Burnley are still looking for their first win at Turf Moor this season and the performance needed to make that happen won’t be made any easier by the visit of Everton on Sunday afternoon.
Sean Dyche’s side are currently sitting second from bottom of the Premier League having failed to win any of their opening eight games. There has been some positives though, most notably their performance at home against Manchester United, and the fans will surely be hoping their team can go one better and pick up all three points against Everton.
Everton are coming into this fixture after a difficult Europa League tie against Lille on Thursday night but Roberto Martinez does not think his players will be fatigued as it is just a relatively short trip from Liverpool to northern France. The Toffees are currently in 13th place but could move as high as sixth if they win and other results go their way.
It is imperative for both sides to try and get the win, albeit for different reasons, and this should provide for a good game on Sunday.
Team News
Burnley are without the services of several players in this game. Sam Vokes and Steven Reid are both out with a knee injury and a groin strain respectively. Matthew Taylor and Michael Keane are also out but there is some good news, Dean Marney may be able to play if he can pass a late fitness test.
Martinez confirmed in his press conference that Bryan Oviedo and John Stones are still unavailable, while Kevin Mirallas and Arouna Kone are also missing through injury.
Interesting Statistics
- Burnley managed to defeat Everton the last time the two sides met at Turf Moor in the Premier League.
- They are still looking for their first win of the season.
- Together with Aston Villa, no other league club in England has scored fewer goals.
- Everton have not won at Turf Moor since 1970.
- Everton are the only team alongside Chelsea and Hull City who have scored in all of their league games this season.
- Should the Toffees win, it will be the first time they have won back-to-back games in the league since April.
Key Players
Burnley – Scott Arfield
It isn’t easy picking a key player for Burnley this season but as they are in need of creativity and goals, I thought it would be best to go with Arfield. The midfielder has played in all of Burnley’s league games so far, scoring one of the club’s four goals in the process. He has created nine chances for his teammates but so far, none of these have resulted in any assists. According to Squawka.com, he has completed just under three quarters of all the passes he has attempted. In contrast however, he has only won 39% of all the duels he has been involved in. Looking at this in better detail, we see that Arfield has attempted 33 tackles and has only managed to win nine of them. However, he has been successful the majority of the times he has tried to take on an opponent. You can’t help but feel that if Everton keep Arfield quiet, then Burnley will lose much of the threat they have.
Everton – Ross Barkley
It shows how important Barkley is to Everton that the 20 year old’s return to action was met with such fervent anticipation among the club’s fans. In their game against Aston Villa last weekend, the midfielder showed why he is considered one of the country’s best young players and why Everton’s fortunes this season could reflect his performances. According to Squawka.com, Barkley created three chances in the game, one of which resulted in his first assist of the season. He managed to complete 82% of the 38 passes he attempted, not to mention the fact he won 64% of the duels he was involved in. It may only be his second league appearance of the season on Sunday but you can be sure that Sean Dyche will make sure his players are suitably prepared for Barkley.
Betting
Steven Naismith has been one of Everton’s most important players this season and his efforts up front have led to his name likely being one of the first on the team sheet. If you think he can score against Burnley then put some money on this happening at odds of 3.27 with Tailorbet, here:
Prediction
Burnley will be desperate for a win to kick start their season but it will be a hard task for them against Everton. The Toffees have had their own troubles but they have more about them in my opinion and I fully expect them to win the game 2-0.
