PL PREVIEW: Burnley v Brighton and Hove Albion

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Build-up as the Clarets face Brighton in 250th Premier League game

2021-02-06T10:17:00.000Z

PL PREVIEW: Burnley v Brighton and Hove Albion

Build-up as the Clarets face Brighton in 250th Premier League game

2021-02-06T10:17:00.000Z

Build-up as the Clarets face Brighton in 250th Premier League game

The Clarets reach a major milestone as they play their 250th fixture in the Premier League.

Current boss Sean Dyche has been in charge for 211 of those games as he looks to extend Burnley’s current stay in the top tier into a sixth successive season.

His side slipped to 17th-place in the table on the back of a mid-week loss to league leaders and title favourites Manchester City.

But the Clarets still enjoy an eight-point advantage over the bottom three and know a fifth home win of the season would lift them back above opponents Brighton and potentially into 15th-place.

The visit of the in-form Seagulls – who followed Burnley’s lead with a mid-week win at Liverpool – continues a busy spell for Dyche’s men, who play five games inside the next 15 days.

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The four league fixtures are all against sides in the bottom half of the table following a run of six successive games against top-10 opposition.

But Dyche insists his side will approach their latest tests in the same manner in a bid to prolong the club’s top-flight presence.

“We know the challenge of the Premier League. We know it’s very difficult, whoever you’re going to play,” he said.

“You’ve got to acquit yourself property against all the different teams.

“I’ve always had a balanced view of that. Six out of seven seasons teach you there are no gimmes and no easy games.

“You have to fight for everything, no matter who you play and we just focus on that.”

Team news

The Clarets will check on ex-Brighton strikers Chris Wood and Ashley Barnes, midfielders Josh Brownhill and Robbie Brady and defender Charlie Taylor.

If fit, Wood will be looking to add to the eight goals he has scored against the Seagulls, where he previously played on loan.

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Brighton will be without injured wing-back Solly March, who suffered a hamstring injury in the Seagulls’ win at Anfield.

Full-back Tariq Lamptey (hamstring), winger Alireza Jahanbakhsh (hamstring) and striker Danny Welbeck (knee) are also absent.

And the visitors will assess the fitness of defender Joel Veltman and midfielder Alexis Mac Allister after they missed the mid-week victory over Liverpool.

Form guide

The Clarets have suffered back-to-back defeats to top six sides Chelsea and Manchester City after a run of three straight wins. Burnley have won four and drawn one of their last seven home leagues games.

Brighton’s win at Liverpool lifted them two points and two places above the Clarets into 15th spot.

Graham Potter’s side – which also advanced in the FA Cup by beating Blackpool – has won three of their last four league games without conceding a goal.

They have lost one of their last five away games in the league.

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Opposition dug-out

Brighton manager Graham Potter: “Burnley are very good at what they do and they make it very difficult and they’ve got a real clarity of what they are trying to achieve.

“I have huge respect for Sean Dyche and the job he has done there. Fantastic. I like what they do a lot. You can see the work. So it’s going to be a tough match.

“It’s the same in that you have to have the balance in defence and attack. You have to be aware and respectful of the opposition.

“Every opposition brings something different, it’s an incredible test and we should never lose sight of that in the Premier League.

“It doesn’t happen very often that you go to the champions and win, so we’ll enjoy that, but pretty quickly we’ll be back down to earth.”

Match stats

This will be the Clarets 250th Premier League fixture. They have won 72, drawn 57 and lost 120 across three spells in the division.

Sean Dyche will be taking charge of 212th Premier League match, with Owen Coyle’s 20 and Brian Laws’ 18 making up the Clarets’ total.

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Seven of the last 10 league meetings between the two sides have been drawn.

Three of those seven draws have been goalless, including November’s fixture at the Amex Stadium.

If Saturday’s return produces a similar outcome in would be the first time in the Premier League that both matches in two different seasons will have failed to produce a goal following two 0-0 draws between the clubs in 2017/18.

Brighton are looking to keep a fifth consecutive clean sheet in league fixtures since going five in a row in the Championship in 2016 – when they finished third behind title-winners Burnley.

Referee

Anthony Taylor

VAR

Stuart Attwell

Kick-off

Saturday 3pm

Broadcast

Sky Sports

Commentary Clarets +