Burnley will be desperate to return to winning ways when they welcome Luton Town to Turf Moor on Friday.
Premier League football resumes after nearly two weeks with Gameweek 21 of the 2023/24 season. The latest round of fixtures gets underway on Friday night, with Burnley welcoming a resurgent Luton Town to Turf Moor.
Burnley would have hoped for at least a lower mid-table finish after romping to the EFL Championship title last season. But reality has set in at Turf Moor, with the Clarets struggling to impose themselves on the Premier League. Vincent Kompany’s men are second from bottom in the top flight, managing only three wins thus far.
Luton Town needed the promotion play-offs to return to the top tier of English football. They endured a trial by fire in their first-ever Premier League season. But the Hatters have become the most resolute team in the top flight this term, proving naysayers wrong by winning two of their last three league games, although they remain in the drop zone despite an upturn in form.
The reverse fixture saw Burnley eke out a narrow 2-1 win over Luton Town, with Jacob Bruun Larsen scoring the match-winner. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Burnley
Vincent Kompany has new injury concerns hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. Against Luton Town on Friday, the Burnley manager will be bereft of the services of at least four first-team players.
Lyle Foster (ankle) and Charlie Taylor (shoulder) are the latest players in the treatment room. The former likely faces a late fitness test to determine his availability, but the latter will unlikely feature on Friday, although Kompany gave nothing away in his pre-match press conference.
Meanwhile, Jordan Beyer (hamstring), Hjalmar Ekdal (knee), and Luca Koleosho (knee) remain on the sidelines. Burnley will line up in a 4-4-2 formation against Luton Town, with James Trafford taking his spot between the sticks. Connor Roberts should deputise for Taylor in the left-back berth, joining Vitinho, Hannes Delcroix, and Dara O’Shea in the backline.
As for the midfield unit, Sander Berge and Josh Brownhill will look to keep things tight in the middle of the park. Mike Tresor and Wilson Odobert will provide the defensive support to the duo, but they will primarily look to take on the Luton Town full-backs. Finally, Zeki Amdouni and Jay Rodriguez should be the two strikers, with Foster appearing off the bench if he is fit enough to make the matchday squad.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Trafford; Vitinho, O’Shea, Delcroix, Roberts; Tresor, Berge, Brownhill, Odobert; Amdouni, Rodriguez
Luton Town
Unlike his counterpart in the Burnley dugout, Rob Edwards is not dealing with any new issues ahead of the trip to Turf Moor. The Luton Town manager should be without six first-team players on Friday.
The good news is Carlton Morris is fit and available after recovering from a calf injury he sustained in the FA Cup third-round clash against Bolton Wanderers. But Reece Burke (thigh), Dan Potts (hamstring), and Marvelous Nakamba (knee) remain available.
Jacob Brown likely faces a late fitness test to determine his availability as he continues to recover from a knee injury. Meanwhile, Issa Kabore is on international duty at the Africa Cup of Nations, while captain Tom Lockyer is out indefinitely as he recovers from his heart ailment.
Thomas Kaminski will take his spot between the sticks, with Luton Town lining up in a 3-4-3 formation in front of him. Gabriel Osho, Teden Mengi, and Amari’i Bell should be the three centre-backs. Meanwhile, Alfie Doughty and Ryan Giles should be the two wing-backs for the away side.
As for the midfield unit, Ross Barkley has been a talismanic figure for Luton and will look to pull the strings from the middle of the park. Albert Sambi Lokonga will be his partner in the middle of the park. Finally, top scorer Elijah Adebayo will spearhead the Luton attack against Burnley, with Carlton Morris and Andros Townsend joining him in the offensive trifecta.
Probable Lineup (3-4-3): Kaminski; Osho, Mengi, Bell; Doughty, Barkley, Lokonga, Giles; Townsend, Adebayo, Morris
Key Stats
- Burnley are unbeaten in their last seven league games against Luton Town, winning four and drawing three. But the Hatters are unbeaten in seven league games at Turf Moor since losing 2-1 in 1995 under David Pleat.
- Burnley have 11 points after 20 matches. The fewest points a team has had at this stage of a Premier League season and avoided relegation is also 11 by West Bromwich Albion in 2004/05.
- Luton Town have conceded 37 Premier League goals this campaign. The Hatters let in 39 goals in 46 league games in last season’s Championship.
- Six of Burnley’s 11 points this season have been earned against fellow promoted teams: a 2-1 victory at Luton Town and a 5-0 home win over Sheffield United.
- Burnley have failed to score in all four Premier League fixtures played on a Friday, including a 3-0 home defeat versus Manchester City in the opening match of this season. On the other hand, Luton Town have lost both of their Friday Premier League fixtures: 3-0 at Chelsea in August and 2-1 at home against West Ham United in September.
Player to Watch
Wilson Odobert
Goals have come at a premium for Burnley this season, with only rock-bottom Sheffield United finding the back of the net less often. Interestingly, a quarter of their strikes this term came against Sheffield United. But Wilson Odobert has been a rare shining light for the Clarets.
The 19-year-old is Burnley’s joint-top scorer this season, boasting the best minutes-per-goal ratio and the highest shot accuracy. So, the home team will depend on the youngster’s output to get anything from the game. But if Odobert does not rise to the occasion, it will be a long night at the job for Burnley.
Prediction
Burnley 1-2 Luton Town
Burnley and Luton Town have an intriguing recent head-to-head record. The Clarets have not lost a game against the Hatters in seven outings. But the visitors are unbeaten on seven visits to Turf Moor. Couple that with their improving form, and Rob Edwards’s men are the favourites to clinch three points on Friday.
Vincent Kompany’s charges have lost nine of their opening ten Premier League games at Turf Moor this season, becoming the first-ever top-flight to earn the unenviable distinction. So, all signs point towards Luton grabbing a crucial victory that will take them out of the relegation zone, with Ross Barkley running the show.