HomeTeams - PLBurnleyBurnley vs Sunderland Preview | Key Men, Stats and Team News

Burnley vs Sunderland Preview | Key Men, Stats and Team News

Sean Dyche’s Burnley play host to fellow relegation rivals Sunderland at Turf Moor with both teams yet to register their first win of the Premier League season.

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Both teams come into this game on the back of draws (Burnley 0-0 Crystal Palace & Sunderland 2-2 Tottenham), and will be looking for that little something extra that will hand them that vital first win of the season.

Previous Encounter

The two teams last met at the Stadium of Light in April 2010, Sunderland ran out 2-1 winners on that day.

Team News

Sam Vokes and Danny Ings will be unavailable for Burnley, although Matty Taylor has a chance of making it into the matchday squad.

Interesting Facts

  • Burnley have only scored one goal in the Premier League season so far.
  • Burnley’s clean sheet against Manchester United was their first in 29 Premier League games; they now have two in two matches.
  • Sunderland have not won in any of their last five matches.
  • Head-to-head: BUR:36 SUN:45 D:29

Key Men

Burnley – Lucas Jutkiewicz

Burnley go into this game with the joint-lowest goals tally in the league (1), a dubious honor they share with fellow promotion rivals QPR, who’ve at least managed to win a game so far. The pressure will be on Jutkiewicz, a £2.25m arrival from Middlesbrough, to replicate his pre-season form, where he scored 6 goals in as many matches for the Clarets. His early season form is looking solid; his link-up play with the Burnley midfield and Danny Ings beside him showed promise in their goalless draw against Mancheter United, a game in which he won 83% of his aerial duels and completed 2 interceptions higher up the pitch. He was also commanding against Crystal Palace, holding up the ball well, creating a clear-cut chance and ending the game with a 75% pass accuracy; but as a striker he is yet to deliver where it matters, goals, and he’ll be hoping to get off the mark against the Black Cats on Saturday, a team he’s previously scored against in an FA Cup tie with Middlesbrough.

Sunderland – Adam Johnson

The 27-year old English winger was on fine form against Tottenham Hotspur last weekend, being responsible for a majority of Sunderland’s attacks and scorer of their first equalising goal in the 4th minute. He gave Eric Dier a hard time, and the Black Cats will be looking to get the ball to him as often as possible as he possesses the ability to both cut inside and find a pass or shot through the centre of defence or take it to the flank and cross it to Conor Wickham. He created 4 chances through successful crosses against Tottenham in addition to his goal, and his battle with Ben Mee on the right flank will be a key battle all through the game. His 8 goals and 5 assists propelled Sunderland to safety last season, and Gus Poyet will be hoping he can replicate his good form in what is now a must-win game.

Projected Starting XIs

Burnley: 4-4-2:  Heaton – Mee, Shackell, Duff, Trippier – Taylor, Jones, Marney, Arfield – Barnes, Jutkiewicz.

Sunderland: 4-5-1: Mannone – Vergini,O’Shea,Brown,Van Aanholt –Cattermole,Rodwell,Larsson,Buckley,Johnson – Wickham

Betting Preview

Neither team have won a game in the Premier League yet this season.

Why not create a bet with Tailorbet for the match to finish as a draw here http://eplindex.wpengine.com/tailorbet.

Prediction

A tough match to call with two teams who will attack from the off in search of the crucial first win of the season, but Sunderland should edge a tense and tight affair to pile more pressure on Sean Dyche and his men.

Burnley 0-1 Sunderland

Vinay Rao
Vinay Rao
An engineering student who loves stats, football and Netflix dramas, I'll be a writing person here in the summer. Tweet at me @vinayr93
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