Burnley 1 Albion 2

Albion showed off their new kit at Turf Moor yesterday.

But it was what they produced while wearing it that offered a blueprint for progress next season.

Style was combined with steel to ensure they ended their season as they started it 350 days earlier, with an away win.

They earned their stripes, you might say, with a fourth away win of the season and seventh match unbeaten on the road.

A better result than winning at Arsenal? You could certainly argue that case.

They also enjoyed success at relegated pair Watford, on day one, and Norwich en route to their best points tally yet in the Premier League.

But the tantalising thoughts for their fans between now and September 12 will be about what the next campaign could offer.

It will be tough, of course – just as this season-closer was.

But some of the football we enjoyed in East Lancs yesterday was as slick as we have seen in Graham Potter’s debut year in charge.

A wonder goal from Yves Bissouma and a composed finish from Aaron Connolly were a big part of this success.

So were some gutsy moments at the other end, notably goal-saving interventions in the second half from Lewis Dunk, Dale Stephens and Adam Webster.

A fluid system, with three at the back, wing-backs getting forward and Alexis Mac Allister in behind Neal Maupay and Connolly, caught the eye.

And they got into their stride after surviving a VAR penalty review when Jay Rodriguez tumbled in contact with Stephens.

Bissouma fired Albion ahead with his long-awaited first goal in the Premier League.

When it came, it was from originally unpromising beginnings.

Dan Burn did well to win a corner down the left.

It was worked via Solly March to Bissouma, whose touch was poor and forced him to tackle Josh Brownhill to prevent a Burnley counter raid.

But, when the ball was then hurriedly cleared straight to the Mali international by Chris Wood, the response was stunning.

Left in space by the way Brownhill had been lured into that tackle, Bissouma had time to send a 25-yarder curling away from Nick Pope’s right hand and into the top corner.

It was a deserved lead for the Seagulls and they should have strengthened their position.

Tariq Lamptey, always a threat, got away down the right and his cross picked out Maupay, for a header which hit the bar as Pope watched.

Connolly’s overhead kick from the rebound defected wide off a defender, although referee Jon Moss did not see that as he pointed for a goal kick.

More great work by Lamptey should then have helped Mac Allister open his Premier League account.

Lamptey’s low cross was cleverly dummied by Maupay and ran into the path of Mac Allister, who shot straight at Pope from near the penalty spot when he should probably have done better.

Burnley perked up a bit towards the break but there was no real hint of an equaliser until the 44th minute.

When it came, it was down to expert forward play by Chris Wood, who has been a regular scorer against the Seagulls ever since playing for them on loan in League One almost a decade ago.

As left-back Erik Pieters measured a long diagonal through ball, Wood pulled away from Lewis Dunk and into space.

His first touch was perfect and so was the unerring finish, low past Maty Ryan, with neither Webster nor Burn in a position to help their skipper.

If Albion felt a little hard done by to only be level at the break, they wasted little time in putting things right.

The Argus:

Connolly scored his first away goal in the Premier League on 50 minutes, shortly after seeing a chance get away.

His first shot was blocked by Pope’s shins after a lovely move.

Dunk’s pass inside the defence was precise and Lamptey’s low cross found the young Irishman at the far post, to no avail.

There was no need to dwell on that for long, though, as the goal soon came.

Maupay kept the ball in play down the left and nudged it forward for Connolly to have a run.

Connolly was too quick and strong for Kevin Long, forcing his way into space and cutting inside.

Then, from not the most promising of angles, he slid his shot calmly across Pope and inside the far post.

A video check confirmed the ball did not go out of play before Maupay passed.

Darren Bond was checking his screen again soon after – due to events at the other end of Turf Moor.

Rodriguez met a near post corner with a glancing header which flew inside the far post but Johann Gudmundsson was ruled offside as he stood right in front of Ryan.

Albion wobbled at times as high balls rained in. Dunk made a great block when Long looked set to blast home a James Tarkowski knockdown.

The Argus:

From the corner, Wood headed goalwards and Rodriguez thought he was knocking it over the line from point-bank range – until Stephens somehow sent it over the bar with his own head as he jumped.

Webster also took his turn to get in the firing line, diving to head away a shot from sub Robbie Brady.

And Lamptey, after so much good work going forward earlier on, did his bit at the back in the dying stages when he nudged the ball away from Matej Vydra, who seemed to be clean through.

Pope went forward for a last-gasp Clarets corner. When it was cleared, Alireza Jahanbakhsh ran the ball to safety and decided not to go for glory from his own half.

The Iranian already has goal of the season honours, one assumes.

And Albion were already safe.

But this was a stylish – and a steely - way to finish things off.

Burnley: Pope; Bardsley, Long, Tarkowski, Pieters; Gudmundsson (Brady 75), Brownhill, Westwood, McNeil; Wood, Rodriguez (Vydra 78). Subs not used: Peacock-Farrell, Thompson, Dunne, Benson, Goodridge, Driscoll-Glennon, Mumbongo.

Goal: Wood 44.

Yellow card: Brownhill (5) foul, Bardsley (85) foul, Pieters (90+3) foul.

Albion: Ryan; Lamptey, Webster, Dunk, Burn; March (Bernardo 73), Stephens, Bissouma (Propper 73), Mac Allister (Mooy 74); Maupay (Jahanbakhsh 90+3), Connolly (Murray 90). Subs not used: Button, Montoya, Trossard, Gross.

Goals: Bissouma 20, Connolly 50.

Yellow card: None Referee: Jon Moss. VAR: Darren Bond