Burnley face another tough test at the foot of the Premier League table as they host Sheffield United at Turf Moor.
Should Brighton lose to Arsenal, a win could see Burnley move above the Seagulls into 16th position whereas Sheffield Utd will stay bottom regardless of what they achieve here.
Team News
Dwight McNeil could return for Burnley after missing their defeat at Leeds with a tight groin injury.
Matej Vydra (back) and Robbie Brady (thigh) could also feature but Johann Berg Gudmundsson (hamstring) and Jack Cork (ankle) remain ruled out.
Sheffield Utd could be without Oliver Burke after the winger suffered a back injury in Saturday’s loss to Everton.
Oli McBurnie (knock) is a doubt but Jack O’Connell (knee), Kean Bryan (calf), Sander Berge (hamstring) and John Lundstram (suspension) are absent.
Stat Attack
- Burnley are winless in two previous Premier League meetings against Sheffield United (D1, L1).
- Sheffield Utd have failed to win any of their last five trips to Turf Moor, excluding penalty shootouts (W3, D2).
- All four of the Blades’ Premier League goals in this fixture have come from players with first name of ‘John’, with Lundstram scoring twice whilst Fleck and Egan scored once each.
- No Premier League goalkeeper has conceded more penalties so far this season than Burnley’s Nick Pope, having conceded two spot kicks in 13 appearances.
- Both teams come into this match as the joint lowest scoring teams this season, with eight goals apiece.
Prediction
Burnley should be fired up for this clash after Sunday’s harsh defeat at Leeds through a mixture of poor finishing against a robust defence and awful refereeing, although they are going to have to be patient but clinical against a stern Sheffield Utd team who will be hoping the Clarets’ defence make another slow start.
Chris Wilder’s Blades edged Everton in a tough Boxing Night encounter but they just continue to waste shots despite delivering excellent defensive performances when defending, in which a momentarily lapse in man marking cost them a valuable point.
On that note, I feel like this has the hallmarks of a tight cagey contest but if Burnley can channel their frustration from Sunday’s performance properly, they might very well find that first Premier League win over the Blades.
Prediction: Burnley 1-0 Sheffield United
Result: Burnley 1-0 Sheffield United