Turf Moor will serve as the venue for a compelling encounter between two teams situated in the lower echelons of the Premier League hierarchy on Saturday afternoon, as Burnley face off against Brentford.
Last weekend, Burnley squandered a two-goal advantage in a 2-2 stalemate against West Ham United, while Brentford endured disappointment and indignation in a 2-1 defeat to London rivals Arsenal.
Match preview
A palpable effect from the Europa League encounter was noticeable as West Ham hosted Burnley at the London Stadium, where David Datro Fofana’s goal, a strong contender for goal of the season, broke the deadlock. This was followed by an own goal from Dinos Mavropanos, allowing the Clarets an unexpected 2-0 lead at halftime.
Nevertheless, after a halftime talk by David Moyes, West Ham displayed a remarkable change in performance in the second half. They quickly reduced the deficit with a goal from Lucas Paqueta and then completed a comeback with a slick turn and half-volley from former Burnley player Danny Ings.
Despite Ings having another goal disallowed and hitting the woodwork twice, Burnley managed to secure a point against the Europa Conference League holders. This result keeps them above Sheffield United in 20th place on goal difference with 10 games left.
The gap to safety has now narrowed to 10 points due to Nottingham Forest’s defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion. However, Vincent Kompany’s Burnley, who are currently winless in 11 games across all competitions, will require a significant effort to avoid relegation.
The draw against West Ham marks only the second occasion in Burnley’s history where they failed to win a Premier League game after leading by two goals. With 20 points dropped from winning positions, Burnley holds the second-highest total of such instances in the 2023-24 season, surpassed only by their upcoming opponents.
In a previous encounter at the Gtech Community Stadium in November, Brentford failed to capitalize on errors by Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsdale. However, they managed to capitalize on Ramsdale’s mistake at the Emirates Stadium last weekend, with Yoane Wissa deflecting his attempted clearance into the net following Declan Rice’s header.
Despite crucial saves by Ramsdale in the second half, Brentford succumbed to a late goal from Kai Havertz, delivered by Ben White’s cross in the 86th minute, resulting in their fourth defeat in five Premier League games at the home of the title contenders.
Brentford expressed frustration at Havertz’s continued presence on the pitch, despite what they perceived as a dive warranting a second yellow card. However, they were fortunate not to concede a penalty in the second half, considering their controversial benefit from a VAR error by Lee Mason last year.
Although Brentford displayed resilience, their 16th defeat of the season leaves them in 15th place, just five points ahead of 18th-placed Luton Town. They have conceded 13 goals in their last five Premier League games and have dropped 28 points from winning positions throughout the season.
Furthermore, Brentford have lost nine of their last ten away fixtures in all competitions. Their last victory at Burnley’s ground dates back to the 1996-97 Second Division. However, they have won their last two home matches against Burnley with an aggregate score of 5-0.
Team News
In terms of Burnley’s injury status, there is minimal change, as Luca Koleosho (knee), Aaron Ramsey (knee), Nathan Redmond (thigh), Lyle Foster (underwent surgery), and Jordan Beyer (thigh) continue to be absent. However, Koleosho may potentially return to action following the upcoming international break.
Josh Brownhill, upon returning from suspension, was only able to secure a place on the bench during the match at the London Stadium. He was substituted in during halftime for Jacob Bruun Larsen as manager Kompany opted for a 4-5-1 formation. Despite this tactical adjustment, Burnley did not achieve the desired outcome. Hence, Brownhill may anticipate another brief appearance, given the commendable performances of Josh Cullen and Sander Berge in the midfield against West Ham, which should secure their positions in the starting lineup.
Regarding Brentford, Christian Norgaard sustained a contact injury and was withdrawn from the Emirates pitch after a mere 34 minutes last weekend. There is optimism that Norgaard will recover in time for the upcoming fixture.
Similarly, Sergio Reguilon missed the match against Arsenal due to a minor thigh issue but is expected to return. However, Ben Mee (ankle), Rico Henry (knee), Josh Dasilva (knee), Aaron Hickey (thigh), Bryan Mbeumo (ankle), Kevin Schade (groin), and Ethan Pinnock (ankle) remain sidelined.
Reguilon’s anticipated comeback may prompt Keane Lewis-Potter to assume a substitute role. However, should Norgaard’s injury prove more serious than initially anticipated, Mathias Jensen may be recalled to the midfield.
Burnley possible starting lineup:
Trafford; Assignon, O’Shea, Esteve, Taylor; Vitinho, Berge, Cullen, Odobert; Datro Fofana, Bruun Larsen
Brentford possible starting lineup:
Flekken; Zanka, Collins, Ajer; Roerslev, Janelt, Norgaard, Onyeka, Reguilon; Wissa, Toney