Relegation-threatened Burnley are all set to host a struggling Everton side who will be looking to return to winning ways.
Having suffered consecutive defeats in the league, Everton will be eager to secure all three points when they travel to Turf Moor on Saturday afternoon to square up against Burnley, who seem set to be relegated.
The home team are 19th on the Premier League table with just 11 points in their 17 outings. The Clarets have only won three games so far, and they are seven points behind 17th-placed Nottingham Forest.
While Scott Parker’s men are heading into this fixture on the back of a 1-1 draw over Bournemouth, they have been winless in their last eight league outings. As a result, Burnley will be desperate to secure all three points and revive their chances of survival.
Meanwhile, the visitors are tenth on the table with 24 points in their 17 outings. They have suffered defeats in three out of their last five league outings. After successive wins over Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest, the Toffees have suffered defeats at the hands of Chelsea and Arsenal.
Everton will be eager to bounce back, and given Burnley’s overall form, the Merseyside outfit should be the favourites for this one. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could put to use.
Team News & Tactics
Burnley
The home team will be without the services of Jordan Beyer, Connor Roberts, and Zeki Amdouni because of injury. Maxime Esteve remains a doubt for this outing. Meanwhile, Axel Tuanzebe, Lyle Foster and Hannibal Mejbri are all away on international duty in the Africa Cup of Nations.
Burnley will line up in a 3-4-3 formation, where Martin Dubravka will be in goal. The back three will be made up of Hjalmar Ekdal, Josh Laurent and Joe Worrall. They will receive significant support from Kyle Walker and Lucas Pires, who will feature as the wing-backs.
Meanwhile, Josh Cullen will partner with Lesley Ugochukwu in the central midfield pairing. Jacob Bruun Larsen and Jaidon Anthony are expected to feature on the flanks, while Armando Broja should lead the line for Burnley against Everton.
Probable Lineup (3-4-3): Dubravka; Ekdal, Worrall, Laurent; Walker, Ugochukwu, Cullen, Pires; Bruun Larsen, Broja, Anthony
Everton
Iliman Ndiaye and Idrissa Gueye are away on international duty at the Africa Cup of Nations, while Jarrad Branthwaite, Seamus Coleman, and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall are out injured.
The visitors will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, where Jordan Pickford will be in goal. Jake O’Brien and Vitaliy Mykolenko are expected to be the full-backs, while Michael Keane will pair up with James Tarkowski in the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, James Garner will partner with Tim Iroegbunam in the centre of the park. The central midfield duo will look to shield the backline and control the tempo of the game.
Carlos Alcaraz will take up the number ten role, while Jack Grealish and Dwight McNeil will feature out wide on the flanks, providing width to their attacks. Finally, Thierno Barry will spearhead the Everton attack against Burnley on Saturday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Pickford; Mykolenko, Keane, Tarkowski, O’Brien; Garner, Iroegbunam; Grealish, Alcaraz, McNeil; Barry
Key Stats
- Burnley and Everton have faced each other 123 times. The Clarets have won 38 of those outings, while the Toffees have come out on top on 55 occasions.
- The last league outing between the two teams took place last April, where Everton secured a 1-0 win.
- Burnley have the third-worst defensive record in the Premier League this season (34 goals conceded).
- Everton have the third-worst scoring record, having bagged just 18 league goals so far.
- The Clarets are winless in their last eight Premier League outings.
Player to Watch
Jack Grealish
Everton secured the services of Grealish on loan from Manchester City with hopes that he would be leading their attack and helping them score goals. While he has contributed towards six goals in his 16 outings, the Toffees expected more from the English international.
Four of those goal contributions came in his first three Premier League outings for Everton. Having bagged just two goals in his last 13 top-flight appearances, Grealish is desperate to add to his tally, and he will certainly be a big threat for Burnley, who have one of the worst defensive records in the division.
Prediction
Burnley 0-2 Everton
Burnley will head into this fixture knowing that anything other than a win could be a massive blow to their hopes of survival. While the home side showed some fight in their recent draw, their defensive frailties and prolonged winless run remain major concerns.
The Clarets are likely to adopt a cautious approach, looking to stay compact and hit Everton on the break, but a lack of cutting edge in the final third could once again prove costly. The Toffees, despite their recent setbacks, have enough structure and quality to take control of this contest.
The Merseyside club should dominate key areas of the pitch and create better chances, particularly against a Burnley backline that has struggled all season. If David Moyes’s side remain disciplined and take their opportunities, they should have enough to come away with a comfortable victory. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-0 win for Moyes and his charges.
