Burnley's draw against Villa prompted Mike Jackson to praise the players for proving their ability with courage and belief.

Burnley held Aston Villa to a 2-2 draw in the 36th round of the 2025/26 Premier League season, thanks to goals from Jaedon Anthony and Zian Fleming. Mike Jackson, in an interview, said the players proved their ability with courage and belief and encouraged the team to continue this performance.

Eight minutes into the match, Ugochuu received the ball and took a long-range shot, but it was parried by Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez. Jaedon Anthony then followed up and scored, giving Burnley a 1-0 lead. In the 42nd minute, McGinn took a corner kick, and Ross Barkley headed the ball into the net, leveling the score at 1-1 for Aston Villa.

In the 56th minute of the second half, Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez delivered a long pass, and Watkins slid in to score, putting Aston Villa ahead 2-1 against Burnley. In the 58th minute, Hannibal Maybri backheeled the ball, and Zian Fleming slotted it home, leveling the score at 2-2 for Burnley.

Ultimately, Burnley held Unai Emery's Aston Villa to a 2-2 draw at Moor Stadium.

Burnley interim manager Mike Jackson said, "I'm happy for this team. Many people have questioned these players, but they stepped up and proved their ability with courage and belief. The pressure has been relieved, and everyone can see that release and freedom in the players' performance."

"They made the game very close, and on another day, we might have even taken a victory."

Speaking about Zian Fleming's performance, Michael Jackson said, "Zian Fleming's performance has always been incredible. He has pushed every inch of his potential to the limit through his hard work."

“His performance has been consistently top-notch, and he fully deserves the rewards he has received. Reaching double digits in goals is an outstanding achievement, and I believe he will be eager for even more in the next two matches.”

In addition, Mike Jackson said, "As a team, we have a choice. We either wallow in self-pity or fight back. Relegation is a fact. We can't live in the past; we have to leave those emotions in the locker room."

“We gave it our all in the game, and everyone could see that this team showed a stronger belief. We must continue to show that attitude in the next two games.”

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