moments of an unforgettable encounter, outside the two farcical goals. Muric has cost his side three points in two matches, which is the harsh reality of being a Premier League goalkeeper. Everything else he has done over the past month will be ignored for two pieces of poor footwork.