PL PREVIEW: Burnley v Newcastle United

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Clarets return to Turf Moor to face Tynesiders

2021-04-10T12:12:14.896Z

PL PREVIEW: Burnley v Newcastle United

Clarets return to Turf Moor to face Tynesiders

2021-04-10T12:12:14.896Z

Clarets return to Turf Moor to face Tynesiders

The Clarets return to Turf Moor for the first time in over a month for another key game in the battle to guarantee Premier League safety.

Both Burnley and Newcastle are looking for points to add to their breathing space above the bottom three.

The Clarets are seven points clear in 15th-place and within touching distance of securing a sixth successive season in the top-flight.

And 17th-placed Newcastle remain three points above Fulham in the final relegation spot after the Cottagers – who have now played two games more than the teams immediately above them – lost at home to Wolves on Friday night.

The Sunday lunch-time date at Turf Moor therefore gives both teams the opportunity to make major progress.

And after letting slip a two-goal lead to lose for only the second time in nine league games at Southampton a week ago, Clarets’ captain Ben Mee is expecting a positive response from Sean Dyche’s men to maintain their solid home form and pull away from the Tynesiders.

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“We were disappointed with that result, but I think we are a squad and a group of players which is always good at bouncing back from these kind of results,” said Mee.

“The good thing is we have been scoring goals away from home in our last two games.

“We know we can defend better as a group and a unit and when we are scoring goals it always gives us a chance of winning games.

“We are still positive going into this. It's a big game for us and one we feel we can go on and win and hopefully we can emulate last season and finish strongly and go on a run.”

Team news

The Clarets have vastly experienced full-backs Erik Pieters and Phil Bardsley available.

Pieters has recovered from a knock he suffered at Southampton last weekend, while Bardsley is back in the squad after missing the defeat at the Saints due to a family bereavement.

However, striker Ashley Barnes is not yet ready to return and the Irish international pair of Kevin Long and Robbie Brady remain sidelined.

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Newcastle expect to have top scorer Callum Wilson back after seven games out through injury.

And winger Allan Saint-Maximin could also start after making his return from injury as a substitute in the Tynesiders’ 2-2 draw with Tottenham last weekend.

Striker Andy Carroll could be back in the squad but Newcastle will be without defender and captain Jamaal Lascelles with a foot injury and Scotland international wideman Ryan Fraser is also expected to be ruled out.

Defender Fabian Schar remains an absentee but Federico Fernandez could return.

Form guide

The Clarets’ 3-2 defeat at Southampton last Sunday was only their second loss in nine league games.

Sean Dyche’s men are unbeaten at home in the league since a defeat to champions-elect Manchester City at the start of February.

Burnley have drawn their last five league games at Turf Moor.

Newcastle – who won the first meeting of the season 3-1 at St James’ Park in October as the Clarets still waited for their first point – have won just two of their last 19 league games to sit one place above the drop zone.

However, Steve Bruce’s side has lost only one of its last five games with last Sunday’s draw against Tottenham their fourth in five games.

Their last away victory was at Everton at the end of January.

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Opposition camp

Newcastle United manager Steve Bruce: “I'm a big admirer of Dychey and what’s he's done.

“He plays a certain way, a certain style. He plays it his way and it's been highly effective.

“It would be great to go and get a result there, and that would put us within a result of them which would be good going into the last seven games of the season.”

Match stats

The Clarets’ 21-year-old winger Dwight McNeil is set to make his 100th Burnley appearance.

Chris Wood – who netted the winner in the corresponding fixture last season – has scored in three successive games to move level with Ashley Barnes as Burnley’s leading Premier League goalscorer with 41 goals.

Wood completed a four-game scoring streak in the top flight for the first time in the opening game of the current campaign.

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Burnley defender Erik Pieters scored his only Premier League goal against Newcastle United for Stoke City in April 2014. It's his only English top-flight goal in 212 appearances.

The Clarets have not drawn six successive home league games since 1936. They are currently on five in a row and one more would also be a Premier League record.

Newcastle have failed to score in seven of their last nine away games in the Premier League.

Only Sheffield United have lost more away games this season than Newcastle’s nine defeats on the road.

Referee

Anthony Taylor

VAR

Stuart Attwell

Kick-off

Sunday, 12pm

Coverage

Sky Sports

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