Burnley restored their three-point lead in the Championship by deservedly beating a resolute Birmingham City.

Against the second nastiest defense in the second tier, the hosts went on a flier when Moroccan Zaroury scored the league’s fastest goal of the season – after just 49 seconds.

After helping to score the opening goal, Wales’ Roberts then got in on the scoring act himself when he finished the first half as she had started a minute before the break with another good move worked on the right.

Tella then completed it all as he raced to score to complete the Blues’ heaviest defeat of the season – as home fans enjoyed seeing three of their side’s goals in the current fifth game at Turf Moor for the move 11 points ahead of third-placed Blackburn.

As sensational as Zaroury’s return to the EFL was, there was an element of fortune in Burnley’s opener.

A foul on Krystian Bielik upfield in the Blues’ first attack went unpunished, Burnley broke, Manuel Benson slipped a fine pass inside the full-back, Roberts drilled in a low cross and Zaroury is entered just past Maxime Collin to head home a superb right-footed finish.

After a month out of the World Cup, during which he only featured in the third-place play-off against Belgium, Zaroury’s goal was his fourth in their last four home games.

As for Roberts, his goal contribution only came after he was released to play when his pre-Christmas handball red card against Middlesbrough was overthrown.

But he took advantage of his reprieve.

He had already created another opening – from which Benson powered a shot just over the top – when he netted a neat brace with Josh Brownhill, collected a fine return pass over the top and ran to wave the net.

Burnley had other chances to condemn the Blues to an even heavier defeat, but goalkeeper John Ruddy denied an instinctive reflex shot from former West Bromwich Albion striker Jay Rodriguez and Josh Cullen fired wide with a wide chance, before Tella rounded it off three minutes into added time. .