Burnley v Tottenham: Team news, predictions & odds


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The game kicks off at 1500 GMT at Turf Moor.  

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Burnley v Tottenham: Team news 


Burnley are still waiting on Johann Berg Gudmundsson's return to fitness but Steven Defour may make the bench against Tottenham.

Defour has been involved in first-team training following hamstring trouble but is not considered ready for the starting XI.

Gudmundsson (knee ligaments) is further away from a comeback and Dean Marney is out for the season.

Burnley (from): Heaton, Robinson, Pope, Lowton, Keane, Mee, Long, Ward, Darikwa, Tarkowski, Brady, Barton, Flanagan, Boyd, Hendrick, Westwood, Arfield, Vokes, Gray, Agyei.


Burnley v Tottenham: Manager quotes   


Sean Dyche (Burnley)

On Michael Keane's future: "It's not rocket science to work out there's a few interested. (It's) the usual chit-chat.

"The game has changed radically, everyone knows everything, its like an open book now, I've never known anything like it.

"Managers just talk openly about contract situations, who they're after, what their situation is...I've never seen anything like it. If a manager conducted himself like that 10 years ago, he'd be asked, 'What do you think you're doing?

"No one seems to do anything about it. You can only hope or presume the powers that be see it and think, 'That's not quite right'."I don't do it. But that's a personal choice, I'm not judging others.

"This club is in unbelievable shape. Have you seen the finances? Incredible.

"In my time here there's only one time, Charlie Austin (in 2013), where we've had to sell a player.

"We've never had to sell, apart from that one where he was running out of contract and the club needed the money, literally needed the money.

"Since then, we've been in good shape." 

On Keane's first two games for England: "I don't think that will worry him at all.

"He's a pretty level kind of player really. His mentality is pretty solid. I've never looked on him as short of belief and I think this will add to it.

"The biggest thing is wearing the shirt. The fact is that feeling of playing for your national side, putting on the shirt and going out there in such a tough first game as Germany away...that can only add to what he's becoming and that's a very good player.

"He's earned the right to be considered as a fine centre-half, because he is one." 

On Ben Mee: "I think Ben goes under the radar slightly more but I think he's delivered very good performances this season.

"I'm really pleased with the work they've both done. There's a good group there, a really competitive group. I'm pleased with all of them in different ways.

"It's good in one sense that people think highly of your players, not just Keano, but a number of players."

On Kieran Trippier: "If Kieran was playing regularly he might be (in the England squad too).

"I think Kyle Walker has been terrific and Trips has pushed him to another level actually. Trips is a top-class player but it's weirdly held him back because he's pushed someone else to shift forward.

"Playing regularly at the top level, whether you're at a club at the top, middle or bottom, it's still playing regularly at the top level."  

Mauricio Pochettino (Tottenham)

On Mousa Dembele: "Mousa Dembele is completely different to two-and-a-half years ago when we arrived here.

"He didn't play too much in his first season, he always had problems, or physical problems. I must give all credit to these guys, the sports science and all the medical staff, to create now a Mousa Dembele that is strong and can play.

"I always say 'Mousa, in my book you will be one of my genius players that I have been lucky to meet'.

"One was Maradona, the others Ronaldinho, Okocha and De la Pena - he was a genius too - and Mousa Dembele.

"We always told him that if we had taken him at 18 or 19 years old, he would have become one of the best players in the world. I would have loved to have taken him on at 18." 

On meeting Barcelona's president Josep Bartomeu by chance: "It was a coincidence in a bar in Barcelona last Tuesday.

"I know him for a long time before he became chairman of Barcelona. Many people around us, they have seen us to say hello, we spend five minutes together but that was the reality.

"You know the rumours after it's impossible to stop but I am an Espanyol supporter and I don't speak too much.

"If (Tottenham chairman) Daniel Levy sacked me in a few years, for me it would be impossible to manage Arsenal.

"In football I know it's difficult to keep values, to be loyal, have heart and emotion but for me it's more important to be honest.

"I am an Espanyol fan, I love Espanyol and now it is like that at Tottenham. For me it would be impossible one day to move to Arsenal, it would be impossible."

Asked if that meant he would not be taking over at Barcelona this summer, he said: "I think my answer was very clear." 

On Erik Lamela being linked with a move away: "That was so strange to hear.

"In the media Lamela is linked with different clubs and it's so difficult for me to understand.

"It's a player who has not played since October and all that he is suffering in the last four, five months, do you think that he is thinking to move? He is thinking to go to Italy? He is very happy here."

The problems he has he was desperate and the club was desperate to find the solution. But I think it made me laugh, every time I hear all that in the media, because it is impossible for him, impossible for the club, impossible for his agent, impossible for his people, to think about moving. Where?

"Now he needs help, more he needs us to help him in the next few months. I think you know better than me that it does not make sense."

On Harry Kane's return: "We do not know yet, he is doing well and he has started working again on the pitch. We are very positive, he is very positive, but we will see when he is available again."

When asked if Kane will be available again before the end of the season, he said: "Yes, of course, of course. He is doing very well, he is very positive. We believe that he can be available not so long in time.

"But I cannot provide the time he still needs to be available again, but I think it is not too long."  

On Danny Rose: "Danny Rose will be seeing the specialist this afternoon [Thursday] and then we will see. He is probably a little bit behind Harry Kane, but we are positive. We need to wait to see what happens with the specialist." 

On Burnley: "Yes, it will be tough. They are doing very well at home. We know very well that we need to fight from the first moment of the game and they are a team, a very physical team, very aggressive team and it will be tough.

"And not only do we have to give our best but we must be ready to fight for every single ball."  

Burnley v Tottenham: Our prediction 


Our David John writes... It is seven weeks since Burnley had a home game – not a good statistic for a team that can’t win on the road – but the admirable Sean Dyche and his players emerged from a four-game slog up and down the country with a so-so two points that has them in 13th place and eight points clear of the drop zone.

Dyche admits they are “in good shape” and has even dared to look up the table rather than over his shoulder with a solid finish to proceedings perhaps even securing a place inside the top 10.

Some additional away points will be required over the closing stretch if that goal is to be realised while this is going to be a stern examination for them back at Turf Moor from a team keen on cementing second place behind runaway leaders Chelsea.

Burnley’s last home league fixture was against the latter as they battled manfully to claim a point and Dyche will need all the usual meticulous homework and planning in place against a patently obvious higher-quality outfit even without the services of an injured Harry Kane. 

That is good news for centre back lynchpin Michael Keane, who did so well for England, but the slight concern is that seven matches without a victory may start to gnaw away on the near invincibility they feel in east Lancashire where they have taken 29 of their 32 points.  

Spurs have been priced up at no bigger than 4/6 but rather like their hosts, they are more vulnerable away from White Hart Lane when push comes to shove. 

They have managed only four wins on their travels in the top flight but all have come against some of the section’s lesser lights while we are at the stage of the season when Maurico Pochettino cannot afford a slip-up of any sort if they hold any hope of reeling in Chelsea.

I am sure there will be plenty of punters happy to rely on Burnley doing the business once more and snaffling something from the fixture considering they are odds-against in the Double Chance betting.

A return from the international break does present an additional dimension to consider and if the home side are not bang on the money then they will be punished.

Prediction: Burnley 1-3 Tottenham  

Burnley v Tottenham: Opta facts 


Burnley have won just one of their five previous Premier League games against Tottenham (W1 D1 L3), back in May 2010 when Brian Laws’ already-relegated side won 4-2. 

Spurs have scored at least two goals in four of their five previous Premier League matches against the Clarets, but failed to score in their last visit to Turf Moor in April 2015. 

Ashley Barnes has scored in two of his previous three league games against Tottenham, but both have been in White Hart Lane defeats for Burnley. 

Dele Alli has been involved in 10 goals in 10 Premier League appearances for Tottenham Hotspur in 2017 so far (eight goals, two assists). 

Dele Alli has played 60 Premier League games now, having a hand in 36 goals in 4647 minutes on the pitch (24 goals, 12 assists). In comparison, both Steven Gerrard (3959 mins) and Frank Lampard (4094 mins) had six goals & four assists after 60 league appearances. 

No side in Premier League history has won a higher proportion of their games (83%) or total points (78%) at home. Of Burnley’s 24 Premier League wins, 20 have come at Turf Moor. 

Christian Eriksen has assisted 23 goals in the Premier League since the start of 2015-16; no player has more (Ozil also has 23). 

Eriksen has had a hand in 10 goals in his last six appearances for Spurs in all competitions (three goals, seven assists). 

Vincent Janssen has appeared 20 times in the Premier League for Spurs this season, but has only been given 626 minutes of playing time – 31 minutes per game on average. 

Burnley haven’t scored a goal in any of their last five Premier League games played in the month of April.   

Burnley v Tottenham: Sky Bet odds

The Clarets will attempt to make it 12 victories at Turf Moor in all competitions this season but are 9/2 outsiders with Sky Bet for another three points – it will be their first game at home since losing 1-0 to Lincoln in the FA Cup. The visitors have won their last four fixtures since crashing out of Europe and are 8/13 for another success to maintain second place behind Chelsea with a draw trading at 29/10. Harry Kane is missing due to injury so Dele Alli is among the market leaders to open the scoring at 4/1. 

Click for Sky Bet's Burnley v Tottenham odds!