After progressing from the Champions League group stages, Tottenham will be in high spirits when they host Burnley at Wembley and look for all three points.
Mauricio Pochettino will be on hand to urge his side to keep the focus on their next game after progressing to the Champions League knockout stages despite the odds being stacked against them. The Tottenham boss will be especially relieved at that progress as well as Spurs’ third place on the Premier League table despite an array of injuries, something he has weathered in the last couple of months.
The loss against Arsenal put Spurs out of the top four, but consecutive wins since have let them take over Chelsea at third and now sit two points ahead of their two London rivals and six off Liverpool in first. Pochettino will be looking to keep this position for now and will want his side to take control of the game and collect all three points.
After looking at Tottenham’s success in Europe, Burnley fans will be rueing their luck in continental tournaments after they failed to qualify for the Europa League earlier this season. However, the elimination cast a shadow in the players’ minds since the season began and Burnley have been unable to perform the same way they did last season.
The Clarets sit two points and one place away from the relegation zone, and Sean Dyche will be looking for a big performance from his players. The manager wants his players to show massive improvements, as the Clarets at this stage last season were 16 points and 10 places away from the relegation zone. Additionally, Burnley had also conceded 20 fewer goals this time last season.
Team News & Tactics
Tottenham
Tottenham’s growing injury problems seem to have found some respite ahead of the Burnley game. Right Backs Kieran Trippier and Serge Aurier are in contention to return and will be assessed ahead of the game. Likewise, Davinson Sanchez who had been out with a hamstring injury, as well as Juan Foyth who had complained of a similar problem, will be assessed before the match.
Jan Vertonghen will also be available after serving his suspension following his red card against Arsenal. However, midfield duo, Victor Wanyama and Mousa Dembele remain absent for Spurs. Despite all those problems, Tottenham can still field a strong side owing to their fantastic squad depth and will likely deploy their best possible lineup to collect all three points.
Kyle Walker-Peters could yet continue in his place at right-back if the regular duo fails to recover on time, while Pochettino could go with defensive pair Alderweireld and Vertonghen in central defence. Eric Dier and Harry Winks could be the central midfielders, with Lucas Moura, Alli and Eriksen could support central striker Harry Kane.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1) – Lloris; Walker-Peters, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Davies; Dier, Winks; Moura, Eriksen, Alli; Kane
Burnley
Burnley themselves have injury problems to key players. Steven Defour and Johann Berg Gudmundsson are indeed out of the Tottenham clash. Defour has a calf problem while Gudmundsson has a hamstring complaint. However, the duo are primed for a late fitness test, but despite that, Dyche will likely name an unchanged line-up against Spurs.
An unchanged lineup would mean the same defensive unit of Phil Bardsley, James Tarkowski, Ben Mee, and Taylor. Meanwhile, in midfield, Westwood and Cork will take their places while Lennon and Brady will provide options from wide. Up front strike duo, Wood and Barnes will provide the firepower as Sean Dyche looks to bring his team up to pace.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2) – Hart; Bardsley, Tarkowski, Mee, Taylor; Lennon, Westwood, Cork, Brady; Wood, Barnes
Key Stats
- Spurs have lost just one of their eight games against Burnley in the Premier League.
- Burnley are looking for their first away win against Spurs in any competition since January 1983.
- Just 33% of Tottenham Hotspur’s Premier League points this season have been won in home games, the lowest in the division.
- Tottenham Hotspur have lost two of their last five Premier League home games, as many defeats as they had in their previous 39 at home in the competition.
- None of Tottenham’s 16 Premier League games this season have ended in a draw.
Player to Watch
Lucas Moura
Signed in January, the Brazilian had to wait till this season to really make an impact and reflect on the money that Tottenham, paid PSG. However, he started life at Spurs this season as if he was a new signing, scoring and creating goals with decent frequency.
His double against Manchester United earlier suggested he could be the real deal, however, since then his form has somewhat faded and finds himself on the bench far more often.
On the other hand, the form of Son has been encouraging and sufficient enough to keep Moura on the bench for crucial games. Games like Burnley could present like a chance for Moura to make a mark on his manager’s mind and provide an extra dimension in the attack like he did at the beginning of the season.
Prediction
Tottenham 3-1 Burnley
Burnley have struggled this season, and there seems to be no respite from it despite Sean Dyche’s side showing improvements. Tottenham, on the other hand, have been terrific in all competitions and therefore remain clear favourites to win this game. The likes of Harry Kane and the deadly trio supporting him in attack will prove too much for Burnley’s once solid defence to handle.
Burnley could yet spring up with a goal or two, but Tottenham will prove their worth in the end. Our predictions go towards Tottenham collecting all three points as well as scoring a handful of goals past Joe Hart.
