Fulham will be desperate to return to end the frustrating five-match winless run when they take on Burnley at Turf Moor on Saturday.
A full Premier League weekend greets us for the first time in weeks with Gameweek 23 of the 2023/24 season. The action on Saturday will get underway with the game between Everton and Tottenham Hotspur before Burnley and Fulham lock horns at Turf Moor.
Burnley will need some inspiration and an incredible turnaround in fortunes to avoid relegation from the Premier League. The Clarets have won just three of their 22 top-flight fixtures thus far this term, with 17th-placed Luton Town seven points ahead. Vincent Kompany’s men went down 3-1 to Manchester City in their most recent outing.
On the other hand, Fulham’s recent form is no better than Burnley’s. The Cottagers have failed to win their last five games across all competitions, with the substandard run dropping them to 13th in the standings, only seven points ahead of 18th-placed Everton. So, results need to pick up for them to remain in the top flight.
The reverse fixture saw Burnley clinch a shock 2-0 win over Fulham, with Wilson Odobert and Sander Berge finding the back of the net. 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 does not have any new concerns hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. Against Fulham on Saturday, the Burnley manager will be bereft of the services of five first-team players.
Luca Koleosho is the most notable absentee, with the 19-year-old recovering from his season-ending knee injury. Koleosho accompanies Charlie Taylor (shoulder), Hannes Delcroix (knock), Hannes Delcroix (thigh), and Nathan Redmond (hamstring) on the sidelines.
Burnley will line up in a 4-4-2 formation against Fulham, with James Trafford taking his spot between the sticks. Taylor’s absence and Connor Roberts’s departure means Ameen Al-Dakhil should feature as the makeshift left-back again. He will join Vitinho, Dara O’Shea, and Hjalmar Ekdal in the backline.
As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Sander Berge and Josh Brownhill as the midfield partnership. Johann Berg Gudmundsson and Wilson Odobert should be the two wide attackers, with Zeki Amdouni and David Datro Fofana being the strikers.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Trafford; Vitinho, O’Shea, Ekdal, Al-Dakhil; Gudmundsson, Berge, Brownhill, Odobert; Amdouni, Datro Fofana
Fulham
Unlike his counterpart in the Burnley dugout, Marco Silva has new issues to deal with ahead of the trip to Turf Moor. The Fulham manager will be without six first-team players on Saturday afternoon.
Issa Diop and Raul Jimenez are the two absentees, with the duo picking up hamstring injuries earlier this week against Everton. Diop and Jimenez will join Harry Wilson (shoulder) and Adama Traore (thigh) on the sidelines.
Meanwhile, Calvin Bassey and Alex Iwobi remain on international duty at the Africa Cup of Nations. But Fode Ballo-Toure is back available after Senegal bowed out of the continental competition in the Round of 16.
Bernd Leno will take his spot between the sticks, with Burnley lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him. Kenny Tete, Tosin Adarabioyo, Tim Ream, and Antonee Robinson will complete the backline, with the quartet being automatic picks.
As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Harrison Reed and Joao Palhinha in the double pivot. The duo will look to keep things tight in the middle of the park while initiating swift transitions. Finally, deadline-day arrival Armando Broja should spearhead the Fulham attack against Burnley, with Willian, Bobby De Cordova-Reid, and Andreas Pereira completing the numbers in the offensive department.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Leno; Tete, Adarabioyo, Ream, Robinson; Reed, Palhinha; Decordova-Reid, Pereira, Willian; Broja
Key Stats
- Burnley are unbeaten in 28 home league games against Fulham since losing 2-0 at Turf Moor in April 1951 (W22 D6). That is the longest undefeated run against an opponent at home in the Clarets’ league history.
- Burnley have the worst home record in this season’s Premier League, losing nine of their 11 matches and taking just four points.
- Fulham won 5-0 in back-to-back games in early December but have earned just one victory in their subsequent six league fixtures, failing to score five times. The Cottagers have not scored in ten Premier League matches this season, more than any other side.
- Burnley have scored a Premier League-high 32% of their goals from outside the penalty area this season (seven of 22). But their tally of 15 goals from inside the box is the lowest in the division.
- Fulham have lost six of their last eight top-flight away games against promoted sides, with their only win in this sequence coming at Nottingham Forest last season.
Player to Watch
Armando Broja
The wait is finally over, and Armando Broja has completed his loan move to Fulham. The Albanian international was eagerly waiting for a transfer to resurrect his stuttering career, and he got that on Deadline Day of the winter transfer window.
The 22-year-old will now be eager to deliver the goods week after week, as he had done during his successful loan stint with Southampton. If he manages to hit the ground running, he can guide Fulham to a top-half finish while drastically improving his fortunes.
Prediction
Burnley 1-1 Fulham
Fulham’s record at Turf Moor is abysmal, and the visitors’ recent form does not boost their prospects. That said, Burnley’s recent run has been dreadful, while the Clarets have a shoddy record at Turf Moor.
So, Sunday’s match should be close, considering both teams are struggling heading into Saturday’s contest. In the end, there might not be much to separate Burnley and Fulham, with The Hard Tackle predicting a 1-1 draw.
