Harry Kane could make his long-awaited return to action when Tottenham travel to Burnley in the Premier League on Saturday.
Kane, who has been out since mid-January, has been back in full training since Monday and will undergo a fitness test ahead of the game.
Spurs have missed Kane for seven games, winning five and losing two in all competitions, but will still be grateful to have their talisman back.
Meanwhile, Burnley will be looking to continue their seven match unbeaten run in the league when they play host to the title hopefuls for the lunchtime kick-off.
Read on for Burnley vs Spurs live stream options, team news, predicted XIs, stats and TV channel info.
When is Burnley vs Spurs?
Competition: Premier League
Venue: Turf Moor
Date: Saturday, 23 February
Kick-off: 12:30 GMT
Match Preview
Spurs will arrive at Turf Moor full of confidence given the results they’ve picked up without Kane recently. In his absence, they began life looking a little rocky with cup losses to Chelsea and Crystal Palace but have picked up since.
Riding their luck against Newcastle and Leicester with Heung Min-son and Christian Eriksen taking the reins, they hit their full stride in the 3-0 Champions League win over Borussia Dortmund last week.
That gradual progression and the possible return of the league’s fourth top goalscorer (Kane – 14 goals), will encourage them when heading to Burnley, who have not played in two weeks.
However, with a couple of controversial penalty calls going their way in the 3-1 win at Brighton, Sean Dyche may feel that luck is now on his side and use it to continue the Clarets’ momentum as they aim to pull clear of the relegation zone.
Where can I watch live?
Burnley vs Spurs will be shown live in the UK on Sky Sports Main Event, channel 401 and Sky Sports Premier League, channel 402, respectively. Channels 511 and 512 for Virgin Media customers or 501 and 502 for HD.
Have Spurs answered squad strength critics?
Kane and Dele Alli’s spells on the sideline led many to believe that Spurs would drift down the table but they have managed to keep pace.
Although Kane and Alli have directly contributed to 44.4% 0f Tottenham’s goals this season, Mauricio Pochettino has been able to utilise other outlets.
Without Kane, Fernando Llorente has stepped up with three goals in seven games, as has Son, who has bagged four goals in four games since returning from the Asian Games.
Not only this but Llorente has also popped up with a couple of assists to add variety to the way Spurs create chances. Eriksen has continued to excel in this area but having different methods of creation has helped Spurs without doubt.
Able to weather the last few weeks without Kane and Alli, Spurs have shown that they are more resourceful than plenty of people gave them credit for.
Are Spurs still in the title race?
Weathering the injury storm has meant that Spurs are still clinging onto the coat tails of their title rivals. Currently, they sit five points behind Liverpool and Manchester City who have both shown that gaps can be cut short quickly this season.
On 60 points, Pochettino’s side have also broken records of their own, a trend they will hope to continue going into the business end of the season.
Spurs now have 60 points after 26 Premier League games, at least seven points more than they have ever had at this stage of a PL campaign.
Eyes still firmly on the prize.
pic.twitter.com/XoZ5aO2CAh
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) February 10, 2019
Along with this, there is still a belief in the camp that they can produce an upset in the title race. Speaking a couple of weeks ago, midfielder Moussa Sissoko revealed that he likes Spurs being underdogs.
He said: “I do think that we can win the league because we have a good team. If people want to talk about Liverpool and Man City, then that’s better for us.
“For me, I prefer that. It means we can just do our jobs. We will fight to the end and anything can happen.”
Will tough fixture list define Spurs’ season?
Looking ahead to late February and early March, this may be the biggest test for Spurs this season. After they face Burnley, Pochettino’s men will have to travel to Chelsea and Borussia Dortmund either side of the second north London derby to be played at Wembley in as many seasons.
What will make this period even tougher are the quick turnarounds. Those three heavy-hitting games will be played in the space of a week but Spurs can be confident going into those games nonetheless.
Chelsea currently seem to be in a crisis with what is happening to Maurizio Sarri, Arsenal aren’t at their strongest and they will be taking a 3-0 lead to the Westfalenstadion.
But having lost to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge last month and Arsenal at Emirates Stadium in December, Tottenham will still have to be wary. The next couple of weeks will prove to be a defining moment in the north Londoners’ campaign.
Subscribe to Squawka’s Youtube channel: sqwk.at/Squawka-Sub
Head-to-head
Overall, encounters between Burnley and Spurs have been pretty even. But, of course, Spurs have dominated these meetings in recent years, winning four of the last five games. Burnley’s last win over Tottenham came in May 2010, a 4-2 win at Turf Moor.
Spurs wins: 46 Draws: 27 Burnley wins: 40
Team News
Thankfully for Dyche, he has no new injuries heading into the game. However, Aaron Lennon will miss the chance to play against his former club with a knee injury. Steven Defour will also miss out with a calf injury.
As mentioned earlier, Kane is a possibility to start for Spurs and will undergo a fitness test prior to the match.
Other than that, Alli and Ben Davies face a battle to be involved with thigh and groin injuries respectively, despite the fact the latter has returned to full training.
Predicted Burnley XI: Heaton; Bardsley, Tarkowski, Mee, Taylor; Hendrick, Westbrook, Cork, McNeil; Barnes, Wood.
Predicted Spurs XI: Lloris; Trippier, Sanchez, Vertonghen, Rose; Winks, Sissoko, Eriksen; Lamela, Llorente, Son.
Squawka Prediction
With or without Kane returning, it looks incredibly likely that Spurs will leave Turf Moor with all three points on Saturday.
Whether it’s through a class performance or a lucky shot at goal, they seem to have the right kind of momentum behind them at the moment. With this in mind, even if Kane is fit to play, Pochettino may continue to give Llorente a chance to impress.
We expect Spurs to keep battling on by whatever means necessary. Burnley 1-3 Spurs
Predictions & Betting
1. Harry Kane to score anytime @ 10/11
Should he return to the Spurs side, Kane would be hoping to pick up where he left off. Before his injury he scored seven goals in seven games.
Key Stat: Kane scored a hat trick on his last visit to Turf Moor in December 2017.
Tip: Harry Kane to score anytime @ 10/11 with Betbull – bet here
Odds correct at time of publishing (22/02/2019, 10:30)
18+ only. Ts&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org
2. Spurs to win to nil @ 15/8
Something that could give Spurs even more confidence going into this game is that they haven’t conceded at Turf Moor since January 2015 in a 1-1 draw.
Key Stat: Spurs have scored five unanswered goals at Turf Moor.
Tip: Spurs to win to nil @ 15/8 with Betbull – bet here
Odds correct at time of publishing (22/02/2019, 10:30)
18+ only. Ts&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org
3. Spurs to score over 3 goals @ 5/1
Scoring three times in their last two outings, Spurs are in great form and can continue that with Kane returning, which will give them a big boost.
Key Stat: Spurs have scored three or more goals in four games in 2019.
Tip: Spurs to score over 3 goals @ 5/1 with Betbull – bet here
Odds correct at time of publishing (22/02/2019, 10:30)
18+ only. Ts&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org
Search squawkagaming on BetBull to follow all our tips for Burnley vs Spurs and more.
The post Burnley vs Spurs predictions and match preview appeared first on Squawka News.
From Squawka News https://ift.tt/2EpIxwp
No comments:
Post a Comment