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Preview – Can Tottenham end their Wembley Hoodoo against Burnley?

So, Tottenham Hotspur will return to their temporary home in Wembley to host Sean Dyche’s Burnley on Sunday evening in the third game of the Premier League. Pochettino’s side go into this game on the back of a disappointing result against Chelsea and with the pressures of playing in front of a massive crowd meaning an increased allocation for away fans, the task will continue to grow more difficult, should they fail to snap a horrid run (1 win in 10) in the 90-000 capacity stadium.

Burnley, on the other hand, surprised everyone with a shock win at Stamford Bridge on the face of their poor form away from Turf Moor last season. But Sean Dyche’s men have failed to capitalize on the momentum gained following a loss at home to West Bromwich Albion and are now facing the prospect of playing Spurs at Wembley – a stadium they last visited in 2009, in the Championship playoffs final.

They make the trip South on the back of a win against rivals Blackburn Rovers in the League Cup. It will be interesting to witness how the North West club could leverage the fact that they are playing at a stadium they may not get a chance to visit in the near future, to their benefit and turn up extra motivated.

Team News 

It remains to be seen whether record signing Davinson Sanchez would be allowed to play on Sunday with the player needing to get the work permit paperwork done before he could feature. Georges-Kevin Nkoudou (foot), Danny Rose (knee) and Erik Lamela (hips) have are all still recovering and Sunday may have come too early to be named in the 18-man squad.

For Burnley, Jon Walters could miss out on the trip to Wembley after he suffered a muscle injury in the Clarets’ victory over Blackburn in midweek. Jeff Hendrick is another injury concern with a thigh injury meaning he will need to be assessed prior to the fixture.

Interesting Numbers 

Sunday’s fixture will represent the 112th time in which these two clubs have met in a competitive fixture, with Spurs claiming 44 wins in comparison to 40 victories for Burnley.

The Clarets have lost out on their travels on their six most recent visits to Spurs, although last season’s runners-up only prevailed 2-1 at White Hart Lane in December.

Key Men 

Harry Kane – Tottenham Hotspur 

Spurs are one of the few sides in the Premier League that does not rely on one man to get their goals. Yet, Sunday’s encounter is crucial for Spurs to translate a strong performance that they are capable of delivering against any side into a positive result and put an end to a myth that has the potential to snowball its way into the players’ heads. It is a cliche – but football is no stranger to these and Spurs will need to get the first goal nice and early to avoid a late collapse that they unfortunately, are equally capable of delivering.

And who – if not Harry Kane, do you turn to, for an early goal to settle the nerves?

Chris Wood – Burnley 

Chris Wood, Burnley’s record signing has made the jump to Premier League on the back of a prolific season for Leeds United, scoring and assisting a total of 31 goals in 41 starts in the Championship last season.

Following brief and unsuccessful stints at Leicester and West Brom in the top flight when he failed to score in 8 appearances combined, now is the time for him to prove his worth at the highest level. And it does not come bigger than a winning goal at Wembley against one of the top sides.

Prediction 

34 shots, 12 PL games and 0 goals for Harry Kane in the month of August. Expect that to change.

Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 Burnley 

Aashish Murali
Aashish Murali
I can bore you to tears.
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1 COMMENT

  1. No need to end something that doesn’t exist. Unless you subscribe to witchcraft, there is neither Wembley voodoo nor hoodoo. This season, Spurs are likely to win many Premier League matches at Wembley and at the home grounds of other clubs, and losses will not be put down to ‘hoodoo’ by anyone serious.

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