2019-20 Premier League: Week Five – Brighton vs Burnley

Brighton & Hove Albion welcome Burnley to the Amex Stadium as both teams look to improve on shaky starts to the season.

Currently level on four points, victory for either team could lift them into the top ten depending on other results around them.

 

Team news

Embed from Getty Images

Brighton could have Ezequiel Schelotto available for the first time this season, after the Argentinean-Italian spent the last month sidelined with a knee injury

Jose Izquierdo (knee) and Yves Bissouma (shoulder) remain sidelined along with Leander Trossard (groin). 

Burnley will be without Danny Drinkwater after the loanee picked up an ankle injury during the international break.

Dwight McNeil, Johann Berg Gudmundsson (both calf) and Robbie Brady (fitness) however are fit and available for this weekend, along with Ashley Barnes who has a slight groin issue.

 

Form

After making a bright start under Graham Potter with four points from their first two games, Brighton have lost both of their last two without scoring and conceding six.

Burnley also have a similar record but have scored in three of their last four, only drawing blank at home to Liverpool last time out.

 

Stat Attack

• Brighton are yet to beat Burnley, having contested four Premier League meetings (D2, L2).
• Burnley opened the scoring in both meetings last season through James Tarkowski and Chris Wood respectively.
• February’s 3-1 victory was Burnley’s first win at the Amex in five meetings (W1, D2, L2).
• Burnley’s Ben Mee has made the second most blocks so far this season, producing seven blocks in four appearances.
• Two of Brighton’s 39 shots in their opening four league matches have hit the woodwork.

 

Prediction

Both teams have enjoyed similar starts to the season so I think that we are in for a tough match here between two solid sides, who both have a few players returning from injury on top of those who have been away on international duty. 

I therefore am going for a draw here because there is little to currently separate them, and this is the first game back after a fortnight off so can’t see any thrillers this weekend anyway.

Prediction: Brighton & Hove Albion 1-1 Burnley

Result: Brighton & Hove Albion 1-1 Burnley