PREVIEW: Burnley v Tottenham Hotspur

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Build-up as the Clarets return to Turf Moor aiming for first Premier League win

2020-10-26T12:32:10.372Z

PREVIEW: Burnley v Tottenham Hotspur

Build-up as the Clarets return to Turf Moor aiming for first Premier League win

2020-10-26T12:32:10.372Z

Build-up as the Clarets return to Turf Moor aiming for first Premier League win

The Clarets are back at Turf Moor in the Premier League for the first time in a month when they face Tottenham Hotspur tonight (Monday).

Sean Dyche’s men put their first point on the board last Monday night and will be looking to build on that in the week the manager celebrates eight years in charge of Burnley.

A first win will lift the Clarets out of the bottom three in their fifth league game of the campaign and only their second at home.

Tottenham have the opportunity to climb to fifth place and come to Burnley on the back of a nine-match unbeaten run since the season’s opening day.

Dyche is therefore aware of the threat Jose Mourinho’s free-scoring Londoners – the joint leading goal-getters in the top-flight – pose.

But after beating Tottenham two years ago and causing Mourinho’s men plenty of problems in last season’s 1-1 draw at Turf Moor, Dyche is looking for a result to keep the Clarets moving forward after their best performance of the season at the Hawthorns a week ago.

“We have to be careful what we wish for, and sort of over-demand, because it’s an unforgiving league,” said Dyche, whose anniversary falls a day before the Clarets then entertain Chelsea next weekend.

“There’s got to be a bit of reality, but I think we can build on that performance and move forward from this and get wins and points.

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“I think the realities are we’ve got a group that has been around the Premier League for quite a bit now, six out of seven seasons, so we understand the challenges.

“We’re not naive, they understand how tough some games are – all games are – but there are certain teams give you a much tougher game because of the qualities they have.

“But we also have a mentality where we go into every game believing we can win it, and we have to take on each challenge as it comes.”

Team news

The Clarets will give a fitness check to Erik Pieters but Matt Lowton is back in contention and could return at right-back in the continued absence of Phil Bardsley if the Dutchman is out.

Captain Ben Mee is back in full training with the Clarets but not yet ready to start, while Jack Cork is still building up his fitness following foot surgery.

Goalkeeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell may return to the squad following a hip injury.

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Gareth Bale could start his first Premier League game since 2013 following his return to Tottenham on loan from Real Madrid.

The Wales international played for just over an hour in Spurs’ 3-0 Europa League win over Austrian side LASK Linz last Thursday night and manager Jose Mourinho is expected to make several changes from that line-up.

Former Burnley keeper Joe Hart is likely to revert to the bench, but England international Eric Dier may return after a spell out with a hamstring injury.

Form guide

The Clarets collected their first Premier League point from a 0-0 draw at West Bromwich Albion last Monday night to end a run of three league defeats.

Burnley’s only home league game so far saw them lose 1-0 to Southampton exactly a month ago.

Tottenham have played 10 games already this season across three competitions.

Their only defeat was an opening-day Premier League loss to Everton.

However, Spurs have won only two of their first five domestic league games and let slip a 3-0 lead at home to West Ham last time out.

Their two wins have both come away from home with a combined goal tally of 11 from the two games.

Opposition camp

Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho: “You will feel how strong they (Burnley) are by March or April when lots of teams will be fighting for relegation and they will be already safe.

“This is Burnley, so the fact they only have one point in this moment – when they have played one match less – doesn’t tell me much.

“Burnley is Burnley and they know the way they want to play. The players they have, their style of play, the manager, nothing's changed there. It's always difficult and it's going to be difficult

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“I expect Burnley to try to stop us. And they do that for many years, with success in many cases.

“They don’t concede many goals, they defend very well, they know what it is to stop the strongest teams from winning against them.

“We will go there confident. But I have to make sure I pass to the players my feelings and my feelings don’t change since the first day I played Burnley. It’s difficult.”

Match stats

Clarets defender Charlie Taylor is set to make his 200th career league start - including four starts in the Scottish Premiership during a loan spell from Leeds United at Inverness Caledonian Thistle.

Burnley wingman Johann Berg Gudmundsson celebrates his 30th birthday the day after the game.

Gudmundsson and Chris Wood are in line to make their 99th Premier League appearances for the Clarets.

Sean Dyche celebrates eight years as Burnley manager on Friday. Burnley have taken four points from Tottenham’s last two visits to Turf Moor.

Spurs striker Harry Kane needs two more goals to become the third Tottenham player to score 200 times for the club.

Referee

Michael Oliver

VAR

Craig Pawson

Kick-off

Monday 8pm

Coverage

Live on Sky Sports.